I sat outside Sunshine and Smiles daycare, just staring up at the house-like building. This morning, when I dropped Everly off, I found the spring-time display painted on the windows to be cute. Pictures of snails, butterflies and blooming flowers all with ridiculous smiles on their faces.
Now I was back, just a few hours later. River insisted he came with me. I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't mentally prepared for this.
In my head, I'd drop by, get the money and leave town. He wouldn't even need to meet Everly.
However, when he declared me under his protection it's like everything snapped into place.
Men in smart tailor-made suits and satin ties jumped at his commands, each one equipped with some sort of firearm and a black wire plugged into their ears.
I watched in silence, perhaps a little in awe. The way River conducted his demands made it seem like he had a licence to kill or something.
"Millie, are you listening to me?"
I looked over at him, he was sitting casually in the passenger seat of my tiny Vauxhall, though the car seemed completely out of character for a well established businessman like himself.
There was a black Mercedes parked directly in front of us, I knew two men sat inside awaiting more of Rivers orders.
There was also a black Mercedes behind us with the exact same set up. Here I was, trapped between the two, with River.
"I'm just going to run in and get her." I could hear how thick with nerves my words were. He was only minutes away from meeting the daughter I kept hidden all these years.
He unbuckled his belt like he was going to come with me and my eyes widened. "What are you doing?"
"Hendrix's men were alone with your car, right? They definitely tampered with it. Probably attached some kind of tracking device to it."
"How do you know?"
River shrugged carefully, "it's exactly what I would've done."
"So he's been tracking me here?" I asked, alarm shooting through my every pore. "Wait, he'll know I dropped her off here this morning."
Paranoia swept into my lungs, preventing me from breathing. I looked over my shoulder, out through my back window. Searching for suspicious cars or dodgey looking men.
"They know she's been here alone all day?" My stomach twisted with nausea, and my body shook. "What if they've already taken her!"
Without hesitation, I snapped open my own belt buckle and raced towards the door. I could hear him following behind me but I no longer cared about that. I just needed to see Everly's face.
I kept my finger on the bell, the sound harshly buzzing at me until someone answered. They looked annoyed at my impatience but I pushed past them and entered the main play-zone.
My anxiety simmered to a complete stop when I noticed her. Her little braids swished as she spoke animatedly to a little girl in a pink dress. They were drawing together and Everly's lips wouldn't let up, talking nonstop as usual.
