Bambina

10. I can see it now

He touches my chin gently, his eyes searching mine for something I can't quite name. "You're beautiful, baby. You're so so beautiful. And you're mine."

I feel my cheeks flush with heat at his words. But before I can respond, before I can even fully process the intensity of his words, the room is filled with the sharp echo of gunfire. My heart lurches in my chest, panic surging through me. Raphaelle's demeanor shifts in an instant, his body tensing as he lifts me off of his lap, quickly reaching for his own gun, his eyes scanning the room with a sense of urgency.

"Go," he commands, his voice firm but tinged with worry. "Lock yourself in the bathroom and don't come out until you hear my voice. Understand?"

I nod, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I obey his instructions. Without hesitation, I dart across the room, my pulse pounding in my ears as I reach the bathroom door. With trembling hands, I twist the lock into place, the click of metal against metal reminding me I'm safe. For now at least. What if something happens to Raphaelle? What will I do then? The thought is breaking me down. But I don't want to cry. Not here. Not now. But here my tears are falling anyway.

The silence is deafening, broken only by the frantic beat of my own heart, and muffled sounds of noises from outside the door. I press my ear against the door, straining to hear any sign of what's happening on the other side. But all I can make out is that fires are shot, and there's many of them. I'm terrified. What if something happens to my daddy? I've only got a day with him... like that, I mean.

Minutes pass like hours, each second dragging by agonizingly slow as I wait in breathless anticipation. My heart is in my throat, and I feel as if I can't breathe.

I just want my daddy...

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I hear the sound of footsteps approaching the door. My heart leaps into my throat, my pulse racing with a mixture of fear and relief.

"Baby, it's me, you can come out now."

The voice is soft, and barely audible through the thickness of the door, but I know it's safe to unlock it now. With trembling hands, I reach for the lock, my fingers fumbling against the metal as I struggle to undo it.

The door swings open, and Raphaelle stands before me. Without a word, he pulls me into his arms, holding me close as if to remind me I had nothing to fear to begin with. But his world... I know now, I can see it now... it's not meant for me. And he's right by keeping every detail of it away from me. I don't want any part in that. Never.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice rough with emotion.

I shake my head. No. No, I am not. This... it's so not okay.

Raphaelle holds me tighter, his arms comforting, "shhhhh, it's okay, you're safe now," he murmurs, stroking my hair soothingly. "We took care of the threat. No one's going to hurt you, I promise. Not on my watch. Ever."

"What happened?" I ask shakily against his chest.

His chest hardens. "You're better off not knowing, bambina. Those graphics... I don't want you to be bothered by it." He pauses, his grip on me tightening ever so slightly. "But thank you for being such a good girl for me. You were brave for doing as told."

I shiver at the underlying steel in his voice.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," he says, guiding me through the door. "I'll drive you home and tuck you in for a nap. Daddy has work to do. I gotta make sure they won't try something like this again."

As we make our way through the now darkened and empty place, I hide into his chest as best as I can, trying to avoid whatever's there.

The car-ride is silent, neither of us is saying much. But I guess that's good, as it's a lot to process for me. It's a lot to accept. That this is his life. Though I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, I guess I already knew.