Zeke's Rule(33)

“I’m ready.”

“Dani’s going to adore you.”

“I doubt it.”

Taking her hand, he led the way out to the car. He made sure to flick the child lock on the door so she didn’t have a chance to make her escape. Zeke wasn’t prepared to take any chances when it came to her safety. He climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the car over.

Alessandria wasn’t panicking yet, so he reversed the car, turning it around to face the gate. Driving slowly, he already saw that Colin was waiting just outside the gate.

“Wait!” Alessandria held up her hand as she stared at the gate.

“Everything will be fine.”

She nodded. “Just please, go slowly.”

He eased out of the drive, and every time she held her hand up, he stopped. Taking his time, they made it out of the gate and drove toward Dani’s place. The first hurdle was over with. Now, he just needed to see what his daughter thought of the woman he’d fallen in love with.#p#分页标题#e#





Alessandria didn’t have a clue what to expect of Zeke’s daughter, but Daniella was, well, she was nothing like she’d imagined. She hadn’t seen Daniella as she’d not been around to visit Zeke. Instead, Zeke had gone to see her. She was a nice woman, a little shy and reserved, but from the look on Shakes’ face, he found her adorable.

“Who are you?” Dani asked, before Zeke got chance to say anything.

“Alessandria.” Her cheeks heated, and she looked from Zeke to Daniella and back again.

“How did you meet my father?”

Alessandria felt on the spot, felt flushed, embarrassed. “I don’t know what to say.” She didn’t know how to explain how she’d come into Zeke’s life.

Daniella turned to Zeke. “Can you explain?”

Zeke exhaled. “She was with a shipment of women, and she didn’t want to be there.”

“He saved her life,” Shakes said, moving behind Daniella. “He helped protect her from someone very bad, someone that wanted to hurt her.”

“He’s my friend,” Alessandria said, standing beside Zeke, her hands in front of her, and her fingers twisted together from her nerves.

Daniella didn’t speak for a moment, didn’t even move. But then she smiled. “I’m glad you’re safe and that my dad could help you.”

Alessandria saw her eyes grow watery, and Daniella moved closer to wrap her arms around her father’s neck.

“I’m so pleased you helped her. You are a good man.”

Stepping out of the way, she watched as Zeke frowned even as he held onto his daughter.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, she waited while the family had a special moment.

“I’m so sorry.” Daniella sniffed and wiped her tears away. “Welcome to my home.” Daniella pulled her in for a hug, and Alessandria took the warmth that was offered. It had been too long since she’d been given any kind of affection, well, not until Zeke had taken her in. Holding onto Daniella, she hoped that in time they could be friends.

“Thank you.”

Daniella moved them from out of the hallway, and it wasn’t long before Shakes and Zeke were talking in another room, and she was alone with Daniella.

“I’m really sorry about that in there. I’m pregnant, and my hormones are all over the place. I can’t control it.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re the first woman I’ve been around who has been pregnant.” Alessandria took a seat at the kitchen counter and watched as Daniella moved from the counter to the fridge and back again.

“You’ve not seen pregnant women before?”

“I’ve seen them before, of course. I just haven’t spent any time around a pregnant woman, not substantially, I mean. Where I was, the women weren’t allowed to have children. Being pregnant was an obstacle that they took care of right away.”

Daniella looked at her with worry on her face. “Can I ask what you mean by that? It sounds to me like you were in a jail.”

Alessandria took a deep breath. “Gerald, the pimp who owned me, made sure none of us had kids.”

“Okay, wow, erm, wow. I’m so sorry.”

“I want to think of that as my past. Your father saved my life. I mean that with everything in me.” She stared down at her hands and wondered if she’d opened up just a little too much. “I never got pregnant, though,” she shrugged. Once she started talking, she just couldn’t stop. “I suppose it was all for the best.”#p#分页标题#e#

Daniella placed her hand over Alessandria’s. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”