Her Two Wilde Billionaire Bad Boys (Wilde, Nevada 3)

She was glad that he and Chuck were here. She didn’t want to be alone. Not after learning from Austin that Soto was trying to track her down. How many years had it been since she’d seen the asshole? Not since she was twelve, so ten years.

Ten years. God, has it really been that long?

“I know you want to take me on a date, but do you mind if we just sit for a bit before I get ready?”

“Don’t mind at all.” Lance touched her cheek. “If you’d rather stay in than go out, we can.

“I agree.” Chuck pulled her in tighter to his muscled frame. “You’re tough, Danielle, but anyone would need some time to get over what happened to you outside the diner.”

“Thank you. Would either of you like something to drink?”

“Let’s just sit on your sofa for now,” Lance said. “Take a breather from everything we heard in the sheriff’s office.”

“Thanks, I believe that’s exactly what I need.” She sat on her sofa and touched Pauline’s book to try to calm her nerves. “I still can’t believe you are doing this for me.”

“You heard Michael.” Chuck smiled. “We’re good guys.”

“I believe you are.” She closed her eyes, trying to push the ancient nightmare down. It wouldn’t go back into the cage now that she knew Miguel was searching for her.

“It’s going to be okay, Danielle.” The tenderness in Lance’s voice was comforting.

She wanted to believe him, needed to. But she couldn’t. Nothing was going to be okay again. She opened her eyes and looked at the book dear Pauline had given her.

“You’re a good person, too.” Chuck’s face was full of compassion. “I can tell.”

“Can you? I don’t feel so good.” Lance and Chuck had agreed to be her bodyguards. The least they deserved was to know the truth. “I’m not who you think I am. My last name isn’t even Glass. I lied. I’ve been lying for so long, sometimes I wonder if I even know the truth.”

“Danielle, there has to be a reason for you to use another name.” Chuck seemed to be as much of a mind reader as Carlotta was a psychic. “I’m a great judge of character. I know I’m right.”

“What is your last name, sweetheart?” Lance asked.

“Roberson. I’m Danielle Roberson.” It felt good to tell them her real name. Now three people in Wilde knew it—Lance, Chuck, and the sheriff.

Chuck put his arm around her. “You can trust us to know your truth. It will not leave this room.”

“Whatever happened to you, we’re here for you, Danielle.” Lance’s gaze made her melt. “You can count on us.”

“Where to begin?” She took a deep breath as the memories filled her mind. “My dad died when I was five years old. My mother lost it. She wasn’t the mom I remembered, the mom who tucked me in at night, the mom who made sure I was clean and fed, the mom who read stories to me before I went to sleep. I was an only child and so it was just my mother and I for a couple of years. My mother started drinking and fell into a bad crowd. She went from one man to the next for a couple of years before settling on a burglar, who she married when I was seven. Miguel Soto is my stepfather.”

Lance held her hand and squeezed. “My God, no wonder you got so upset when Austin mentioned his name.”

“So how did he end up in prison?” Chuck asked.

“Murder, but it’s a very long story and I want to tell you.” She looked at them both and saw such kindness in their eyes. It made it easier to talk to them, to tell them her truth. “Soto could pick any lock, but he grew tired of robbery. He and my mother started a scam against elderly people. I was too young to know what was going on. They worked as home health aides. They would gain their clients’ trust and steal small amounts from them. In time, they would coerce their victims to sign over their assets.”

“That’s horrible, Danielle.” Lance squeezed her hand.

“Posing as a handyman and housekeeper, they brought me into the scam, though I still had no idea they were criminals. My mom told me to talk to the elderly people because they were lonely and loved children. I had no grandparents, so I was thrilled to do it. Later, I realized my mom and Miguel were only using me. They believed their victims would see me as a sweet, innocent child. They were right. We looked just like a loving family, so they opened up their hearts and wallets for us.”

Chuck’s eyes narrowed. “How could they use a child for their dirty work?”

“If the elderly people would ask my mother or Miguel questions about what they were doing, then the bastard would give me a spanking at night, saying I wasn’t doing my job keeping them occupied. My mother never did anything to protect me.”

“I’d like to get my hands on your fucking stepfather.” Lance’s face was full of rage.

“Every night I would cry myself to sleep.” She leaned back, feeling the weight of the past crushing into her gut. “I was twelve years old when we started working for Mrs. Pauline Laddell. She gave me this on the day she died.” Danielle pointed to the book on the coffee table. “It’s my most prized possession. Pauline loved to read to me. I fell in love with books because of her. She was the sweetest woman I’d ever known. We talked for hours and hours about all kinds of things. We baked cookies together. She told me about her life with her husband, Ernest, who had been a Navy pilot. They’d lived all around the world. I loved her very much.”

“So she was like a grandmother to you?” Chuck asked.