Page 90 of Her Hidden Smile

“I don’t believe you. He hit you, didn’t he?”

Lisa nodded. She put down the yogurts and the waters, then cut our wrist bindings.

“I’m scared,” Bella whimpered.

“It’s going to be fine. I promise,” Lisa said as she held out a container of yogurt to Bella.

“I want water first,” she said.

When we were done with our yogurt and water, Lisa tied our hands up again. They were looser, but it didn’t matter. Bella started crying. Lisa and I were both trying to console her when we heard the sound of a truck pulling up. I knew it was a truck because of the big engine.

“What the fuck?” Rod said. He sounded angry. “I thought you told them not to come.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Hey, Millie, it’s me, Simon. Bella’s dad.”

“It’s my daddy,” Bella cried out. “It’s my daddy!”

“Aw, fuck.” Rod shook his head. He turned to Lisa and pointed his dagger at her.

“Get out there. Whatever you do, make him go away.”

“He’s going to want to see Bella. You can be damn sure of that,” she hissed at him.

“I don’t care. That’s not going to happen. You get rid of him, or I’m going to slit the kid’s throat.”

Bella let out a high whimper. Lisa had tied my hands in front, so I put my arms over her head, and pulled her close. Rod stalked over to us and pointed his knife toward us. “You shut up. If you make any noise, I’m going to kill you, you got that?”

I turned my body so that Bella was hidden against the wall.

I heard Lisa talking. “This isn’t going to work, Rod. You’ve got to let me untie her, and at least let her hug her dad. It’s the only way he’ll go away.”

“She’s a kid, she’ll give it all away,” Rod said.

“No, she won’t. She’s too smart for that.”

“Millie? Lisa? Open the door.” Simon knocked louder.

“Okay, do it.” Rod said.

Rod yanked my hair, so I fell back on the floor. He bent over Bella and me until his nose was practically touching Bella’s. “Do you see this knife? When you’re out on the porch with Lisa, you hug your dad and make him go away, otherwise I will stick this dagger in Millie’s eye. Do you understand me, little girl?”

Lisa ran over to Rod and shoved him away from Bella. “Scaring her won’t help. She’ll start crying and then she won’t be able to fool her dad.”

He looked at Lisa, then pushed his finger into her cheek and she gasped. “It’s probably better that she answers the door anyway. You look like shit, and it will make him suspicious.”

Simon knocked again.

Rod bent down and pulled Bella out of my arms, then he used his dagger to cut Bella out of her bindings. Lisa helped her to stand up.

“My feet don’t work,” she whispered to me and Lisa.

“You’ve got to try. I know you’ve been sitting too long. But lovebug, you’ve got to try,” Lisa coaxed her desperately. Lisa walked with her really quick. When Bella’s legs seemed to be working okay Lisa sent her toward the door.

As soon as Bella started to open the door my entire body shuddered with relief. At least Bella wouldn’t die.

“Hi, Daddy,” Bella said.