“Can we cuddle after Ian is gone?”
“As much as you want, Cupcake.” Caden kissed my head. Then he smiled at me and took my hand. “Let’s get this over with and remember, I’m there with you and I will do everything to protect you.”
“I know, Daddy.”
Deep in my heart, I believed him and knew that Caden would always be there for me. He was just so perfect—my perfect unicorn Daddy.
Ian stood up as we entered the living room, a deep frown on his forehead. “Henry, are you okay?”
Was I? No, I wasn’t okay, because Robert still was about to walk free, but I felt better because my Daddy was here with me and he wouldn’t leave me. He proved it by leading me to the sofa and sitting down next to me. Close enough to touch me, but far enough away so I could see him talk. Caden tapped my leg, and I looked at him.
“Let’s talk about the parole hearing. What was Altmann’s sentence? Is this his first parole hearing?”
I looked back at Ian in time to see him blinking a couple of times before he nodded. Then he glanced at me and realized that Ian had no idea what Caden did for a living.
“Oh. Caden is a victim’s rights attorney.”
Ian nodded and explained, “Robert Altmann was charged with first-degree murder but pled guilty to manslaughter and got twenty years.” Ian avoided my eyes when he talked, but I could see him swallowing hard. “It was just a matter of time before he was eligible for parole. He has served more than half of his time.”
Again, Caden tapped my leg to make sure that I got what he was saying. “What are his chances?”
Instead of looking at Ian to see his answer, I focused on Caden. I didn’t want to know the answer. The possibility of Robert getting parole was a nightmare. Watching Ian and Caden talking about it only made it more real. My worries were not for me, because I sealed my fate the day I ran. No, my concern was for all those people who had gotten close to me. I twisted my hands in my lap and looked away from Caden. Needing some comfort, I looked for Charlie. But because of Ian’s visit, I was sure he was hiding somewhere. He wouldn’t come out until it was just Caden and me again. Caden reached out and started to rub my back in soothing circles. This time, he didn’t signal me to watch and see what he said. Instead, he gently pulled me towards him until I leaned into his side. Resting my head on his shoulder, I closed my eyes and tried to forget about Robert and my family.
In the years since the attack, I had worked back to feeling safe in my environment. It was the reason why I lived a hermit’s life with an expensive alarm system. It was a way to take control of my life, but sitting there, I realized something. Robert was still in control. Even now, my family was still controlling my life. It was inevitable that Robert would get out one day. But it always seemed so far away, now…he could be free any day now. He could…I bolted up and blinked when a thought struck me. “Sam.”
Caden startled but turned and looked at me. “What about him?”
“He…he found out. If Sam can do that…”
Caden put a finger to my lips. “Stop, Cupcake. Sam is an IT specialist who worked for the NYPD. Just because he is capable of digging up things like this doesn’t mean that anyone else can.”
Ian must have said something because Caden turned his face a little when he answered him. I leaned forward and was still able to see what he was saying. “Sam is a friend. He was worried about Henry and wanted to find out more about him to see if he could help him somehow. He found out about the faked medical reports and the car accident.”
“But Sam didn’t hack into anything,” I said, and Caden looked back at me. “He didn’t, right?”
“No, Cupcake. He didn’t hack any files. Sam went through a rough time and still has some issues. I think he saw something similar to his pain in you. He just wanted to know if they could help you in any way.”
“That’s…nice?” At least I guessed it was. It sounded like Sam cared. There weren’t many people in my life: just Ava, her fiancée, Owen, sometimes Heath, and now Caden. But apart from that. It was a nice thought that someone wanted to know more about me and wanted to help me. Caden tapped my knee, and I looked up again.
“Ian just said that it’s a good idea that you have people you can talk to, and I agree with him.”
“That should be a pleasant conversation. Hey, I’m a Nazi, please don’t hate me? Oh, and my family wants to kill me because I’m a traitor, but hey, let’s be friends and hope they don’t find me? And oh, by the way, if you do become my friend, my family will probably want to kill you, too,” I growled.
There was a good reason I never talked about my family or my past. First, I didn’t need a verbal reminder of what had happened. It was with me every day. Not being able to hear, the diapers, the scars. Second…A hand on my chin pulled me out of my thoughts. Caden turned my head to face him, but instead of talking, he signed, “I don’t want you to talk about yourself like that, Henry. You are not a Nazi or a traitor. And I know you are a very kind person.”
“But…”
“Finish that sentence, and I will spank your ass. And it will not be a fun spanking.”
Uh oh. Caden was serious. I dropped my hands, and my mouth fell open.
“No talking
