He's my prince

daddy! it hurts!

C H A P T E R  S E V E N

Nolan could feel it again. That panic that took over his whole body. He was frozen, eyes locked on Carter as she screamed for him to save her. He could see David pulling her, hurting her and he couldn't move. All he could do was sob, scream for David not to touch her.

"Daddy! Daddy! It hurts! He's hurting me!" Carter's voice pierced his ears, his chest burning as his heart ached. He couldn't do anything. He was helpless.

"I'm trying, Princess. I'm trying." Nolan sobbed to himself, his hands clenching into fists as he tried to move forward but he was stuck, stuck in that panicked state. He could hear David laughing, mocking him as he struggled to protect his everything.

David had her. David was going to take her away and there was nothing he could do about it. It was torture.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Nolan bolted awake, gasping for air as he glanced around his bedroom. Carter stood next to his bed, eyes wide and filled with tears as she glanced up at her father. Nolan sighed in relief, pulling Carter's petite body into his arms and kissing her head. His breath shaking and he tried to stop himself from crying, he hated to make Carter worry.

He could feel dry tears on his cheeks, feel wetness under his chin from tears that had previously rolled down his face. "Daddy, what's wrong?" Carter mumbled, leaning back from her father's embrace to look up at Nolan.

Nolan tried to fake a smile but Carter saw right through it. "I had a nightmare. You were being taken..." Nolan trailed off, the nightmare flashing in front of him again. And he felt like crying all over again.

He never wanted to go through that again.

Carter frowned, crawling onto her father's bed and wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'm not leaving, Daddy. Ever."

Nolan smiled, wrapping his arms around Carter's waist and kissing the side of her head, "I know, Princess."

Leaning away, Carter laid ahead against Nolan's shoulder, "Is it because Jamie is getting released?"

It had been four years since Carter had been kidnapped. Four years of constant panic and nightmares for Nolan and her. Even after years, Nolan still feared that if he looked away from Carter for a second, she'd be taken.

Jamie, the boy who had helped him get his daughter back was going to be released from jail tomorrow because of good behavior, his sentence was reduced to four years.

And though Jamie was innocent and had kept his daughter safe, it awakened this fear inside of him. One that he'd buried deep over the past four years.

And it didn't help that Carter wanted to see Jamie tomorrow. Nolan didn't blame her, Carter cared for Jamie. He'd been the only person to comfort her when she was kidnapped. He protected her. He helped save her and Carter would always have a soft spot for him.

"Yes, Jamie being released did scare your daddy, but I'm ok now. I know you're safe, I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I promise." Nolan mumbled, promising himself and his daughter that nothing would happen to her.

"Why don't you get to bed? We have to wake up early tomorrow to see Jamie."

Carter smiled, nodding her head, "I'll stay with daddy. I don't want you to get scared."