trust. It’s okay. She’s calm. Willing to talk. I know what I’m doing, Simon. I do this for a living, remember?”
“So do I. You’re not—”
A loud thud emanated from the front of the house and Simon automatically glanced that way. Praying she was doing the right thing, Nina pulled out of his grip and walked inside the room with Anne.
Simon’s low but vicious curse made her wince, but she put all her attention on Anne and calming the girl down. She’d made progress and was moving toward the doorway with her when a man’s harsh voice drifted inside the room.
Anne let out a guttural cry, a low moan that started deep in her throat and carried through the room, ending with Anne screaming, “Don’t let him near me!”
A man, overwhelmingly large and with a face full of rage, tried to push past Simon, who held him back. Quick as a snake, Anne grabbed the knife with one hand and Nina with the other.
The young girl was much stronger than she’d looked. Her grip was tight as she held the knife at Nina’s side.
“I can’t let him near me,” Anne choked out.
When the blade pierced fabric and the cool metal met her skin, Nina fought to keep her knees from buckling.
* * *
SIMON’S HEART THUDDED in his chest at the sight of the frail, desperate-looking teenager holding a knife to Nina.
“Stop this, Anne. You’re such a bad daughter! I’m your father and you will listen to me. Damn it, put the knife down.”
Fucker. Didn’t Anne’s father realize his daughter was about to blow? That this time she wouldn’t just be hurting herself, but someone else? Simon shoved the man back with his shoulder and into Harrison’s iron grip. Without turning his focus away from Nina, he ground out, “Harrison, get Anne’s parents out of here. Now.”
When Officer Harrison and Anne’s parents were gone, Simon turned back to Anne.
She was trembling and breathing heavily. Nina, despite her best efforts to remain calm, looked scared.
“Listen to me, Anne. You’re frightening Nina. You need to let her go now.”
“I don’t want to see my father.” Anne whimpered, her eyes wild.
“No one’s going to make you see him,” Simon said. His gaze assessed the distance between him and Anne, and he weighed the risk of Tasering her while she still held Nina.
Nina obviously sensed his intentions. “It’s okay, Simon. Just stay back. Remember what I said about giving Anne some space. She and I are going to talk. Can you take a few steps back?”
He frowned, his gaze on the knife at her side. He was so damn angry with her he could barely see straight. She’d deliberately disregarded all his earlier warnings about not placing herself in danger, and damn it, he’d let her. He’d trusted her. Let down his guard because he’d known how shaken she’d be at Anne’s situation, and that had shaken him, as well.
But while she had a knife to her side at the moment, that knife hadn’t been there before Anne’s father had called out. Fact was, she had been making progress before the man had shown up. She and the girl had been walking toward them, the girl’s face relaxed, her breathing even. She’d calmed the girl down once. Maybe she could calm Anne down again.
His instincts told him he’d trusted her for a reason. They told him to do it again. Finally, he determined he had no real choice.
Simon took several steps back, but he didn’t leave.
“Your father,” Nina said, even though her gaze remained locked with Simon’s. “He scares you, Anne?”
The girl sobbed. “Yes.”
“Okay. I understand. But he’s gone. Simon won’t let him inside. And I don’t scare you, do I? We were talking. Getting along. You don’t want to hurt me, do you?”
Anne shook her head. “No. Just—just keep my father away from me. I don’t want to see him. I can’t breathe when I see him. He tells me what to do. What to eat. What to wear. What to say. Where to look. It’s like he’s choking me. I can’t live. Not like this.”
“Okay. I’m going to help you. I promise. But you need to let me go. Can you do that? Please.”
After a tense prolonged moment of silence, she lowered the knife and released her death grip on Nina. Instead of immediately leaving, however, Nina turned back toward Anne.
“Thank you, Anne. Now, let’s put down the knife and walk on over to Detective Granger. He’s a good man and he’s going to