Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Kestrel dropped onto the couch, still holding Zara in his arms. He cradled her in his lap and held her tightly, burying his face in her hair. He’d almost lost her.
She started sobbing. Her entire body shook. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t have come upstairs alone. I’m so, so sorry.”
He rocked her gently, inhaling her scent, trying to control his breathing. When he finally gave her enough space to breathe and lean back, she met his gaze. Her lip was trembling, and tears were running down her face. “Are you mad at me?”
He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “No, Little Swan. I’m not mad. I’m just so glad we got to you. I was scared.” Scared was an understatement. Kestrel had been fucking terrified out of his mind, but he didn’t want to send her into a panic.
They all jumped when the door opened. Caesar walked in, shut it, and resecured it. “Lost them.” He was breathing heavily.
“I’m so sorry,” Magnus said into the comm. He sounded furious. “I have so many monitors running, and I’ve been switching around among them, trying to keep eyes on as many camera angles as I can, all at the same time. I didn’t know Zara went upstairs. I wasn’t watching the elevator on every floor.”
“It’s not your fault,” Kestrel responded as calmly as possible. He was stroking his Little girl all up and down her back, her face, her legs. Touching her everywhere to reassure himself she was here in his arms. She was fine. Unharmed.
This time.
Chapter Twenty
“Is she sleeping?”
Kestrel turned toward Sadie as he stepped into the living room and quietly shut the door to his apartment. With full power restored, the common space was illuminated brightly, dispelling all the shadows. “Yeah.”
Celeste was with Sadie. The two women were huddled on the couch, holding each other. Hawking and Rocco were standing behind them. The two Daddies had rushed to be with their Littles as fast as they could.
Kestrel couldn’t blame them. It would be a while before any of them let their Little girls out of their sight again.
Except Zara was not in Kestrel’s line of sight right now. She’d been exhausted, and he’d tucked her into the daybed in the playroom, where she’d fallen fast asleep. It had taken him time to be able to leave her, even knowing she was the safest there. Eventually, the need to reassure the other Littles and strategize with his teammates had convinced him to leave her playroom.
Kestrel glanced back at the door to the apartment he shared with Zara, noting the pretty swan picture they’d hung up. Had that been just yesterday? It seemed like they’d lived a lifetime since she’d colored that picture.
Both Sadie and Celeste had red, swollen eyes from crying.
“Is she okay?” Celeste asked.
“She will be.” Kestrel sat in one of the armchairs and looked toward Rocco and then Hawking. “This can’t be her life. Always hiding and on the run.” He was concerned. He prayed to God all of these people trying to kidnap her were working for the same man. If he could somehow manage to take down this particular operation, would another human trafficking ring pick up where these guys left off?
Yes, she was pretty. There were a lot of pretty people in the world. Granted, not all of them had been featured in several magazines, drawing attention to them. There was no way to undo the past, though. All they could do was find a way to create a path forward, one in which Zara could live in peace without constantly worrying that someone would kidnap her.
Zara had said her father was old friends with Kingsley. It was past time to give Kingsley a call and ask a few dozen questions. It was also time to make contact with Zara’s parents, especially her father. The man needed to know that his daughter was not only under Kestrel’s protection but that she would be for the rest of her life. There wasn’t a chance in hell Kestrel would let Zara go back home when this was finally over.
He knew deep in his heart she was his, and he was confident she knew it, too. Her new life was here with him, with her new extended family. He hoped it would help his case that she seemed to love working with Celeste. That part was certainly convenient.
A fierce sense of overprotectiveness consumed Kestrel. He hated that the three men had not only gotten away, but they’d already managed to leave the resort. The storm had hindered Magnus and the rest of the men. The computer expert hadn’t been able to watch every single camera. Along with the observations of the team who’d searched the property after the incident, Magnus had been able to piece together just enough data to confirm that the men had snuck off the property and disappeared.