8. Kane

It took everything in him to swallow his forming grin when her lower lip stuck out. He was happy to see her be a little defiant with him. He would take defiant any day over scared. The bruises on her ribs made him think murderous thoughts, and he really wanted her to see a doctor. But the fear in her eyes when he said she needed to go to the hospital made him cave. Which irritated him because he wasn't a man used to giving in to anyone. But she needed a little softness after what she'd been through, and he would arrange for a doctor to come and examine her as soon as they got home. Hopefully, Logan would be willing to do him a favor.

"Are you pouting, little one?"

She stepped back so her chin was no longer resting in his hand and shook her head. "I wasn't pouting. I was… I was…"

"You were pouting," he answered.

She stuck her tongue out at him and shook her head.

So she is a Little. But does she know that?

He chuckled and shook his head. "Come on, little girl. Let's get on the road before you do find yourself in trouble."

He got her settled in the front seat of his SUV, giving her a soft blanket to wrap up in. He fought the urge to tuck it all around her and get her arranged so she was comfortable. He hoped that she would sleep for most of the ride. Her eyelids drooped, and with as little sleep as she had gotten the night before, she needed her rest. He would definitely be insisting on a naptime for her once they were at his house.

He stopped at a convenience store to pick up some snacks for the road so she could get some food in her stomach before she took some more of the liquid pain reliever. She shook her head when he offered her a donut with pink frosting and sprinkles, even though he could see in her eyes that it interested her.

"Come on, sweetheart. Be a good girl for me and eat it. Getting food and medication in you will make you feel better and will probably help you fall asleep easier while I drive."

He grinned when she gave in and took the donut from him, picking off the sprinkles one at a time to put into her mouth. Pure sugar, but he didn't give a shit. As long as she was eating something, he was happy. He gave her a vanilla protein shake to drink and insisted she take several drinks of it. It pleased him that she was being compliant, despite the faces of protest that she gave him.

He measured out some liquid ibuprofen for her and handed her the tiny cup. She frowned at it and made a disgusted face.

"It's grape flavored. Drink it."

She shook her head. "I can assure you after taking some last night that it does not taste like grapes."

Poor thing. Maybe he should offer to get her a suppository pain reliever. He'd bet his left leg that she'd suddenly love the grape-flavored liquid if he did. Taking the miniature measuring cup from her small fingers, he held it up to her lips and tilted it back slightly.

"Drink."

When she obeyed and drank the entire cup, making an icky face toward him when she was done, he felt a surge of satisfaction. He handed her the protein shake to wash it down.

"Good girl. Thank you for obeying. I will make sure when we get home to buy a better-tasting medicine."

She nodded. "I like the orange kind better."

Well, shit. He would find the orange kind, then. Whatever she wanted, he would find for her, especially if it meant she would willingly take her medicine.

"I want you to try to sleep while I drive. It's going to be a long drive, so you might as well rest."

"I'm not tired anymore."

He gave her an incredulous look and began maneuvering toward the interstate. Haylee was fast asleep with her mouth hanging open ten minutes into the drive.

The drive itself was uneventful. She slept for nearly four hours before waking up suddenly with a loud gasp and jolted up, looking around with wide eyes as she gasped for air.

"Hey, you're okay. You're safe."

It killed him not to touch her, to try to calm her down, but he didn't want to frighten her more than she already seemed to be. Taking an exit into a rest area and pulling the car to a stop, he turned to her and waited patiently as she caught her breath.

"Shh… Breathe in and out. In and out. Good girl."

She breathed with him for several minutes until her rapid breathing slowed, and she relaxed against the seat.

"I'm so sorry. I had a bad dream."

Reaching out for her slowly, he took her hand and squeezed, rubbing the back of her knuckles with his thumb.

"Baby girl, you don't need to be sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"

Shaking her head, she swiped her wild hair from her face and stared out the windshield silently. He fought the urge to unbuckle her and pull her into his lap to cuddle her fears away, but he didn't want to overwhelm her or do something she was uncomfortable with. But damn, he wanted to take care of her.

She squeezed his hand back. "Thank you. You're being so nice to me."

He studied her eyes when she turned her face toward him. She looked so sad and lost.

"You deserve all the niceness in the world, baby girl."

Her plump pink lips turned up into a small smile. He wanted to see that smile of hers as much as possible.

"Do you need to go potty before we start driving again?"

"Um… yes, please."

Kane nodded. He got out of the car, opened her door to help her out, and walked with her to the bathrooms, keeping his hand on her elbow. He didn't want her to go very far from him, since rest areas weren't exactly the safest places. It had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to constantly touch her. Not at all. He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it to make sure it was empty before he held it open for her.

"I'll be right here."

When she reappeared from the bathroom, he held out his hand for her, unsure if she would take it. She slipped her small hand into his and smiled up at him as he led her back toward the car. Talk about feeling like he'd won the lottery. When she climbed into the seat, he automatically grabbed the seat belt, reaching over her to buckle it. She took in a sharp breath, and he pulled back quickly, hoping he didn't startle her. When he looked into her soft blue eyes, he didn't see fear. Instead, he saw something warm flicker across them, and he felt his body react to being so close to her.

He straightened himself up. "Safety first, little one."

She smiled and nodded, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

The rest of the drive was quiet. Haylee didn't talk very much, and he didn't want to force her to interact. He wanted to ask her everything about herself, her life, and all the small little details about her that most might not find to be important, but he would.

"When we get to Pinebrook, we will go straight to my house so you can get settled. Luke and Ally will come over tomorrow so you can shower and rest for today. Luke is going to take your statement about what happened when he comes, and then an arrest warrant will be issued, and that jackass will be arrested immediately."

"Oh… um… okay. I'm excited to see Ally. I haven't seen her since I left for college. I've missed her so much."

There was a sadness to her voice as she spoke, and it pulled at him.

"Ally is very excited to see you too."

"She seems really happy with Luke, huh?"

Kane smiled and nodded. They were both happy. Even an outsider that didn't even know them would be able to see how much they belonged together. Ally seemed to embrace being his Little girl, and the way she looked at him, with pure admiration and love, made Kane long for something so sweet and special.

"Yes. I think she is really happy with him. Luke loves her very much. He's a good guy."

"I'm glad. Ally deserves someone good. She deserves happiness."

Glancing over at her, he reached out his hand and placed it over hers.

"You deserve it all too, Haylee."

"I'd like to believe that."

"Well, believe it, little one."

He would make her believe it. If it was the last thing he did, she would know what she deserved.