The Monster's Little Angel

Chapter 11

Twelve years later

Quinn stared out of the car window as it passed palm trees and beautiful Miami beach houses. Even though the sky was the same blue and the sun still shown in its usual way, it wasn't the same. Miami wasn't Los Angeles. Florida wasn't California. Her dad had decided to move them, as well as most of his mafia, to Miami for - as her father said - 'a change of scenery.'

"Dad, why did we really move from California?" she asked from the back seat to her dad, who was in the passenger seat while Slade drove the car.

She didn't miss the subtle glances each of them gave to the other, from what she saw in the rear view mirror. She knew there was something else to this whole move and it seemed that everyone from the guards to the housekeepers knew why - except for her. It also didn't help the fact that everyone lied through their teeth when she asked the same question.

"I told you, Quinny. It is for a change of scenery. Plus, I have business to attend to here," he explained, lying once more.

She nodded, rolling her eyes and wondering how naive he thought she was, as she leaned against the window. She knew for a fact that his business was the only part of that statement that was the truth. His business wasn't anything legal either and she figured it had something to do with the mafia. She also knew for another fact that he didn't want her knowing of this business, as usual.

Archer looked at his daughter in the rear view mirror and he couldn't help but feel a little bad for lying to her. She was moping in the back seat, her grey eyes absent-mindedly watching the scenery but taking in nothing from it. He had seen her grow into a beautiful young woman. She was sixteen-years-old now and even though it had been many years since the kidnapping incident, he knew she hadn't recovered from it completely.

Her grey eyes did gain back their cheerfulness but not entirely and her skin was slightly more pale than pink. Her mental state had improved and she was quite clever for her age, even skipping two grades, but she was quite shy and timid as well. She didn't really have any friends and she preferred to be alone most of the time, cooped up in her room.

At least she wasn't hanging onto him; making him carry her around and take her with him everywhere he went. She had given up that habit around the age of six but she still had followed him like a lost little puppy until she was twelve. It made taking her to school hard, she even had a couple of panic attacks and they had gotten so bad sometimes that he actually had to come fetch her. He had worried for so long that she'd fall behind in her work and would lead to more struggles in her life.

He heard her sigh as she stared out the car's window, frowning at the new city she'd be living in. He noticed as her hand as it went over to Major, her Golden Retriever and emotional support dog.

When Quinn was eight and the panic attacks were becoming worse, Archer no longer knew what to do to help his daughter and consulted her therapist. At her request, he had gotten Quinn her first dog - a German Shepard named Able. Things had gone well for many years until Able passed away and Major stepped up to fill in the companion role. Major had only been with them for three years now but he and Quinn had already become inseparable. And, after many years of observation, Archer had picked up on the fact that Quinn always petted her dog whenever she felt stressed or depressed, usually as a way to keep her calm or stable.

"I promise, Quinn, it is only a temporary move. We'll go back to California but business comes first and this move might be good for you," he explained gently so she wouldn't take it badly.

"Yeah, whatever you say dad," she said bluntly, continuing to pet Major's smooth, fluffy fur.

He sighed as he stared forward and they continued to drive. It was pointless trying to talk to her when she was upset, her mind wasn't stable enough to hold up a conversation in that state. So he let her be and they continued on in silence.