Daddy's Little Runaway (Daddy 11)

“But it is.”

Lacey leaned back and stared at her. The two had become close over the last several weeks, so she knew she could talk to her.

“Talk to him,” Lacey suggested.

“No, he doesn’t even want me to touch him, and I don’t blame him.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I have to leave before he or anyone else I care about gets hurt.”

“But where will you go?”

Emma shrugged. “I still have the apartment, I think, or there’s the house. We haven’t sold it yet.”

“Are you trying to sell it? I thought you loved that house.”

Emma sat on the sofa and pressed her hands between her legs. “I do, but I thought if I wanted to be with Devon, I’d have to stay here.”

“Have you said anything to him about it?”

Emma shook her head. “No, after we got it back from my mother, he and I walked around, and I told him all about it.”

Lacey frowned. “But he didn’t like it?”

“No. He talked about the upkeep and that it was a big house for just two people.”

“I’m sorry.”

Emma nodded and wiped the tears that continued to fall.

“I’ll help any way I can. I can give you money to help get you on your feet.”

Emma shook her head. “Not right now. I can get a decent job now to help pay for the basics. The house is paid for, so if I’m careful, I can pay for the utilities and food until I come up with a plan.”

“Don’t you think Devon will come after you?”

“Maybe at the beginning. At least until he realizes that I make his life harder than it needs to be.”

Lacey looked doubtful. “I don’t know, Emma. He looks like he cares about you very much.”

“He doesn’t even want me to touch him.”

Lacey squeezed her hand. They sat that way for the longest time.

Emma knew she’d do whatever it took to keep Devon and the people she cared about safe.