Page 13 of Hidden Desire

She watched him walk away, and when he was out of sight, she concentrated on Hannah.

Chapter Six

Robert leaned against the doorjamb to the family room, where his daughter and Grace sat on the floor playing a card game. He could tell his daughter was the one teaching Grace the game and how much they were enjoying it.

Over the last several days, he noticed more and more things about his new nanny. She was afraid of him but tried to hide it, and he’d caught a glimpse of a faded bruise on her upper arms. He knew she got them from her father, and he was doing everything he could to get information about the bastard. He wanted to take the man down in any way he could. So far, the Society had found several shady deals the man was involved with, and it just got worse the more they looked.

A few of his brothers in the Society had been looking into what was done to Grace, and it was worse than he first thought. No wonder she was afraid of him. She’d been abused and starved so many times he was amazed she was still alive. The fact she still had trouble looking him in the eyes bothered him, but he was determined to fix that. He had to remind himself a few times she’d only been with them a little over two weeks.

He was trying to find a way to keep Grace with him if her father tried to come for her. Oh, he knew she was an adult, but he didn’t trust the man not to find a way. Maybe being mentally unstable or even engaged to some man the bastard thought of.

Robert would hide her if he had to because there was no way in hell she’d ever go back to her father.

His eyes ran over Grace. He could tell she was gaining a little weight from all the food she’d been eating. She could still gain another twenty pounds or so, but he was not pushing. The fact that she was looking better and happier every day was enough.

Robert had started to notice that Grace wore the sameunattractive dresses every day. Curious, he had Taylor check out her things, and they were both astonished to find she had very little. The clothing and bathroom items were the cheapest a person could get. Knowing how rich her father was made him hate the guy even more.

He and Taylor were buying things for her and putting them in her room. Nice shampoos, gels, bubbles, and hair accessories. There was more they wanted to buy her, but she’d been embarrassed when she found the things, and she had yet to wear any of the clothing. He wasn’t going to insist on it because he knew it would only be a matter of time before she did.

Another thing he’d had to do was protect the money she made from him. Her father had set up a bank account that her money was supposed to go into. Robert knew Grace would never see a dime of it, so he sent some money to her father’s account but opened another in her name. That’s where most of the funds were being deposited.

He cleared his throat to get their attention. The fear that entered Grace’s eyes upset him, but he hid it behind a gentle smile.

“Daddy’s home,” Hannah screamed and raced to him.

He caught her in his arms and threw her up in the air making the little girl squeal. After given her a kiss on her cheek he set her down. “Go on into the bathroom and wash your hands. We’ll be eating soon.”

“Okay, Daddy.” Hannah ran out of the room.

Robert turned to see Grace picking up the cards and putting them back into the package they came in.

“Did you have a good day, Sweetheart?”

She always looked a little shocked when he called her that, and then her complexion would turn rosy, and she’d look away. But not before he saw the delight in her eyes.

“It was good. Hannah wants to go swimming, and I…”

“You can’t swim?” he asked.

“I’ve never been in a pool before.”

That shocked him. “I don’t want you around the pool without me. Promise me.”

She nodded slowly. “I promise. I’m afraid to go too close. I’ve had nightmares that Hannah had fallen in and was drowning, and I couldn’t save her. I tried, but…”

“You tried to save her and drowned, too?” he asked.

She nodded. “I couldn’t not try.”

Jesus, just the thought of losing his daughter was enough to make him nauseous. If he lost Grace too, he didn’t think he’d be able to stay sane.

“I’m going to teach you to swim. By the time we’re done, you’ll be a pro.”

She smiled. “I doubt that. As long as I can swim enough to save Hannah, I’ll be happy. Do you really have time, though?”

“Yes. Don’t worry about that,” he said. “Are you ready for dinner?”

She nodded.