Lone Star Millionaire. Сьюзен МэллериЧитать онлайн книгу.
Her dark eyes glittered. “Of course, she’s your own flesh and blood and that should make a difference.”
The anger increased. He didn’t like this woman. At first, he had felt some compassion for her circumstances, but now he didn’t give a damn. “I would like to see my daughter.”
“I know, I know. Anastasia, get out here, girl. I mean now!” She turned from the door. “What kind of a name is that, I ask you. Anastasia. Like she’s someone important, instead of a skinny brat with a nose for trouble.”
The door opened. Cal stared, his heart pounding as he waited to catch his first glimpse of his daughter. Someone stepped into the room. A young preteen, caught in that awkward stage between childhood and physical maturity.
She was about five foot five or six, just a little shorter than Sabrina, with large dark eyes hidden behind glasses. Her hair hung to the middle of her back. He registered those facts before getting caught up in horror at how painfully thin she was. Her too-small, worn T-shirt clung to her, exposing her bony shoulders and rib cage. Her cheeks were sunken and her mouth pinched. Jeans hung off her hips.
There was dirt on her face and hands, and her hair was greasy. He couldn’t tell if she was pretty or not. He couldn’t do anything but stare in shock.
“What the hell have you been doing to her?” Cal demanded in a roar. “There are laws against this kind of neglect.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “I’m not going to the state home,” she shrieked. “I’ll run away and you’ll never find me! I swear, I’ll die first.”
She made a quick move as if to run out the door. Cal stepped forward to block her. “You’re not going to the state home,” he said quickly. “I’m not from the government. I’m your father.”
He said the words without thinking, then the meaning sank in. Her father. This was his child. Not at all what he’d pictured, but no less his.
Sabrina felt as if she were caught up in a movie. Everyone was reacting to a script, but she didn’t have a copy of today’s dialogue. She stared at the girl standing—shaking—in front of them and her heart went out to the child. What terrible pain had she endured in the past year? No wonder she’d been a discipline problem. From the looks of things, Mrs. Sellis wasn’t overflowing with compassion and concern.
The girl watched Cal warily, as if deciding whether or not to trust him. He took another step toward her. Sabrina wanted to warn him to take things slowly. After all, if she was having this much trouble absorbing what was happening, Anastasia would be suffering with the same problem.
But she couldn’t get it together enough to speak. She was too stunned by Anastasia’s appearance and this tiny house that smelled of neglect and poverty.
Cal reached out to touch his daughter’s cheek. She spun away and glared at him. “You’re not my father,” she spat. “You’re just the bastard who knocked up my mother. Go to hell.”
With that, she raced for the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. Sabrina flinched at the sound. Cal looked as if he’d been sucker punched. Only Mrs. Sellis didn’t react.
“I told you she was difficult. So, about the check. I think eight thousand ought to cover it.”
“If you think—” Cal began, then visibly took control of himself.
“Excuse us,” Sabrina said, then moved close to him, took his arm and pulled him into the kitchen. “Cal, look at me.”
“That woman,” he growled. “She’s been starving her. That kid hasn’t eaten in days. Longer. Don’t try to tell me she’s got an eating disorder. This isn’t about trying to be thin enough. We’re talking about neglect and possibly emotional abuse. I can’t believe—”
He stopped talking and ran his hand through his hair. “Dammit, Sabrina, did you hear what my own kid said to me?”
“I know, but you can’t take it personally. She’s scared. She doesn’t know you from a rock, and here you are, ready to take her away.”
“Anything would be better than this place.”
“She doesn’t know that. This is all she knows right now. Okay, it’s horrible and she hates it, but at least it’s familiar.” She gazed at her boss. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to get my kid out of here.”
She thought for a moment. “Why don’t you talk with Mrs. Sellis and I’ll collect Anastasia. I think I’m less of an emotional button for her right now. As far as how she was treated, you can call Jack when we’re in Houston and let him take care of it.”
Cal swore, then pulled Sabrina close and rested his chin on her head. “Thanks. I wouldn’t be able to get through this without you. I’d want to tear that old lady apart, limb by limb.”
Sabrina ignored the fluttering in her chest and the heat from Cal’s body. “You wouldn’t like prison, Cal. I don’t think you’d do well there.”
“Probably not.” He took a step back, then shrugged. “She’s going to come around, isn’t she?”
She knew he meant his daughter. “She’s been through a lot and it’s going to take some time, but sure, she’ll come around. You’re going to be a great dad.”
She spoke with more confidence than she felt. While she didn’t doubt Cal’s abilities, she was concerned about Anastasia. She’d suffered tremendously, and she’d had to do it alone. That kind of experience could leave a person scarred for life.
She and Cal went back into the living room. Mrs. Sellis watched them, her dark eyes glowing with greed. Sabrina ignored her and crossed to the closed door. She hesitated, almost afraid of what she would find on the other side, then drew a breath and turned the handle.
The bedroom was tiny, dark and even more dirty than the living room. Sabrina didn’t want to think about what might be living under the bed. Clothes were scattered all over. There were dirty plates, glasses, torn magazines and dirt everywhere. Anastasia lay curled up on the bed, with her back to the door. Her shoulders shook, but she didn’t make a sound.
Sabrina stared at her and tried to decide the best way to handle the situation. Her instinct was to offer the girl comfort, but her gut told her that was wrong. Right now Anastasia was scared and angry. Compassion would be viewed as weakness. She decided to go for logic.
“Boy, were you stupid,” she said, her tone conversational.
That got the hoped-for response. The girl stopped crying.
“Talk about blowing a perfect setup. Look at this place. It’s disgusting. I know you hate it here.”
“No, I don’t” came the defiant response.
“Oh, so that’s why you ran away a couple of times. And now this basically nice guy shows up, a guy who is, by the way, your father. He just found out about you and he wants to take care of you. Instead of saying thanks or even hi, you call him a bastard and run out of the room. Like I said, not really bright. I guess you want to go to that state home, huh?”
Anastasia rolled over and glared at her. “No, I don’t. I won’t go there. I swear, I’ll die first.”
Sabrina shrugged. “You want to stay with Mrs. Sellis?”
Anastasia wiped the tears from her face. The moisture smeared the dirt there. “She hates me. She only wants the money the government sends.” Full lips trembled. “I want to go home.”
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