Daddy’s Little Runaway by Lila Fox
Chapter Seventeen
A few weeks later, Emma and Lacey played cards on the floor in Devon’s office when they heard the men’s voices.
“They sound angry,” Emma said as her eyes widened.
“Let’s go see what’s wrong.”
Emma set down her cards. The two walked out to see Devon with his back to her, Cason, and another man she didn’t know.
“Da … Cason, what’s going on?” Lacey asked as they walked that way.
Emma’s stomach tightened at the look on Cason’s face. “I thought you two were supposed to be in our condo?”
“The game we wanted to play was down here,” Lacey told him.
Cason opened his arms and enfolded her in. “Nothing you two need to worry about. Everything’s taken care of. Why don’t you go back into the office?”
Emma saw Lacey’s eyes widen dramatically when she looked at Devon. She walked around and gasped. Her hands went to her mouth, and tears filled her eyes.
Devon had blood all over him. He had a bloody swollen lip, bloody knuckles, and it looked like someone sprayed him with it because it was all over the front of him. His shirt was torn and dirty.
“What happened?” she cried out.
Devon sighed. “Nothing you need to worry about, pet.”
“You were going to hide this from me, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I didn’t want you to see and get scared.”
“I’m not scared, really. I’m just sad you got hurt. Was it an accident?”
Emma caught the look on the men’s faces. “This is about me, isn’t it?” The man with them got a hard look on his face that made a shiver race down her spine.
She walked over to Devon and reached out to take his hand but drew away when she saw the broken skin. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
Devon snorted, and the other men laughed. “No, I don’t, pet. I’ve been hurt much worse.”
She shook her head. “Who hurt you?”
The man she didn’t know spoke up. “We had a little altercation from a few of your mom’s friends.”
Emma caught the angry look Devon gave him.
“This was my mom’s fault? I thought she was gone.”
Devon cleared his throat. “Let me introduce you to a friend of ours from Virginia. He’s thinking about joining the firm. His name is Zachary.”
Devon turned to the man. “This is my little, Emma, and the other one is Cason’s wife, Lacey.”
The man nodded, but that was it.
“Da … Devon, I want to help you. Can we go back to the bathroom?”
Devon shook his head. “No, pet, I’ve got this. There’s nothing to worry about. Why don’t you go back and play?”
Her mouth dropped open slightly as pain raced through her. Not only did she get him hurt, but he also didn’t want her around him, and she didn’t blame him. She should have never stayed.
She turned to Lacey. “Do you want to go back with me?”
Lacey nodded. “Of course.” She turned and kissed Cason. “I’ll be home soon.”
“All right. You stay here, though. I don’t want you leaving the building.”
“I won’t.”
Lacey took her hand and started pulling her back toward the office. Every step she took away from Devon felt like another slice from her heart.
She stopped a few feet from the office and turned to see the men’s eyes on them. She looked at Devon.
“I knew … I’m so sorry. This is the last thing I ever wanted.”
“Honey…”
She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.” She turned and walked into the office and closed the door.
Lacey took one look at her face and pulled her into her arms.
“This wasn’t your fault.”
Emma couldn’t have stopped the tears from falling and the shakes that took over her body. “It is, though. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t stayed, he never would have gotten hurt.”
“That’s not true.”
“But it is.”
Lacey leaned back and stared at her. The two had become close over the last several weeks, so she knew she could talk to her.
“Talk to him,” Lacey suggested.
“No, he doesn’t even want me to touch him, and I don’t blame him.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to leave before he or anyone else I care about gets hurt.”
“But where will you go?”
Emma shrugged. “I still have the apartment, I think, or there’s the house. We haven’t sold it yet.”
“Are you trying to sell it? I thought you loved that house.”
Emma sat on the sofa and pressed her hands between her legs. “I do, but I thought if I wanted to be with Devon, I’d have to stay here.”
“Have you said anything to him about it?”
Emma shook her head. “No, after we got it back from my mother, he and I walked around, and I told him all about it.”
Lacey frowned. “But he didn’t like it?”
“No. He talked about the upkeep and that it was a big house for just two people.”
“I’m sorry.”
Emma nodded and wiped the tears that continued to fall.
“I’ll help any way I can. I can give you money to help get you on your feet.”
Emma shook her head. “Not right now. I can get a decent job now to help pay for the basics. The house is paid for, so if I’m careful, I can pay for the utilities and food until I come up with a plan.”
“Don’t you think Devon will come after you?”
“Maybe at the beginning. At least until he realizes that I make his life harder than it needs to be.”
Lacey looked doubtful. “I don’t know, Emma. He looks like he cares about you very much.”
“He doesn’t even want me to touch him.”
Lacey squeezed her hand. They sat that way for the longest time.
Emma knew she’d do whatever it took to keep Devon and the people she cared about safe.
