Daddy's Girl

Ch. 2 Him

Chapter 2
Him

Emma
The first thing I see when I wake up is pink. Pink, pink, pink, everywhere pink. Am I in heaven? Did I freeze to death in that alley? Or did the man who had been yelling at me take me? Panic hits fast and suddenly I am moving, standing- falling.
I slam hard into the cold hard surface of a floor, coming face to face with a large pink princess bed decorated with a flowered canopy and fluffy white pillows. It looks like I am in someone's bedroom. Not mine. This is not part of my rooms at any of Father's homes or estates. Where am I, where am I, where am I?
The tears come hot and quick and now I am crying, too absorbed in my little space to linger on other details like the chest practically bursting with stuffies or the bookshelves lined with children's stories. All I know is I am scared and alone and somewhere new and dangerous and scary and how did I get here, how do I get out-
I freeze at the sound of a door opening. My head snaps to the right and I see a pale pink door slowly opening. Without thinking I dive beneath the pretty pink bed and hold my breath, terrified as a pair of shiny black shoes come into view.
My heart stops. It is Father. He has come for me, he has locked me away in this room and will never let me out-
"Little one?" A musical voice calls out.
I pause, hand over my mouth to muffle my tears. That is not Father. The voice is far too young, though older than my own. Deep and sensual. Safe, even.
"I know you're hiding, little one. I know you must be frightened. But if you would like to come out, I promise I won't harm you."
Nuh uh. Me no coming out.
The polished shoes come closer, stopping right before the bed. I hold my breath. "I have someone who I think you'd like to see. A special friend of yours maybe?"
And then I really have to try to be quiet because a muscular hand appears beneath the edge of the bed, setting something in the center of the room in the floor about ten feet away- Pestilence!
It takes all my will power to remain still though little me is screaming for me to run and rescue my Pesty from this scary stranger. I bite my bottom lip, so torn. Pesty must be so scared out there by himself wondering where I am.
"He's a handsome fellow" The voice continues. I see the shoes shuffle closer and feel a weight settle over top my head on the bed. Pestilence remains in the floor too fars away. I stretch out a hand and will Pestilence to fly towards me. He doesn't move. Come on, Pesty, come on! "I wonder what his name is. He will need a name for such a special friend."
He already has a name, I want to shout but stay quiet.
"How about Bert? Or Thayer? Perhaps Birdie?"
The words are out before I can stop them. "His name is Pesty!"
I freeze.
A moment passes before the weight shifts on the bed and the voice speaks again. "Pesty. That's quite a special name. Does it stand for anything?"
I don't answer.
"Well in any case I think Pesty really misses you. Why don't you come out here and say hello?"
"Nuh uh." Now that's I've started talking I can't stop. My thumb somehow finds its way to my mouth as it always does when I'm stressed.
"Come on, little one. Please? Pesty is awfully scared out here all alone. Why don't you come make him feel better? I bet you're really good at making others smile."
I frown. Was that an insult? It didn't sound like the complicated backhanded compliments the other debutantes gave that I never understood. Another reason Father hated me besides me being a little- I was never good at playing the game of socializing and fake niceties. I bite my lip again and look at Pestilence. He does look scared...maybe he does needs me...but then I'd have to leave my hidey space. Hmmm.
The voice above me sighs. "Little one, if you come out you and Pesty can have cookies. Warm chocolate chip cookies. I bet that sounds great. You probably haven't eaten them in a long time, hmm?"
Cookies. Now that's tempting. Arella used to bake me cookies and let me lick the batter in the estate kitchens. My tummy rumbles loudly at the thought of something so good after so long of icky, rotten foods. But what about him?
"I promise I won't hurt you, little girl. The bad man yelled at you and took your stuffie away remember? I made him go away and brought you here so you could be warm and have some good food. I promise you're safe."
He made the bad man go away? But wasn't the bad man bleeding? Did this man do that? Will he do that to me if I come out? But Pestilence. And cookies...
Finally I can take it no more. Inch by inch, thumb still in my mouth, I crawl from beneath the bed and snatch Pesty as fast as I can, turning to crawl back beneath the bed. A large warm hand stops me and I flinch back hard, slamming my injured knee back into the floor. Immediately I am crying again.
"Shhh, shhh, baby girl" The tender voice murmurs. Two big strong hands wrap around me and suddenly I am off the floor, placed against a hard chest radiating heat. I squirm, fighting the man's grasp, eager to get away. He allows no such nonsense and begins wiping away at my cheeks. "Shhh, easy baby, easy. You're okay, you're safe."
It is then that I finally get my first glimpse of this mysterious stranger and I feel my heart thud painfully in my ears. Beautiful. He is beautiful. The most beautiful man I have ever seen and far more attractive than any suitor I've ever had. All dark hair and piercing eyes, bulging biceps and long legs. He must be over a foot taller than me, looming well over six feet tall. A shadow of stubble paints the sharp edge of his jawline. My eyes devour his clothes next: dark pressed pants and a white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal the muscle straining there. He looks as though he could be anywhere from twenty seven to thirty.
So distracted am I that I don't even realize I have stopped crying until a brilliant smile spreads across his face, his teeth perfectly straight and dazzlingly white. It is the kind of smile that stars in movies. The kind of smile that artists attempt to capture in timeless paintings and sculptures. "There we go, Princess. So brave. And hello to you, Pestilence" He says to my stuffie. "So nice to see you again."
I can't help myself, I giggle. His tone is so elegant and sincere. Those brilliant dark eyes move back to me and I feel myself flush pink, still painfully aware of how close I am sitting on his lap. I feel every rise and fall of his rock-hard chest. "I'm happy you've calmed down, Princess. I think you've earned a cookie. Tell me your name and I'll give you two."
I debate for a moment. Then- "Emma. But...I like Emmy better." My voice is so small I doubt he can hear me.
"Speak up when I'm talking to you, baby girl."
I hunch forward. My shoulders touch my ears at the gentle reprimand. "E-Emma. But I like Emmy better."
"Emmy" The man repeats. A shiver of delight rushes down my spine. One of his hands comes up to cup my cheek, thumb stroking over the skin as he turns the both of us (me still in his lap) to face the room as a whole. "Tell me, Princess, do you like this room? I heard you fall and crying earlier. Were you just scared to wake up somewhere new? Or does the room scare you? Anything you want and it will be change."
I want to ask why he would change the entire room just because I don't like it but refrain. The girls Father always paired me with at social events were always demanding their rooms and possible updated for bigger and better. The real question is why am I here? Instead, I say, "Just...just new." I cling to Pestilence, unwilling to say more.
He smiles as if he knows it. "Okay, Princess, but if there's something you don't like you come to me and let me know, okay?"
I nod.
"Promise?"
Instead of responding I hold out my pinky.
The man chuckles but takes my pinky promise, moving to stand up with me in his arms. I squeal in fear and latch onto his side, allowing him to reposition me on his hip. He is so much bigger than me he doesn't appear to struggle with my added weight but instead turns and cares me out into the hall. "Come on, let's get you those cookies."
I hesitate for only a moment. "What's- what's your name?"
"Sylas. But you can call me Daddy."

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