Page 37 of Scarlett's Mountain Man
CHAPTER 11
SCARLETT
“We have guests coming over,” Daddy announces, walking into the living room.
I sit up straight, panic rushes through my body.
“Just two guys who work here as our security. They want to discuss something with me. I told them to come over since I don’t want to leave you.” Daddy sits next to me. “Nothing bad is going to happen.”
I relax and lean into his embrace. Right, nothing is going to happen. I am safe here. Juniper and I are safe.
“One day you’re going to talk about it,” he gently says. “I know it’s going to be hard, but you need to tell someone. it’s not healthy to bottle it up.”
I shake my head. I don’t want to talk to anyone about what happened. It will just make me realize how stupid I was in the beginning. How naive I was to fall for his tricks.
“You have nightmares and flinch at things. I don’t want you to live with fear in your eyes for the rest of your life. You don’thave to talk to me, it can be someone else, but I think it would be healthy to talk to someone,” Daddy suggests.
Before I can say anything, there is a knock on the door. My whole body freezes.
“You can come in!” Daddy calls out, wrapping an arm around me and holding me close.
Juniper is lying on her mat having tummy time. She looks so peaceful, like nothing is wrong in the world.
“Thorin.” Two men walk into the room, greeting Daddy.
“Brix and Elijah. Thanks for coming here. This is Scarlett and Juniper.” Daddy points to us.
“Nice to meet you,” they both say together.
I stare at them and wave, not trusting my voice in this instance. They are muscular and very intimidating. Is that a requirement to live in the lodge?
“Do you want to go to your office?” Brix asks.
Daddy shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. Scarlett can hear what you have to say.”
I look at him in shock. I don’t know if I want to know what they’re going to say. What if it’s something bad? What if it’s something secret?
“Are you sure?” Brix asks again.
“I’m positive.” Thorin nods.
“We caught a guy looking around the lodge. Asked him what he was doing and he said he was looking for a girl and his kid,” Elijah says.
My eyes go wide as I stare at Elijah. In an instant, it’s like my head is under water, everything becoming muffled as they continue their conversation.
He found me.
He is looking for me.
How does he know I am here? How? I never mentioned this lodge or anything related to it. I kept it a secret so if I needed to make a run for it, I could without him ever being able to find me.
But he has.
He found me.
He has to know I am here.
“Scarlett?” Daddy’s voice sounds so far away. “Little One?”
