Page 60 of Maxim

She nods. “She is scared of him. Avoids him whenever she can.”

“So she is smart. She knows he isn’t a good man. Maybe she acted out because you were there to protect her. Now that you are gone, maybe she will lay low.” I try to ease her fears.

“You saw her in the office. She should have never intervened.”

“You were in danger, and she was trying to save you. Emotional outbursts are normal in children her age.” I start to caress her hair as she lies against me.

“I suppose you are right.”

“Tell me this, did you teach her to watch out for him?”

“No. Not in that way. When she was younger, I would try to stay positive in front of him. He had no interest in her as a baby or toddler. She would hear his outbursts and cry. I would have to do everything I could to stop her before he complained. A complaint usually meant a beating.”

“It sounds like she took your lead. You are a smart girl, Olena. She is too. Trust that she can survive. It won’t be much longer.”

“You promise?” Her voice is so small and weak.

“I promise.” I kiss her on the side of the head.

She lets out a relieved breath as she relaxes into me. “Thank you.”

“It’s what I’m here for. Can I ask where you get your vocabulary from? Did your father hire a tutor for you?”

She shakes her head. “A maid taught me to read when I was younger. Then she would bring me different books and help me work through them. Once I was old enough, she would sneak me anything I wanted to learn about. I then started teaching Daryna and Alek everything I was learning.”

“That’s awesome. They are lucky to have you.”

“I don’t think they always felt that way. Daryna is so strong-headed. I don’t know where she gets it from. Lord knows I am not that way. Alek is the quiet one. He always has been. I think he caught on quicker than Daryna about our father. She still believes in fairy tales and such. Alek hasn’t acted like a kid in a long time. I worry about him even more now that my father has him going out with him.”

“Kids are resilient. He will be okay too. We will get them both any help they need once we get them out of there,” I promise her.

“You won’t abandon us once this is all over?” she asks.

I squeeze her tight, laughing. “Try to get rid of me.”

She pulls back, looking me in the face. “You mean that? You will keep helping us?”

“As long as you’ll have me, ???????.”

“I don’t know why I feel like this,” she admits.

“Like what?”

She mulls over her words before she speaks them. “Like I can trust you. I don’t want you to not be in my life. That’s crazy, right? I mean, you bought me, for Chrissake.”

That familiar guilt kicks me in the gut at her words.

“I didn’t want to buy you. I think had we met under different circumstances and in different lives, it wouldn’t be crazy to feel the way you do.”

She smiles up at me. “It’s not now either. My feelings may be new, but I like them. I like relying on someone other than myself.”

“Good. You can rely on me. I won’t let you down.”

I shouldn’t say the words, but I do. I can’t promise her everything will be all right, but fuck if I’m not willing to do anything I can to make it true.

“I know you won’t.”

She rests her head back on my shoulder, settling in to cuddle next to me. I keep my arm around her, holding her to me.