This Is Love, Baby (War & Peace #2)(14)

“I’m going to take care of you,” I vow. “I swear to it.”

She lifts her chin and turns to look at me. “How’s Mom? And where’s Dad? Why weren’t they looking for me?”

I can’t help but sigh at her words. I knew this conversation was inevitable. I’d hoped for more time to hold her. To kiss her. To hug her. To love her. More time before having to crush her. To break what’s left of her spirit.

“Babe, maybe now’s not the time—”

“Don’t.”

I frown and scrub my palm over my face. My tongue is thick and sticky in my mouth, unable to find the right words.

“Tell me,” she urges, the plea in her voice desperate. “Please, Brandon.”

“Baylee…”

Our eyes meet, my lips just inches from her quivering bottom one. A single tear rolls down her cheek and drips from her jaw. “N-N-No.”

“She passed away,” I choke out, emotion threatening to suffocate me. “I’m so sorry.”

“God, no.” Another tear chases the last one and her nose darkens to a deep shade of red. “My poor dad.” She stifles a sob but the tears run down her cheeks as she silently cries.

Rage bubbles in my chest, eradicating the sadness I felt for her and her mother, at the mention of Tony.

“When?”

I slide a hand along her cheek and swipe away some of the wetness with my thumb. “A few days after you were taken.”

Her eyes dilate and her sadness quickly morphs into anger. “A few days? You mean, t—this was all for nothing!” Her statement is shrill and she stands abruptly. Matching her stance, I rise to my feet and grab onto her shoulders.

“That bastard didn’t even tell me!” she shrieks and attempts to jerk out of my grasp but my grip is too strong. “And my dad! He never mentioned it once while I emailed with him, Brandon! Not once! Where the hell is he? Why wasn’t he looking for me?”

A wash of dread trickles through me and I make a decision. She’s had enough for one day. I won’t be the bearer of any more bad news.

“I don’t know where he is. But when I went by your house to get your clothes, a neighbor said he’d gone to San Francisco.” The words easily roll off my tongue. “Maybe he was sparing your feelings. Maybe he wanted to tell you in person. And maybe he really is looking for you there.”

Her entire body wracks with sobs and I hug her to me. Me, comforting her, it feels like where I belong. I’ve held her crying body on numerous occasions as she struggled with coming to terms with her mother’s illness.

“San Francisco? What the hell’s in San Francisco? Something’s not right, Brandon. Do you think Gabe hurt him?”

I freeze. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He hurt you.”

She nods and tilts her tearstained face to regard me. “I’ve lost everyone.”

I press a kiss to her forehead. “You haven’t lost me. I’m still here.”

As if my words enrage her, she jerks away from me. Guilt flashes over her features, leaving me puzzled for a moment. Then, she storms from the room on a mission. I chase after her to find her standing in front of Gabe with her hands on her hips, staring at him.

“Wake up!” she snaps and grabs a handful of his hair, pulling his head back.

Gabe doesn’t even flinch. He’s breathing but he’s out cold.

“We can interrogate him later. You should eat something and rest a little.”

She jerks her gaze to mine, disgust written all over her face. “We’re not staying here long. As soon as he wakes up, I’ll get him to tell me where my dad’s at, and then we’ll go find him.”

I cringe, knowing this conversation with Gabe won’t end well. “Fine,” I say, placating her, “but you will eat. You’re pale as hell.”

She relaxes a bit as I walk over to the refrigerator. I open the freezer, hoping to find something easy to make her. Instead, I only find foil-wrapped vegetables.

“What a f*cking weirdo,” I murmur in disgust as I widen the freezer to show her.

Her face blazes crimson as she charges for me. I gape at her as she starts grabbing them from inside and begins chunking them at Gabe. They may as well be rocks because each one that manages to hit him makes a thud. I stand there in stunned silence as she throws every last one of them at him.

My Baylee. My sweet, sweet girl. She’s lost.

All that’s left is this angry, distraught little animal. I’m afraid she’ll never be the girl I once knew and loved.

Doesn’t mean I could ever stop loving her. If anything, I love her even more. We’ve both changed. Not just her. She and I are different. We’ve seen things—done things that have altered who we are and forced us to grow wise beyond our years.

When she has nothing left to throw at him, she slaps his unconscious face over and over again. I let her release some of her inner rage and emotion before scooping her into my arms. Her hand clutches onto my neck as I stride with her into the living room. I sit down and bring her with me into my lap.

She smells clean and her skin is soft. My arms grip her tight against me as she curses God, sobs, and screams. We stay like that until she’s nothing but a quivering, sniffling, hiccuping shell of herself.

“Rest now, Baylee,” I murmur against her damp hair. “You’re safe now.”