She tried to find someone else to help, but they were all busy. And Aleki was haggling with the owner of the jewelry stall.
“Where is she? Does she need help?” she asked, torn over what to do.
“She’s just over here. Please, miss!” He burst into tears and her heart melted.
“Okay, show me.” She couldn’t let a child suffer.
She’d check on the little girl. Get her some help if needed and get back to Aleki. Surely, he couldn’t be too mad? It was a child.
The small boy was surprisingly strong. He led her to an alleyway behind the stall. Unease filled her. Okay, this wasn’t right.
“I can’t go in there.” She drew her hand back. “I need to get my friend. I’ll bring him back for your sister.”
“No . . . no, you have to come . . .” The young boy practically threw himself around her. “Please!”
God, the distress in his voice was killing her. She took a step closer to look in the alleyway. A woman dressed in a long white robe stood there. The woman’s hair and face were hidden under a wide-brimmed hat.
Horror filled her as she saw the small girl being held against the woman, a knife held to her tiny neck, a hand over her mouth. The little girl had tears racing down her cheeks.
What the hell was going on?
“Hey! Let her go!” she cried out, stepping forward to grab the girl. “What are you doing?”
“Shut up! Come with me quietly and I’ll let her go.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Fuck. She knew that voice. It was Marilyn. What did she think she was doing?
“I’m coming. I’m coming. Don’t hurt her!” What choice did she have? It was a child at risk. She walked slowly forward. Marilyn shoved the child down and the small girl immediately started wailing.
Marilyn snatched at Vivi, drawing her into the alleyway. Her nails dug into her arm and Vivi winced.
“Ouch! Ease up, you bitch!” Vivi snapped at her, trying to drag her way free.
“Shut up! Shut the fuck up! This is all your fault!”
Vivi looked back to where the children were, but they’d disappeared. Good. At least they were safe.
“What’s my fault?” she asked as calmly as she could. She wasn’t sure that she could get away from Marilyn, not with that knife she held. But she had a far better chance than that child.
Marilyn shoved her and her back hit the wall behind her. Bitch was strong. She waved her hands around. It was cooler here, darker. But Vivi was still able to watch the knife swinging through the air. Somehow, she needed to get that away from her. She could try to run but her ankle still wasn’t that strong. And she didn’t want to let Marilyn go free, either. Not if she was going to go around threatening children.
“This was supposed to be my ticket. Do you think I really wanted to work as a flight attendant? Of course not! What I wanted to do was meet some rich fucking harem and not have to work a day again in my life. It’s what I fucking deserve! Then along you come and mess up everything. And now I’ve lost my job, and those assholes from the palace are chasing me down. I’ve got nowhere to go. And. It’s. Your. Fault.”
Okay. So she was completely delusional.
“My fault? You put a laxative in my porridge!” Vivi snapped at her.
“So? It wasn’t going to harm you. Just make you unattractive to Caleb and Aleki.”
Not Wolfe?
And she thought Marilyn wanted a rich harem? Not that her guys seemed short on money. But she didn’t think they were ultra-wealthy either.
“You wanted Aleki and Caleb?”
“Just to fuck. I thought we’d have a fun plane ride home. Also figured I could then use them to get me an introduction to some of the princes’ richer friends. I’m not stupid. I wasn’t aiming for the princes. But maybe some lesser family or something. But you ruined it all!”
Dear. Lord.
“I didn’t ruin anything. You did this all yourself.”
“Shut up! Shut up!” she screamed, coming forward with the knife held up. Oh shit! Vivi dove to the side. She landed on the ground and rolled.
Get up! Run!
Then something ran past her, tackling Marilyn who screeched. Something clanged on the ground. The knife?
“You fucking bitch!” Aleki yelled.
She turned, her heart racing, her entire body shaking as she watched Aleki easily subdue Marilyn. He had her on her stomach on the ground, her hands behind her back as he pinned her down. She screamed, trying to wriggle free. The knife lay a few feet away. She should probably get that, but she couldn’t seem to move.
“Baby! Baby, are you okay?”
Slowly, she moved her gaze away from Marilyn to look up at Aleki. “What?”
On some level, she knew that she had to be in shock. But she couldn’t seem to shake the cloud surrounding her.
“You’re going to get what’s coming to you, bitch!” Marilyn screamed. “I saw to that.”
“Shut up,” Aleki snapped. “Baby girl. Look at me. Look at me,” he insisted.
“Yes?” she asked, trying to ignore Marilyn.
“I need you to do something for me. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” She could do anything for him when he used that voice. He sounded so sweet. Like he loved her.
“I do love you, baby girl.”
“Let me go!” Marilyn screeched. “Your life will be ruined, bitch! It’s already done, you just don’t know it yet!”
Vivi flinched.
“Shut the fuck up,” Aleki snarled. “Listen to me now. I’m going to slide my phone to you. I want you to call Caleb for me. Can you do that?”
“I can do that.” She thought she could.
The phone skidded along the ground. She picked it up. Marilyn screamed, making her drop it.
“Oh no. Oh no.” She picked it up, running her hand across the front. “I think I broke the screen.”
“It will be fine,” Aleki told her. “Will you shut up before I shut you up myself!”
Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat before she realized he wasn’t talking to her. She’d never heard him sound so angry before.
“Baby girl. I’m not angry at you. Please stop making that noise. You’re killing me here. Damn it, baby. Fuck. Just let me get her secured. Call Caleb, baby girl. Call Daddy, for Papa.”
Call Daddy. For Papa. She could do that. She was vaguely aware of him pulling off his top. What was he doing? She didn’t have time to ponder it. She was too busy trying to remember how to work the phone.
Find Daddy’s name. Press on it. Calling.
“Aleki?” Caleb asked through the phone.
She held the phone up to her ear. “Daddy?”
“Vivi? Jelly bean, are you all right? Where’s Aleki?” Caleb asked, sounding alarmed.
“He’s sitting on Marilyn.” When things were too stressful, she seemed to find comfort in Little space.
“Sitting on Marilyn? What?” Caleb asked.
“He’s mad.”
“Mad? What do you mean, he’s mad? Never mind, it doesn’t matter right now. Where are you?”
“In an alley. Daddy?” she said.
“Yes, jelly bean?”
“She’s really mean.”