They came to a stop several feet away.
The brunette woman stared at me, her eyes wide, as if she recognized me. “Claire…” She shook her head. “It’s okay to look.”
Claire trusted her instinctively and lifted her gaze.
Looked right at me.
It was like the first time I saw her when she was born, when she became my whole world, the single thing I loved more than anything in the universe. I was overwhelmed but unable to react, unable to do anything other than stare.
In disbelief.
The look she gave me… I’d never forget it. “Daddy!”
Oh fuck. My eyes watered even more.
She left the woman and sprinted toward me.
I dropped to my knees and caught her in my arms, squeezing her tight, my labored breaths nearly breaking my sternum. My hand cupped the back of her head, and I closed my eyes, my heart reunited with my body.
She squeezed me. “I knew you’d come, Daddy.”
I squeezed her harder, the tears breaking free, the sobs uncontrollable. I didn’t give a fuck about the men who watched. I didn’t give a damn that I looked weak and overwhelmed. This moment was the only thing I cared about. I couldn’t even talk to her…it was too hard.
Bartholomew spoke. “Fuck with me again, I’ll show you what happens.” He gave me a kick, telling me it was time to go.
I forced myself to my feet, didn’t wipe the tears away, and held her in my arms, just the way I did when she fell asleep on the couch and I carried her to bed.
The men supported Beatrice and helped her move forward.
I turned away and carried Claire back to the chopper, my arms tight around her, unable to believe that she was with me again, that her hair was against my cheek, on my neck, that she even smelled the same.
“Daddy, wait.” She smacked my shoulder. “Put me down.”
I was out of my mind right now, so I just did as she asked. “Sweetheart, what is it?”
She moved past me back the way we came.
I snatched her by the arm with lightning speed because no way in hell was she going back in that direction. “What are you doing?” I saw the woman who had held her hand, smiling despite the tears in her eyes. The cattle skulls began to move away and turned back to the cabins.
The woman gave a wave. “Baby, it’s okay.” Her voice broke when a sob escaped her throat. “Go home…”
“No!” She tugged on my arm. “Dad, I’m not leaving her here!”
Bartholomew and the men turned around to assess the commotion.
Forneus remained exactly where he stood, his eyes on me.
Bartholomew gave his warning. “Benton.”
I pulled Claire to me. “We have to go.”
She pushed me—literally pushed me. “No!” She ran away.
I sprinted after her, moving with more speed than I ever had, and I grabbed her again, keeping her from the woman. “Claire.” I didn’t want to yell. I just wanted to get her home, to get her out of this place.
The woman kneeled, tears streaking down her cheeks. “It’s okay…really.”
I pulled Claire back. “Let’s go. Now.”
She dragged her feet into the snow and screamed. “I’m not leaving her!” She sprinted to the woman and hit her like a ram.
The woman caught her, wrapping her arms around her, crying. “Baby, it’s okay.”
Forneus continued to watch me, his stare cold.
I walked back, keeping an eye on him but watching Claire at the same time.
Bartholomew was no longer calm. “Benton, we’re done here.”
Claire hung on to her—just the way she held on to me. “I’m not leaving you here. No.”
The woman pulled away so she could see Claire’s face, stroke her hair out of her eyes. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You go home with your dad…okay?”
I picked Claire up this time and threw her over my shoulder. There was no time for goodbye. It was time to get the fuck out of there.
She kicked and tried to wiggle free. “Dad, no!”
I held her with one arm, ignoring the kicks and hits.
“She saved me!”
I made it to the chopper with the men and Beatrice.
“Dad, she saved me! She protected me…” She started to sob. “Please…”
I lowered her to the ground and looked at her, watching her react in a way I’d never seen before.
The cattle skulls were gone. It was just the woman on her knees—the freak beside her.
My hand moved to her shoulder. “Claire, I’m sorry—”
“They were going to hurt me.” She wiped her tears away but kept crying. “And she saved me. They tried to make me take stuff, but she kept them away. She made the monsters go away…”
I studied her for seconds, absorbing those words and protecting myself from their truth as much as possible. I wouldn’t allow myself to wonder what happened here—because it would break me.