“And if you don’t? If we try to help them?”
“He’ll come after us. The entire Romero family will be out for us. It’s too dangerous.”
She swallowed around the lump forming in her throat, thinking about the other girls. How scared they must be.
“They still have Lullaby, Ariana. They’ll never know anything different,” Costello said, as though that could make it any better. “The men who adopt them—”
“Buy them. They buy them,” Ariana interjected.
“Yes, well, the men who buy them keep them on the Lullaby. It won’t be much different than being at the House. That drug will keep them in a reality prepared to face what comes their way.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can’t promise it, but I hope.”
Ariana sank into his lap. He was right, she knew it. Going after the others and trying to save the day would put them both in too much danger. At least for right now.
Kevin turned onto the highway and the overhead lights illuminated the inside of the car, casting Costello’s features in a yellow light. His brow wrinkled.
“What are you worried about then?” she asked, turning to face him.
“You have a decision to make, Ariana,” he said in a low tone. “And it’s your decision. I won’t choose for you, and there’s no pressure. You can answer however you want. I will respect it.”
Her insides twisted. “You’re scaring me. What is it?”
“You’re not my prisoner. You’re free just like me. You can go anywhere and do anything you want. Wherever you want to set up your life, I’ll make it happen. And I’ll leave you to it if that’s what you want. I won’t force you to stay.”
She touched his cheek, feeling the tension in his jaw.
“You’ll let me go?”
He cleared his throat. “I will. I’ll fucking hate it, but I’ll let you go.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.
“I don’t want to go anywhere but right here with you. Whatever is coming, we’ll face it together. We’ll start a new life just us…well, Kevin’s invited of course since he’s family.” She jerked a thumb at their driver.
“Thanks,” Kevin said over his shoulder.
“You don’t want to leave me? Even after all the spankings and my past?” He cradled her face in his hand.
“Even after all of that. Because you aren’t that guy, not anymore.”
He brushed his lips across hers. “No?”
She sighed and moved to sit beside him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “No.”
“Who am I then if not that guy?”
“You’re my Daddy.” She looped her arm through his and hugged him. “And I love you.”
“I love you too, Ariana.” He tilted her chin back and captured her mouth in a deep kiss, leaving her breathless.
“On one condition,” she finally said, pulling away from the kiss.
“Name it.”
“We don’t give up on the others. I don’t know what we do, or how we do it. But we don’t give up and forget about the House and the girls forever. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself and truly be happy if we did.”
Costello took a long moment to think about the request. His body tensed, but he didn’t lessen his hold of Ariana. Although his eyes darkened, something flickered in their depths.
Acceptance? Determination? Resolution?
A plan?
“Yes.” His words ricocheted through her body as he finally said, “We won’t give up. But right now, allow me to protect you. One Lullaby girl at a time.”
The End