A Handful of Daffodils (Forgotten Series, #7)

Chapter Twenty-Three

My heart was pounding hard in my chest as I looked at Menza. She looked shell shocked, like she wasn't processing anything around her. I wasn't even sure she was actually seeing me. "He did what?" I asked it carefully and she blinked, it was a long and slow blink, her arms tightening around Maeve. She looked so small curled around my daughter. I didn't like that.

She swallowed with a grimace of pain, reaching up and touching her throat with the tips of her fingers. "He tried to hurt me." It came out raspy and I bent down, looking at her throat. There were red marks wrapped around her throat and it took all I had not to snarl.

"He choked you." I fought hard not to let that black rage rise up inside me as I looked at the darker marks around her throat. It was pretty damn clear it was a fucking hand print. That fucking sadistic bastard. I would kill him. I would fucking kill him.

She looked up at me, those brown eyes wide and almost empty as she nodded almost timidly. I swallowed hard before I went to take Maeve. She wasn't screaming anymore, just giving shuddering sobs. That made the black rage that tasted like sulphur and ashes on my tongue that much worse. Menza immediately shifted, pulling Maeve closer as her eyes scrunched closed tightly. It was a movement of utter protective submission, waiting for a blow that was coming as she let out a small whimper.

"Hey, hey." I kept my voice gentle, reaching out and grasping her arms as I shushed her. "It's okay. It's just me." I pulled her from her protective and curled up position before grasping Maeve. "Just let me get Maeve out of here, alright?" I wanted her checked for any bruises or wounds. If there was any sort of mark on her I wanted Regan fucking crucified.

"I'm sorry." It rasped out of her as she slowly let Maeve go. I brought my little girl to my chest, shushing her softly as I rubbed her small back, trying to comfort her.

"It's not your fault." I kept my voice as firm as I dared, I didn't want to scare Menza more than she already was. It wasn't her fault and I wouldn't have anyone claim that it was. The Delta wasn't supposed to be in the fucking craft hall. He had absolutely no fucking business being in the craft hall. Mene only knew what he had tried to do but I could fill in the blanks quite well on my own.

"I picked her up..." Menza looked at me, her eyes shadowed and scared. "I knew he wouldn't hurt me if I had her. I shouldn't have done that." It was a painful whisper as tears filled her eyes and I shook my head quickly, reaching out and cupping her cheek in my hand.

"It's alright, Menza. It's okay, I'm not mad at you." I hated that Maeve had been in that position, being used as a shield against fucking Regan but there was little else Menza could do. Maeve had more worth than her, being the only child born amid all the losses, Regan would have been out of his mind to hurt her. It made sense for her to pick her up, it was her only defence against him. She certainly couldn't fight him off or tell him no. Not that it would have worked, I told the fucker no and he violated that there was no way he was going to listen to Menza.

For a second my vision washed in red, a deep and biting rage filling me so quickly and so completely I shook. He put hands on her, when I told him not too. He violated the sanctity of the females' space, and he violated and trespassed on my property. I pushed it back, as hard as I could as I let my hand drop from Menza's cheek. She gave a small shudder, curling in on herself. She looked so small and vulnerable like that and I hated seeing it.

"Can you take her?" I looked towards Mike's female, moving Maeve and she nodded quickly, extending her arms. Her face was pale as she glanced towards Menza repeatedly, taking Maeve from my arms. "What happened, Mike?" I wanted to know exactly what the fuck had happened as I moved closer to Menza, grasping her shoulders. He had told me to get to the craft hall, that it was an emergency with Menza. I wanted to know everything he did.