Page 70 of Kneeling for Them

“Goodbye, Rayanne.”

I end the call and drop my phone on my desk.I need to get the fuck out of town.I asked Ella about a weekend away, at the beach house.

The beach house.

Could Sebastian be there?I pull up our security company’s website, sign in, and exhale.There it is.Logs of the alarm being set, disarmed, re-set, disarmed again.If he’s trying to hide from me, he’s doing a shitty job—the dumbass forgot that our alarm system for the beach house can be accessed online.

I glance at the time.Ella is probably between shifts right now.I give her a call.

“Hey, Daddy,” she says.

Her voice has the complete opposite effect on me than my ex-wife’s did.She sounds sweet, she sounds comfortable.My muscles ease and loosen, and even though Ella can’t see me, I can feel a relaxed smile stretch across my face.

“You’re at home, little one?”

“Yeah.I have to leave in an hour for the pub.What’s up?”

“I know where Bash is.”

Ella

The constant tension I’ve been carrying eases.“When is he coming home?”

“That, I don’t know.I’m going to talk to him tomorrow.It’s too late to make the drive tonight.”

“Where is he?Can I come, too?”

“He’s at our beach house.It’s probably best if I go alone, first.”

I tug my lip between my teeth, trying not to feel too disappointed.Kingston has known Sebastian longer than I have—he knows how to deal with him.But I freaking miss him so much.

“Is there anything you want me to tell him, when I see him?”Kingston asks.

“He can’t just disappear whenever a problem comes to the surface,” I say, staring at the blank space where my keyboard used to stand.“He has to face it, doesn’t he?I need to talk to him.Calmly, you know?He didn’t give me that chance before.Everything happened too fast.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“And tell him to fucking text me back,” I add.

“Language, Ella,” Kingston says in a low voice.

A thrill of need pulses through me.“Sorry, Daddy.Are you going to punish me?”

He laughs.“You sound a little too hopeful.”

He got me there.

“Don’t worry, little girl,” he says, “I promise you punishments and play after I get back from the coast.”

“Fine,” I say, trying to sound as sulky as possible.

“Ella,” he says quietly.

“Yeah?”

“I love you, little girl.”

My heart skips a beat.“I love you too, Daddy.”