6. Kane

The drive gave him too much time for his mind to wander. He couldn't stop thinking about Haylee. When he spoke with her on the phone, she sounded so small and scared, and it infuriated him that he couldn't be there with her to give her the coddling that she deserved. Not that he even knew if she wanted to be coddled. But something in his gut told him that she would thrive off it. He was pleased to hear her lightly chewing before they hung up the phone. He didn't want her taking the medication on an empty stomach.

It had felt like a lifetime since the last time his heartstrings pulled so hard for a Little. Not that she was a Little for sure. Her voice alone screamed at him that she was, though, and it put his Daddy instincts into overdrive. But Luke had warned him that he needed to be careful not to scare her. He knew that. She was likely already terrified after what had just happened to her. He also knew he was overbearing, strict, and ridiculously overprotective. Luke often joked that a Little couldn't even take a step without him reminding her to be careful and then still watching her like a hawk so he could save her from falling if necessary. Not that Luke had any room to talk; he was just as protective.

He knew these things about himself and knew it was quite possibly the reason he was still single. He didn't know how to be anything less, though. He had a need to protect people, especially women. He'd seen too much and known too much in his life to be able to just turn his head from a woman in danger. Especially one that sounded as sweet and scared as Haylee.

As he drove the interstate, traffic was light. He thanked his years in the military for learning how to survive for days without sleep when needed. He would be able to sleep for a few hours when he got to the hotel, though it would be difficult not to wake Haylee up as soon as he got there so he could check over her injuries to make sure she didn't need to see a doctor. She needed to get her rest, though. She would most likely be completely exhausted for several days after what she had been through with that coward of a man. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice when they spoke on the phone.

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Kane told himself to calm down. He would deal with that bastard when the time came, but for the moment, he just needed to get to Haylee and take care of her. She would be safe with him, and he would take care of her every need. He would show her how she should truly be treated by a man.

He'd already contacted one of his employees who was based in California to get eyes on Tim Parker until they were able to have Haylee make a statement so an arrest warrant could be issued. Personally, Kane would have really rather handled it without having the guy arrested. Preferably in a long, painful way that had him floating down at the bottom of a river somewhere. He knew Luke felt the same way, but they were lawmen, and despite their dark feelings about how it should be handled, they both knew that going the legal route was the smartest choice. It still didn't make him want to kill the guy any less.

By the time he got into his room, it was after four in the morning. He lay on the bed, fully clothed with his boots still laced, and closed his eyes to sleep. It was a fitful rest as his mind wandered to the room next door. He hoped she was sleeping peacefully, though after what she'd been through, he doubted it. She was likely sore and scared, and that pissed him off. She should never feel either of those things, unless the soreness was caused by pleasure. Fuck. He shouldn't think those thoughts. He didn't even know her.

His phone vibrated with a text from Haylee.

Are you here yet?

He frowned. It wasn't even five thirty.

I'm here. I'm right next door. Are you okay?

He hit Send, but before he realized it, he was at his feet, exiting his room and knocking on her door.

"Haylee, it's Kane. Open up, little one."

He waited a brief moment before the door opened, and a set of pale blue eyes stared up at him. He winced inside as he looked past the eyes and noticed the bruises on her face and chest.

"God dammit, shit."

Her eyes widened as she stepped back slightly.

Shit. Asshole. Be gentle with her.

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to curse. I just can't stand seeing those bruises on you. Can I come in?"

She hesitated before stepping back and opening the door for him. He walked in, noticing the cartoons she was watching on the TV. When he turned to look at her, she stood near the door as though she was ready to bolt at any moment.

Damn.

You're supposed to be putting her at ease.

He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to bring himself down to her level, though even with him sitting, he was still taller than her. The bathrobe she wore was gigantic on her small frame.

"Why aren't you sleeping, little one?"

"I couldn't sleep."

She reached up and brushed her caramel-brown hair that hung loosely over her shoulders away from her face, exposing the dark bruises on her lower arms. He stood, wanting to go to her, but as soon as he took a step, her entire body trembled, and she had to grab the back of a chair to steady herself. He sat again, bringing himself back down to her level. He hated that he had that effect on her. He had that effect on a lot of women. He wasn't the kind of guy you looked at and got the warm fuzzies. He was the kind of guy you looked at and wondered if you were about to be on a stretcher on the way to the hospital after he finished with them.

Nodding his head, he gave a small smile. "That's understandable. I'm Kane Scott, by the way."

"I'm Haylee… Haylee Maxwell."

"Nice to meet you, Haylee."

That's a start. Gain her trust.

He noticed the opened chocolate bar on the bedside table.

"You had some chocolate. Does that mean you ate a slice of pizza?"

"Yes. I could only eat one, though. My tummy was all twisted up last night."

"Good girl. I'm glad you ate a little bit."

Something flashed in her eyes when he called her good girl, and she visibly relaxed.

"Well, I couldn't really sleep either. Do you want to get dressed and we can hit the road early?"

She studied him quietly for a moment. "You need to get some sleep before you drive. I can drive, though, and you can sleep."

Lowering his brows, he shook his head. "You're not driving, little one. I am perfectly fine to drive. I'm a retired Marine and was a part of many recon missions that kept me up for days at a time. I am used to little sleep. Besides, I would prefer that you try to sleep some more while I drive. I know you're exhausted."

"Oh."

He nodded and stood, not missing that she stepped back to create more space as he did so. He hated that she was afraid. He was the last person she needed to be scared of.

"I'll go grab the clothes that Ally packed for you."

She nodded and stepped aside so he could leave the room. He questioned whether he had made the right choice in not having Luke and Ally come. He didn't want her to be stressed or worried the entire time they drove.

Once back in the room, he grabbed the bag of clothes, his keys, and his wallet and returned to her. Ally had said that she and Haylee were the same size, but Haylee looked much smaller than Ally, and Ally was just a little thing. That thought bothered him. He worried that the clothes he'd brought would be hanging off her, but they would have to do for the ride.

She disappeared into the bathroom to change without saying anything. When she walked out wearing the pair of leggings and T-shirt, he frowned. She was practically swimming in them.

"Ally said you two were the same size."

Her eyes widened, and she looked down at the clothes. He cursed himself when he saw her bottom lip tremble. Damn, he was such an asshole. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut.

"I… Tim was constantly telling me I needed to lose weight, so I… I don't eat much anymore."

God dammit.

The bastard said she needed to lose weight. Her! He guessed she only weighed a hundred pounds, if that.

Shit.

She'd been starving herself.

"That will change. You will not be starving yourself. That's not healthy for you."

Her eyes lowered immediately.

"Hey… I didn't mean to sound so harsh, little one. I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with that bastard of a man you were with."

He walked over to her slowly, not wanting to startle her or make her feel any more scared of him than she already was. He needed to figure out a way to make her trust him. She had just been badly beaten by some jackass, and now she was having to deal with him, mister not-so-warm-and-fuzzy. He reached out his hand, moving slowly enough that she could see his hand moving toward her, and gently tilted her chin up to him, swallowing hard as he was met with her sad, sweet eyes.

"You don't need to lose a single pound, sweet girl. You are absolutely perfect. If anything, you probably need to gain some weight to be at a healthy weight for your height. Skipping meals and starving yourself is not okay and will not be allowed around me. It isn't safe to do, for one, and for two, you should be able to eat whenever and whatever you want."

She stared at him silently, and he wasn't sure if she was even listening to what he had just said until she flung her arms around his waist and began to sob. He froze briefly before he wrapped his arms around her as gently as he could, knowing she had more bruises than he could see.

When she released him, her tears were gone. "Thank you. Sorry I hugged you. I just… I haven't been able to hug anyone in a long time, and what you said… I know you're right. It's just hard to believe it when someone is constantly telling you otherwise."

His chest ached for her. She hadn't had anyone to hug? What kind of monster was this guy?

"Sweet girl, you can hug me anytime you want. Consider me your own personal stuffy to snuggle anytime you need it."

She smiled at that, and he felt himself relax just a little, hoping she could feel that he was only trying to help her.

"Can we go into the bathroom so I can look at your head wound in the bright light?" he asked.

She nodded and followed him into the tiny bathroom, sitting on the toilet after he closed the lid. As soon as he touched her head to find the wound, she winced, and his anger boiled again. He hated that he was hurting her. Inspecting the wound, he decided that he didn't think she needed stitches, but as soon as they got back to Pinebrook, he would call a doctor and get a professional opinion.

"I don't think you need stitches, but I'm going to put a little bit of ointment on it to ensure it doesn't get infected."

He worked quickly to apply the ointment as carefully as he could. She sat quietly, letting out the occasional hiss.

"Thank you," she whispered as soon as he threw out the cotton swab.

"You're welcome, little one. Why don't you go potty before we leave, and I'll just be right out in the room if you need anything."