Free Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) by Riann C. Miller Page B

come alive. As I walk down the stairs, Callie’s voice is the loudest as she talks about her first day of school.
    “I made new friends, Daddy. Just like you said I would.” I smile.
    “I knew you would, baby.”
    “I’m not a baby anymore. I’m in kindergarten now,” she tells him.
    My heart feels heavy listening to a normal girl talking about her normal day. I love Damian, but it’s moments like these that make it hard not to be mad at him. I never got to come home and talk about my day. Instead, my father sat me on his lap and told me never to trust anyone other than him.
    “Uncle Kiran, my new friend Sophie said she doesn’t have a dad. Maybe you could date her so we could be related.” The room breaks out in laughter.
    “That’s not how it works. Plus, Kiran should pick out his own dates,” Kate tells her.
    “I actually have one this weekend,” Kiran proudly says, causing my heart to drop. He told me no last night. I shouldn’t be surprised, but it doesn’t take the sting out of his comment.
    I square my shoulders and turn the corner then walk into the kitchen where everyone except Callie stops what they’re doing to stare at me.
    “Wow, Belle, you look amazing,” Kate stumbles out.
    “Yeah,” Gavin adds as Kiran’s eyes thin.
    “Are you going somewhere?” Kiran questions in a tight voice while his eyes travel down my body.
    “Actually, I am. I have a date.” My face reddens.
    “A date?” Both Kate and Kiran repeat. I shrug and chew on my lip. “With who?” Kate adds.
    “Oh, I guy I met.” I make a point not to look at Kiran, but I can feel tension rolling off him in waves. I can’t understand him. I asked him to go out with me and he turned me down. Now he has a date this weekend but he’s acting mad?
    My phone chimes in my hand. I look down to see a text from Jared. “My date’s here.”
    “He’s not even going to come in and pick you up?” Gavin questions.
    “That’s classy,” Kiran rudely adds, fueling the tension in the room.
    “I asked him not to. I don’t live here. It...it didn’t feel right,” I answer defensively.
    “Are you sure this guy is okay? I mean, he could take you somewhere and...God, I can’t allow myself to think about what he could do to you.” Kate’s voice cracks, causing my stomach to turn.
    I’ve lived my entire life waiting for someone to jump out and grab me. To take me off to God only knows where as some sick form of punishment for my father’s actions. But here in Denver, I have a sense of peace for the first time in my life. Not to mention, I have mace in my handbag and years of self-defense classes.
    “I’ll be fine. I promise. I’m ...” I stop and take a deep breath. “I’m not nearly as weak as Damian told you.” Kate’s eyes flash, confirming my suspicions.
    “In Damian’s mind, I stopped aging around ten years old.” I lock eyes with Kate, and for the first time since I met her, I want her to have a healthy dose of the life she was saved. “Anyone who’s not able to kill a man on demand is weak in Damian’s eyes.” I laugh off my comment, but nothing I said was funny. Kate opens her mouth as her eyes become glassy.
    “When it comes to Damian, it’s probably best you remember you’re not dealing with a normal man.”
    My comment crossed the line, but Kate needs a healthy dose of reality—at least my reality. She barely knows Damian, yet she acts as if he’s some type of hero. She has no idea what he’s really capable of.
    “I better get going.” The last thing I see before I leave the kitchen is Kate’s shocked face, and I already regret what I said.
    “Hey,” I hear seconds before Gavin grabs my arm. “At least give me your phone number. Kiran told me you purchased a new one the other day.” His eyes are thin and he sounds annoyed. I dig my phone out of my bag, unlock it, and then hand it to him. He pushes some numbers then I hear a phone off in the distance ring. “Call me if anything comes up tonight