Molly
Seeing Sophie cling to Christian with all she has is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The love she has for her dad is clear to see and vice versa but the fact that she's been left here all alone in the dark by her own mother and needs her dad to make her feel safe again tears at my heart.
"Your ok baby girl. Daddy's got you. Your safe!" Her sobs ring out loud and I know that every single one of Christian's brothers wants to hug that little girl right now, myself included.
"Do you know where your mom has taken Katie, sweetheart?" Hearing her tell him that she was left alone and that Amy has taken Katie with her makes my blood boil. Christian told her we had the money so what is she playing at now? I've got a bad feeling about this.
She shakes her head while hiccuping and wiping her nose with her hand. "I'm sowwy Daddy." Oh, my heart. "You have nothing to be sorry for baby, nothing ok?" She nods her head but she's two years old and properly doesn't really understand much that's going on.
Unfortunately, it seems that what she does understand is that her mom has done something terrible and that's something I wish that she didn't understand but there's nothing that can be done about that now.
The lights flicker and then suddenly come on momentarily blinding us all as our eyes adjust from the darkness. I turn my torch off and put my phone back in my pocket just as the door to the shelter opens and down comes John with Hunter trailing behind him.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Christian stands up placing Sophie on his hip. "Hunter told me that the girls weren't there so we came out to see what was going on. When we pulled up to the house and started heading for the animal shelter I saw that the electricity to this place had been shut off so thought we would come and see what was going on.
Christian takes a deep breath before filling in both John and Hunter on what happened. They both instantly become angry as Hunter curses and John balls his hands into fists. I'm pretty sure that he's about to hit something but instead, he looks over at Sophie and instantly his whole body appears to relax. He steps over to Christian and takes Sophie from him and hugs her close to his chest, she rests her head on him and brings her thumb to her mouth, bless her heart.
"You ok Molls?" Hunter walks towards me stopping when he's only a few inches away from me. I nod my head but struggle to foam any words, my throat is burning for lack of fluid, and from the tears that I've been holding back while watching little Sophie sad.
Christian's phone ringing pulls everyone's attention to him and one look at his face is enough to tell us who it is. "Dad, can you take Sophie outside please?"
"Of course, son." John quickly disappears with little Sophie while all Christian's brothers step closer to us.
"What the fuck are you playing at?" Christian isn't messing around and I don't blame him.
"Now now is there any need to be so rude?" Her voice is sickly sweet and instantly has me angry.
"Are you fucking kidding me. You left my daughter alone in the dark!"
"Oh calm down Chrissy boy. She wasn't on her own for too long. Quit being so dramatic!" Is she serious? I feel Christian boil with anger right next to me as his whole body starts shaking and I understand it completely but he still needs to keep her on his side to get Katie back which means unfortunately being as nice as possible... for now anyway.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I can see he's struggling to rein in his temper but he needs to so I do the only thing that I can think of but I'm not even sure if it will work still I need to try and help him so I take hold of his hand and gently squeeze it, he looks up at me and I mouth the words "breathe" to him.
He looks down at our joint hands and then up to my face before taking a deep breath, it must help as I feel his body calm down slightly. "Amy, can you tell me why you left my daughter on her own in the dark?" He sounds calm but his body is still slightly shaking.
"I only left her for a few minutes Chris, she's fine mun." How can she be so calm about this?
"Where Katie, Amy?"
"She's safe. Someone is looking after her for me."
"So you've taken her just to give her to someone else? Why? I told you I had the money." I'm not sure what game she's playing.
"Because Chrissy boy I realized that you could take her for the fifty-thousand then report me and I wouldn't get the rest of the money and well, I can't have that. She was my ticket to a rich life. Why did she have to find out? She spoilt it all!"#
By the time she finishes speaking, she is practically screaming "What are you talking about Amy?" Christian looks confused but a sick realization is setting in my brain and I pray that I'm wrong.
He looks genuinely confused when he asks the question. "well you see Chrissy, her father is very famous and very rich and we had been having an affair for just over two years when I decided that I didn't just want to be his bit on the side I wanted it all, I mean clearly I deserve it. Anyway, I got to thinking and realized that if I got pregnant by him then he would leave his wife for me so that's what I did but the asshole didn't want her and ended our affair. How unfair is that?"
"You blackmailed him?" I'm pretty sure the sick look on my face is the same one on Christian's face right now as the realization sets in. I was hoping I was wrong but I was far from it and I already know what she's going to say next. "Your right I did. After he rejected me and his child I blackmailed him, he gave me money or I told his wife. Everything was going brilliantly and he was all set to hand over the cash that was until his wife found out and the stupid idiot forgave him meaning no money for me and the asshat didn't even want his child so I was left stuck with her."
I feel sick hearing her talk like this. "So after that failed you decided to blackmail me instead knowing I would take her?" She lets out a small laugh. "Well done Chrissy boy, see not just a pretty face."
"So you only had Katie so that you could use her to make him leave his wife for you then when that didn't work you used her to blackmail him then me?"
"yep, that's right. I mean come on I never really wanted the other two but I tolerated them while we were together but after you left I didn't see why it was fair that I should have them on my own and then Katie on top it of... Pfft, no chance!"
"I want Katie and I want her today!" Chris is seething and so is everyone else that's in the room and I'm grateful that Sophie isn't here to hear any of this. She may only be two but it's surprising how much kids listen and take things in and I wouldn't want her to remember any of the conversations that we just listened to.
"You'll get her when I get my money and not before. Be grateful I give you back Sophie, although I have only done that because she's a whiny needy brat and I couldn't bare another moment of hearing her voice." Fuck I really want to kill the bitch. "Don't worry Christian, you get me my money and I will happily sign the three of them over to you. In fact, I can't wait. It's about time I got the life that I deserve!" Oh, there are many things she deserves right now but money isn't one of them.
They talk for a few more minutes before Any hangs up the phone. Christian screams out in anger and it's a hard sight to see. After a few minutes, Hunter goes and opens up the door and John and Sophie quickly appear forcing Christian to mask on a smile for his daughter and act like everything is ok.
"Let's get out of here and figure out our next move," John shouts down from the doorway. Everyone nods their heads and starts walking towards the stairs that lead out of there. I take a few steps forward and curse when I stumble on something on the floor but instead of falling Hunter catches me squeezing my bad hand that I had the stitches in earlier making me wince.
"Shit, sorry Molls!" He helps get me back on my feet and the moment I'm standing straight I feel someone at my back, hands appear on my shoulders just before I'm spun around to face a pissed-looking Christian. He doesn't say anything, he just takes my bad hand and starts looking at it, not that you can really see anything as my stitches are covered by a bandage.
I wait for the usual "Why are you so clumsy?" or the "Are you trying to hurt yourself?" comments but none of those come instead he continues to stare at it before gently running one of his fingers over the palm of my hand. Since the moment that I stepped out of the truck, he's been insanely nice to me, and It's strange. He's either holding my hand or keeping me close to him and
I'm not sure why. If this was any normal day then I would have something to say but today has been hard and for Christian even more so and if his doing this in any way is helping him then so be it.
"I don't think you've pulled your stitches." He looks up at me with a strange look on his face before giving Hunter a shitty look then pulls me into his side and holds on to my hip. "Let's get out of here." I don't answer him just nod my head and look forward while my mind is a jumbled mess. Today is completely swerved!