“I tripped,” she said.
Cesar looked at the other men and guessed they didn’t believe her either.
“No one helped you fall?” Sanders asked.
She shook her head.
Cesar sighed. “What about after you fell, pequeña?”
“My mom and sister helped me upstairs.”
Cesar gritted his teeth in frustration. He had to remind himself that her mom and sister had torn her down so many times she likely didn’t feel like she had a voice, or she was afraid of them somehow.
No matter what, he’d find out the truth and make them pay.
“Why didn’t they get a doctor for you?” Sanders asked.
“I—” She turned to Cesar as tears filled her eyes. “Please, daddy. I don’t want to answer any more questions. I fell. That’s all.”
He sighed in frustration when she tucked her face against his throat and clutched his arm. He looked at the cops and saw both looked curious that she called him daddy. Neither looked disgusted, but more like intrigued.
“Should I ask her?” Knight said.
Cesar scowled. He knew how he’d question her with intimidation. “No. She’s been through enough.”
Knight nodded.
Sanders stood. “We’ll leave for now. What don’t you call us if she gets ready to talk? We can’t do anything to her family unless we get her to say it.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“We’ll see our way out. It looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Knight said.
“Thanks, guys.”
He waited until he heard the front door close. “Pequeña, everything’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nodded and sighed.
He could tell within a minute that her breathing deepened as she slid into sleep.
How in the hell was he going to get the information out of her? He thought maybe with time, she’d feel secure enough to tell him, but he couldn’t push her, or she’d just close up or run, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Cesar rested against the back of the sofa, getting comfortable because he wasn’t about to put her down. He loved holding her too much.
He wouldn’t be able to find out anything yet, but he could build and solidify their relationship in the meantime. Amber needed someone like him to take care of her, and he needed her just as much to mellow him and make him content.
The way they met might not have been the way he wanted, but he was just glad that he found her when he did. Now, he just had to keep her safe.