house or anything.”
“You’re not safe here.” Storm took charge of the situation. “Pack a bag for both of you. You’re coming with us.”
“I don’t know.” The rug had been pulled from under the poor girl’s feet and she didn’t know what to do with herself. “I can’t…we can’t…mum will hurt us. She comes back covered in blood…”
“Child, you’ll have a warm bed, as much food as you can eat, whatever possessions you desire and a stable home life if you come with us.” Cal promised her, and the authority in his tone succeeded where nothing else had. As she got up to leave the room, Blue reached out in a daze and touched her arm.
“What’s your name?” He asked and she flinched like she’d been slapped.
“You really didn’t know, did you?” She asked and he shook his head.
“If I’d known I had a child…children, I’d have come for you years ago. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“For what?” Bitterness laced the toss of her head. “I always wondered if mum had told you. Now I know she’s a lying bitch as well as crazy.” She strode for the exit, pausing in the doorway. “My name’s Lisette.”
“And this one?” Cal gestured to the girl in his arms.
“Amelie. She’s five.”
“I can’t breathe.” Blue collapsed onto the sofa when she’d gone, lowering his head between his knees as the world spun. “I’ve got kids.” The thoughts of that morning with Noelle resurfaced like some kind of horrible joke. Oh fuck…Noelle. She was going to freak. How the hell were they going to explain this to the camera crew? What a fucking disaster.
“We’ll deal with it.” He felt Storm’s hand on the back of his neck, cool and comforting, and his panic abruptly turned to emotional rage.
“How could she do this?” He burst out, tears pricking his eyes. “How could she not tell me I had two beautiful daughters?” Unable to sit, he surged upright and started pacing around. “Where were they while she was in jail?”
“Keep your voice down.” Cal snapped. “This will be easier on all of us if Amelie doesn’t wake.”
“I need some air.” He made for the front door but Storm grabbed his arm and spun him around, her strength surprising for one so small. The sharp, stinging slap she delivered to his face startled him into stillness.
“I get that this is a total shock for you, but you need to pull yourself together.” She folded her arms, glaring at him. “Your daughters are relying on you to get them somewhere safe. You can freak the fuck out later.”
Lisette came rushing down the stairs with two bags stuffed full of what looked like clothes. “We don’t have much.” She shrugged when Cal looked askance at her.
“I swear, you’ll never want for anything again.” Storm’s slap had leached the rage from Blue and all that was left was emotion. “I’m so sorry, Lisette. I didn’t know you existed or I’d have rescued you much earlier.”
“We can have this conversation on the road.” Storm hurried them all towards the door, aware that Alexandra could return at any moment. Thank god they’d brought one of the SUVs.
The hallway was jam-packed with curious neighbours , roused by the door being kicked in, but the group ignored them as they rushed down the stairs and out into the night. They’d left the car two streets away but reached it without incident. Blue’s sheer size was intimidating enough, never minding Cal’s magnetic presence, so no-one dared intercept them. Amelie was stirring as they opened the passenger doors and bundled her in, but Lisette hushed her as she looked around with fearful eyes. Blue couldn’t imagine what her life had been like. A certifiably insane single mother who then went to jail, presumably leaving her children in the care of Social Services…it didn’t bear thinking about. The rage swamped him anew. How could she not have told him? What sort of mother would rather abandon her children to Social Services than
“You’re not safe here.” Storm took charge of the situation. “Pack a bag for both of you. You’re coming with us.”
“I don’t know.” The rug had been pulled from under the poor girl’s feet and she didn’t know what to do with herself. “I can’t…we can’t…mum will hurt us. She comes back covered in blood…”
“Child, you’ll have a warm bed, as much food as you can eat, whatever possessions you desire and a stable home life if you come with us.” Cal promised her, and the authority in his tone succeeded where nothing else had. As she got up to leave the room, Blue reached out in a daze and touched her arm.
“What’s your name?” He asked and she flinched like she’d been slapped.
“You really didn’t know, did you?” She asked and he shook his head.
“If I’d known I had a child…children, I’d have come for you years ago. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“For what?” Bitterness laced the toss of her head. “I always wondered if mum had told you. Now I know she’s a lying bitch as well as crazy.” She strode for the exit, pausing in the doorway. “My name’s Lisette.”
“And this one?” Cal gestured to the girl in his arms.
“Amelie. She’s five.”
“I can’t breathe.” Blue collapsed onto the sofa when she’d gone, lowering his head between his knees as the world spun. “I’ve got kids.” The thoughts of that morning with Noelle resurfaced like some kind of horrible joke. Oh fuck…Noelle. She was going to freak. How the hell were they going to explain this to the camera crew? What a fucking disaster.
“We’ll deal with it.” He felt Storm’s hand on the back of his neck, cool and comforting, and his panic abruptly turned to emotional rage.
“How could she do this?” He burst out, tears pricking his eyes. “How could she not tell me I had two beautiful daughters?” Unable to sit, he surged upright and started pacing around. “Where were they while she was in jail?”
“Keep your voice down.” Cal snapped. “This will be easier on all of us if Amelie doesn’t wake.”
“I need some air.” He made for the front door but Storm grabbed his arm and spun him around, her strength surprising for one so small. The sharp, stinging slap she delivered to his face startled him into stillness.
“I get that this is a total shock for you, but you need to pull yourself together.” She folded her arms, glaring at him. “Your daughters are relying on you to get them somewhere safe. You can freak the fuck out later.”
Lisette came rushing down the stairs with two bags stuffed full of what looked like clothes. “We don’t have much.” She shrugged when Cal looked askance at her.
“I swear, you’ll never want for anything again.” Storm’s slap had leached the rage from Blue and all that was left was emotion. “I’m so sorry, Lisette. I didn’t know you existed or I’d have rescued you much earlier.”
“We can have this conversation on the road.” Storm hurried them all towards the door, aware that Alexandra could return at any moment. Thank god they’d brought one of the SUVs.
The hallway was jam-packed with curious neighbours , roused by the door being kicked in, but the group ignored them as they rushed down the stairs and out into the night. They’d left the car two streets away but reached it without incident. Blue’s sheer size was intimidating enough, never minding Cal’s magnetic presence, so no-one dared intercept them. Amelie was stirring as they opened the passenger doors and bundled her in, but Lisette hushed her as she looked around with fearful eyes. Blue couldn’t imagine what her life had been like. A certifiably insane single mother who then went to jail, presumably leaving her children in the care of Social Services…it didn’t bear thinking about. The rage swamped him anew. How could she not have told him? What sort of mother would rather abandon her children to Social Services than
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