Page 167 of Stains of Desire

"You're fine. I'm Sloane. It's nice to meet you." She steps forward and shakes our hands.

We introduce ourselves and sit. The night air is warm but not humid, and the sound of the ocean waves gently lapping the shore fills the air. The smell of saltwater surrounds us.

"Millie is an amazing little girl," Sloane claims.

"Thank you. And I appreciate you examining her and talking with her. Is...was..." I get choked up and can't speak. Tears come to my eyes.

Sloane takes my hand. "I don't think anyone abused her in any way."

I release a breath. "Good. Thank you."

Axel tugs me closer to his chest.

"When I spoke with her, she told me another woman wanted her to call her mummy, but she kept telling her she wasn't."

"I... I saw that in my dream. Almost every night."

Sloane leans closer and smiles. "You and Millie have a very strong connection. You both were able to stay together with your dreams."

"Millie dreamed of me?"

"Yes. She's had nightmares since she got here about you and a bad man."

"William?" Axel asks.

My stomach flips. "We lived with him from when she was one until Santiago abducted us."

Sloane tilts her head. "Did something happen to you with a knife and that man?"

My heart pounds. "Yes. Why?"

"Last week, Millie's night terrors turned into visions of a bad man with mummy and a knife."

I put my hand over my mouth, swallowing bile. "What did she see?"

"She didn't tell me as much as Julieta. She told her that the bad man had a knife to mummy's throat."

"Oh God," I whisper.

Axel squeezes my shoulder. "Did she say anything else?"

"No. She told Julieta it was all she saw."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Do you think she will continue to have these terrors?"

"I don't know. Now that you're back, she might not or she may. We will need to see what happens and take it a day at a time."

"What can I do to help her?"

Sloane smiles. "Just love her. Kids are resilient. But talk to her about what she went through so she doesn't try to bury it and have issues when she's an adult."

"How do I explain to her why I wasn't with her?"

Sloane leans closer and lowers her voice. "Is this man dead?"

I glance at Axel and he squeezes my hand.

He answers for me. "Yes."