Page 30 of Deliverance

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"Very well. After breakfast, we'll go get you one." She turned and walked back up the stairs. Martin followed with her breakfast.

When I turned back around, Erin was staring at me. "What?" I asked.

She chuckled slightly. "You're going on a date with Madam."

"I'm her head of security, remember?"

"Still a date." She grinned and then stuck a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

"It is not."

"It is."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"What's a date?" Zell asked, breaking up the banter between Erin and me.

I let Erin answer. "A date is when two people go out and spend time together."

"Go out?" Zell questioned.

"Yeah, like to dinner or the movies or—"

"The movies? What's that?"

"You've never gone to the movies?" I questioned.

"I don't think so," the cute little girl responded.

My gaze met Erin's, and she said, "Zell has only gone to feed the ducks."

I blinked. "With us, or before that?"

"Just with us."

My heart broke even more for the little girl. No toys, a small room, a mother who had a shitload of money and didn't give the poor child anything, and now to find out that she had only been outside once in her life—that couldn't be true.

"You've never been anywhere except with us?" I asked.

"Yep." Zell scooped cereal onto her spoon.

"You don't go outside?"

The eight-year-old looked around the kitchen and then leaned in and whispered, "When Madam isn't home, we go out on the balcony. Ronda said I need vitamin D."

There were cameras on the main floor's balcony, and even though I'd seen the women outside, I never realized that was the only time Saffron's daughter was getting fresh air. "Vitamin D is important," I agreed. "Maybe tomorrow we can feed the ducks again."

Zell's blue eyes widened. "Really?"

"I'll talk to your mom."

Erin stared at me, and I shook my head at her silent question.

It wasn't time yet.

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