Chapter 11 #2
Once again, it all circled back to Crone.
He had somehow found the hairline cracks in her protective walls, and with every encounter gently widened them, allowing her true nature, the nurturer and the artist, to emerge.
He had awakened parts of her soul she had forgotten existed, needs she’d buried so deep she hadn’t recognized their absence.
More accurately, she hadn’t wanted to recognize them… until now.
“Prof!” Ines slid into the seat beside her, practically vibrating with excitement.
“You’ll never guess what Master Crone agreed to!
” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“He bought this absolutely gorgeous leather biker’s outfit and said he’d model for our shoot! ”
“He what?” Sienna’s eyebrows shot up as she turned to look at Crone, who was attempting to appear innocent while stuffing his face with pizza and sucking loudly on his pink bubblegum milkshake.
How did such a sexy hunk of a man manage to look like a little boy enjoying his favorite treat without appearing silly? Her heart melted.
“Well, well,” Sadie drawled. Her eyes twinkled as she leaned forward. “Is the infamous Master Crone Lange finally embracing his destiny as a silver-fox model?”
Derek nearly choked on his drink. “Should we be worried about losing our newly appointed specialized whip therapist to the fashion industry?”
“Hey now,” Crone protested, pointing his pizza slice at them. “I’ll have you know I’ve been told I have excellent bone structure.”
Their laughter was interrupted by the pizzeria’s door opening. Master Lawson entered, supporting a clearly pregnant woman who could barely stay on her feet. Sadie immediately bounced up as her Little side emerged.
“What happened to her?” she cooed with concern as she gently pushed the hair from the woman’s face.
“I found her in the alley,” Lawson explained, gently helping the woman into the seat beside Sienna. “Her feet are raw from walking, and she’s clearly dehydrated.”
Anyone unfamiliar with Rawhide Ranch’s Chief of Security might have been concerned about Lawson’s expression, but Sienna knew the tight line of his lips and his creased brow were due to the immense concern he felt for the stranger in their midst. His wife, Brooke, was also expecting, and Sienna thought the large man was most likely wondering who in the hell would allow their pregnant wife to be in such a perilous state.
“Th-thank you, Sir.” The woman’s voice was rough, but the deference in her tone caught Sienna’s attention.
She noticed Crone and Derek exchanging a meaningful look and knew they had recognized it too.
The natural submission in her posture and the way she lowered her eyes as she clasped her hands, spoke of someone experienced with the lifestyle.
Derek’s voice took on that gentle tone Sienna remembered so well from her own rescue. “What’s your name, little one?”
“Milly Dawson.” She swallowed hard. “Richard, my husband, was killed s-six months ago. We owned a restaurant in Salt Lake City. H-he refused to do business with a drug cartel. They wanted him to launder money.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “They killed him one night as he closed shop. A bullet through his brain.” Her hands curled protectively around her belly.
“I was six weeks pregnant and so scared they’d come after me, I ran.
I’ve been drifting from pillar to post ever since then, hoping to find a safe place.
.. but no one wants to give a pregnant woman a job and I. .. I just…”
Sienna caught one of Milly’s trembling hands in hers. “Shh... it’s okay. Here, you need to eat something.” She turned to Crone. “Please order her a hot chocolate and one of those bubblegum milkshakes of yours.”
As Crone hurried to comply, Derek reached across the table to cover Milly’s other hand. “You can relax, Milly. You’ve stumbled upon us for a reason. We have a safe haven for someone like you. We’ll take care of you.”
“I… don’t know what to say.” She sniffled, “Except thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
“How far along are you now?” Sienna asked softly.
“Seven months.” Milly’s smile wavered. “But she’s malnourished. I haven’t been…” A sob broke free. “I haven’t been taking care of my little girl.”
“Don’t worry. We have a wonderful OB/GYN at the Ranch. He’ll get both of you in top shape in no time,” Sadie assured her.
Crone returned with the drinks, and Milly’s moan of pleasure as she sipped the hot chocolate was almost painful to hear.
Sienna’s gaze kept returning to her rounded belly.
Moira was pregnant and Sienna wasn’t bothered by that since she kept her distance from her.
Sitting so close to Milly, who also suffered a loss at the hand of cruelty, stirred the most painful memory.
Her own hands drifted to trace the hateful scar across her abdomen through her dress.
The loss hit her like a physical blow. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.
She bolted up, barely managing to choke out, “Excuse me... I need to... I need some air,” before fleeing outside.