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Ariella remained silent as I drove us home.
Declan’s car was parked out front. Skylar still wasn’t home, but she was an adult. We’d yet to have a conversation, Skylar and me, about how long she planned on staying. She’d made it clear she wasn’t leaving town, but I hadn’t given her an open invitation to move in with me either.
That was a conversation for another day. At this rate, another week.
Other things took priority like protecting Ariella and finding Ben.
Ariella held an ice pack against her freshly bandaged cheek.
I parked the truck in the driveway and stepped out, coming around to help her out of the car.
She hadn’t budged.
Ariella handed me the compress that was now warm. She stepped out, walking alongside me.
I wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her close, protecting her.
The moment I approached the door, Declan threw it open and greeted us.
“Hey, glad you’re all right,” Declan said. He stepped aside, granting us entrance inside our home. “I just fed Izzie a snack.”
I shut the door and locked it up behind us.
Ariella hurried up the stairs without so much as a word.
“Mac and cheese!” Izzie exclaimed from the kitchen table. She hopped down from her booster seat and ran toward the door, sticky fingers and all. “Daddy!” Izzie held her arms into the air for me to pick her up.
I lifted her into my arms, giving her a bear hug.
Izzie scrunched her nose and nuzzled mine as she giggled wildly.
“Are you sure you didn’t give her a plate of sugar with that macaroni and cheese?” I asked with a hearty laugh before I planted her feet firmly back on the ground.
My little toddler tore off for the kitchen table to finish her snack, which was more along the lines of dinner, but I wasn’t going to argue semantics. I appreciated Declan’s help.
“Nah, I just gave her a shot of liquor with her milk,” Declan joked.
“Of course you did.” I kicked off my shoes, and kept a watchful eye on the stairwell. Ariella hadn’t come back downstairs.
Was she avoiding Declan and Izzie, or had she just gone up to take a shower and get cleaned up?
I hadn’t heard the water start for the bath.
Declan lowered his voice. “How is she?” he asked, nodding toward the stairs.
“She hasn’t said much since we found her at the hotel. The bastard snuck out the window of the first floor. It wasn’t too difficult.”
“Damn,” Declan muttered. “So, he’s still at large?”
I exhaled a heavy sigh. “Yes.” I’d have to arm the alarm, just in case he decided to show up. I’d have done it the moment I came home, but I suspected Declan would take off soon.
“From what I saw, she looked pretty banged up,” Declan said. He slipped on his shoes and grabbed a light jacket that he had brought with him.
I stood by the door, leaning against the material, my arms folded across my chest. “Yeah, he knocked her around pretty good, assaulted her, I’m not sure if anything else happened.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated that I hadn’t gotten there sooner to protect her.
It was my fault that I hadn’t put a detail on her and made sure she was safe from that monster.