The three of them turned back to face Mason Lord. Three years since he’d seen Molly or her daughter. The little girl was the picture of Alicia, but her dark brown hair was her father’s, that low-life runty little scum sucker who’d always reminded him of Mick Jagger when he’d been younger. She was six now, tall and skinny, her skin that pearly white that only children seemed to have. She’d be at least as beautiful as Alicia when she grew up.
He’d wanted Molly to come here. He’d told her to come here. Yet now that she was here, her child with her, and that man, whoever the hell he was, he didn’t know how to respond. What was he to say to her? Three years. It had been a long time and she’d been the one who wanted to keep a goodly distance between them. But now things were different. Things had changed, irrevocably.
“Hello, Molly.”
“Hello, Dad. You’re looking well.” She looked beyond at Eve, who was sitting elegant as a Parisian model on a soft yellow brocade love seat. She was wearing tight black jeans and a white blouse tied in a knot over her smooth midriff. “Hello, Eve. I presume you’re Eve? I believe we spoke once on the telephone a long time ago.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. How delightful to finally meet you in the flesh. And you are Molly, I presume?”
“Yes. Dad, Eve, this is Ramsey Hunt. He’s the one who saved Emma. Then I came along. There are maybe five men after us, and they’re very good at tracking us. We don’t know why they’re after us, but we wanted you to know this right away.”
The man cleared his throat and said, “We decided to come here, Mr. Lord, because they know who I am now. We just couldn’t keep Emma safe. The people hunting us are good, too good. We trust you to keep Emma safe better than the authorities can.”
Mason Lord walked to the man and extended his hand. “This is an honor. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Judge Hunt.”
Ramsey shook the man’s hand. “Thank you. We’re here because we believe you’re our best shot at keeping Emma safe.”
“I didn’t imagine for a moment that you were here to visit me, Judge Hunt. Yes, yes, I know who you are. You’re a famous man. It’s quite a surprise that you’re the one who found Emma.”
Molly could only stare at them, all civilized on the outside, but she could see each sizing up the other, weighing, assessing. She gathered Emma closer to her. She hadn’t wanted to be here, hadn’t wanted her daughter exposed to her father, but it was the safest place for Emma.
Mason Lord wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to his granddaughter, even though he hadn’t seen her since she’d been a toddler. No, Emma carried his blood. He would protect her with every weapon in his arsenal.
Her father finally said, his voice smooth and deep, “You saved Molly and her daughter. I thank you. You brought her home when she refused. You will all be safe here. No one, cops or anyone else, will get near Emma.”
“Thank you,” Ramsey said. He squeezed Emma’s hand, then said to the crook he was trusting with all their lives, “Actually, sir, Emma had saved herself. She’d escaped from the man and run into the forest. I found her there and took her to my cabin. Some days later, Molly found both of us.” Ramsey looked down a moment at Emma, who was staring at a huge rhinoceros head, complete with a shining tusk, above the mantel, her mouth open. She was tugging on his hand. He gave hers a squeeze, looked at the rhino, and said, “I wonder what kind of polish they used on the tusk. What do you think, Emma?”
She squeezed his hand tighter. “Soap and water,” she said. “Mama always says that soap and water’s the best.”
Ramsey said, “I would imagine that the men after us have already tracked us to the airport. We had to show photo ID. Someone will remember, no doubt about that, even though Molly bought her ticket singly and I bought Emma’s ticket with mine. Yes, the men will be here very soon.”