Page 35 of Borden 3
Borden frowned, growling, “What did you just say?”
His green eyes remained steady on mine. “I heard that the popular Emma Borden from our downtrodden streets elevated herself to the royal skyscrapers of downtown New Raven. That she lives in an ivory castle, and that her heart is so big, so pure, she throws charities to support the unfortunate lost boys and girls of Neverland.”
Borden hesitated, his confusion apparent. “Mrs Borden has a big heart.”
The man’s eyes never wavered from mine as he said. “She does. My daughter, Stasia, wanted to say thank you. Do you have a moment to hear her, Mrs Borden?”
Borden’s hand squeezed in warning, his head twisting to look around. The second he saw Hector close in on us, he relaxed. He began to say, “Another time—”
“Daughter?” I cut in, tightly. “Where is she?”
The man moved aside, and I was knocked speechless. The girl had been behind him the entire time. She was so little, I didn’t even spot her. She must have been four, dressed in a pink, sparkly dress. Her blonde hair flowed around her; she had the same curls as her father. Her big green eyes looked at me, and she smiled. “Hi.” Her voice was tiny and shy.
I could hardly smile back, my gaze trapped on the burn scars running down her neck and arms. Her face had scars, too, much like her father, but they weren’t as deep. Whatever happened to her, the same had happened to him. I looked back at him, my breath trapped in my lungs as he continued to watch me carefully.
“Hello,” I managed out, weakly.
“Can you shake hands with her, Mrs Borden?” her father asked. He wrapped his giant arm around his daughter, and brought her closer to me. I didn’t like that I was still standing on the steps, because it made me look like I was peering down at them, like they were beneath me.
I quickly made my way down. At the bottom, the man towered over me, his presence from this close too disconcerting to acknowledge. I swallowed hard, my gaze trapped on the little girl.
I knelt before her, holding myself together as I brought my hand out and took her little hand into my own. She was so soft and she smelled like strawberries. Her face was so little and beautiful. She was the most stunning little girl I had ever seen, but the burns and scars told a story I was too afraid to wonder about.
“It is so nice to meet you, Stasia.” I’d barely finished those words when she launched herself in my arms, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck tightly. I jolted in surprise. My wide eyes shot up to look at the man hovering over me, his green irises so intense, I couldn’t hold his stare longer than a few seconds.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Emma,” Stasia whispered. “Daddy talks about you all the time. Let’s be friends. Please.”
She pulled back to look at me expectantly, her expression hopeful.
“Now, now, Stasia,” said her father, in a strange voice. “Mrs Borden might be too busy for people like us. She must have so many other charities and spa parties to attend to. She’s not like us anymore, darling, but you got to see her, and now you can say thank you and goodbye.”
Stasia nodded slowly, looking sad. “Okay. Thank you, Emma, and goodbye.”
She stepped back, and my mind was too scrambled to offer a response. My body felt weak as I slowly stood up, feeling numb from shock. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, I…I can be your friend, Stasia. I love making friends. I do.”
“Yes, Stasia, she does,” said her father, stepping closer to me now, his body nearly touching mine. I had no choice but to look at him as he dropped his head in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. There was a darkness in those greens I would spend the entire night agonising over. His lips formed a sour smile, that split bottom lip capturing my attention as they twisted to form his next words. “Mrs Borden makes friends all the time. Keeping them, on the other hand…”
He’d barely finished his sentence when I saw Hector from my peripheral advancing quickly to us. I braced myself for his interjection, but it didn’t come from him. Large arms wrapped around me, tugging me back quickly. Borden placed me behind him, his body shuddering with barely contained rage when he turned back to the father. His chest moved rapidly as his head dipped down to look at the little girl and then up to the man who was equally as tall as him.
“Is there a problem?” he asked coolly.
“No problem,” said the father gently. “My daughter is a big fan of your wife, Mr Borden.”
“Then only your daughter should be coming so close to her, Mr…?”
“Mr Nobody.”
Hector stopped behind the father, his gaze locked with Borden, waiting for his instruction. Borden was quiet for a moment, like he was momentarily speechless before he said simply, “Have a good night, Mr Nobody.”
The man casually took his daughter’s hand and they walked off. Immediately, Borden whispered to Hector, “Keep an eye on them.”
Hector immediately obeyed, following after the two. Borden then turned around to look at me. Heart still hammering in my chest, I met his questioning gaze briefly, smiling softly at him, but he didn’t smile back.
Looking away, I waited for his cue to climb back up the stairs. When he did, his arm was very possessively trapped around my waist. I caught him only once twisting his head back to look behind us.
Borden never did that.
He never looked behind him.