In His Arms

Chapter 4

He...just...left... Totally dumbfounded, I stand in between the door and the living room holding Danny as he fills the silence of the apartment with soft gulps and sucking noises as he polishes off his milk bottle.

Blinking a few times to get my body and mind working again, I silently move towards my handbag on the sofa, holding Danny with one hand, I dig into the bag with my other, fishing out my blackberry. Dialing Mr King's number, I groan in frustration when it connects me to his voice mail which I don't bother leaving him a message.

"Well," I murmur to Danny as he turns his big grey eyes to me in curiosity. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight. Your Daddy ran off to do some work."

I could be a psychopath and yet without knowing anything about me, Mr Holt carelessly left his baby in my care. Thank goodness I love babies...

Carrying Danny into my bedroom, I lay him on his back as he holds his bottle on his own watching me as I grab my pyjamas, unbuttoning my office shirt, I pause briefly to look at my back in the closet's mirror, looking at the long jagged white scars that paint my back in bizarre lines. Sighing, I shake my head roughly to rid myself of the surfacing memories, pulling on my oversized grey T-shirt.

"It looks bad doesn't it, baby?" I murmur to Danny as I carry him back into my arms, his grey eyes are wide and curious, dropping his bottle between us to grab my face. "Don't worry, Those people who did it will never do it again, not to me nor anyone else. They promised."

They promised...

Laying him beside me on the bed, I lie on my side to observe Danny as his eyes begin to droop, his little baby hands reach out to grasp the front of my shirt in one last burst of energy before he falls under the sleeping spell of milk. Laying my head on the pillow, I too let myself drift off...my body relaxing from the hard day's work.

Finally...sleep...

Two hours...thirty minutes and forty seconds...

That's how long I've slept in total.

Staggering into the kitchen, I pour myself a bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast as Danny sits on my hip, his little baby hands playing with my hair. Yawning stupendously, I make a mental note to call my roommate who didn't come home last night.

Carrying my breakfast and Danny into the living room where I can not only rest but make both the call and distract Danny at the same time. Placing him next to me as we sit, I gently pass him some of the baby toys I have laying around, smiling when he focuses his attention on a toy phone.

Grabbing my own cell phone off the coffee table, I am about to speed dial her when it begins ringing on its own. Even as the screen flashes that the caller ID is unknown, my brain doesn't register it before I accept the call.

"Hello?" I croak groggily into the receiver, thinking that it's my roommate on the other line. "Where on earth are you? I can't believe you went out partying all night again."

"Good morning to you too Miss Summers," The cold, deep voice of Mr Holt greets me, his tone is all business like making my blood chill. "To let you know, I have been at work all night long."

Taking the phone off my ear alarmed, I blink a few times to see the caller ID and I feel my face heat up when it shows 'Caller Unknown'. Closing my eyes for a second, I take a deep breath before I put the phone back to my ear.

"I...am...so sorry..." I gush hurriedly before he can say anything else, placing my hand on my forehead, I close my eyes in embarrassment. "I wasn't implying...I mean...uh.."

"That aside Miss Summers," Mr Holt interrupts my stammering, a tone of impatience in his voice as he pretends I didn't even apologise. "My driver will pick up both you and the child at eight o'clock from your apartment. Pack an overnight bag as I intend to have you begin a trial period for the job."