“Where did she go?”
Gage’s gaze stayed on him, but Brylee looked down at the floor.
“My little princess knows but won’t tell me.” Gage looked down at her.
“Honey, please tell me where she is. She shouldn’t be on her own, especially if she’s upset.”
She shook her head.
“Why? She’s got to be so scared, and I’m terrified something will happen to her.”
“I can’t. I pinky promised,” Brylee mumbled.
God, Nate wanted to shake her.
Gage gripped her shoulders. “Look at me.” She raised her head. “I know you littles take the pinky promises seriously, but shouldn’t there be a clause in the promise if the person might be in danger?”
“I suppose.”
“She’s on her own, princess. You know that a little shouldn’t be left alone because she always finds trouble.”
The woman stayed still for a moment, looked up at him, and then back to her daddy.
“I’ll tell, but not him.”
Nate’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“You hurt her.”
“God, please tell me what I did. I seriously have no idea what I did. Please take into consideration that men aren’t as smart as you guys, we’ll never be able to understand your complicated minds.”
“It started when she found out you considered her an obligation.”
“I thought we’d gotten through that.”
“Sir, I have to tell you, words cut deeper than a knife and stay with us a long time before it’s healed.”
“What was said?” Gage asked.
Brylee pointed at Nate. “He was on the phone and told the person that he was with her because he was the one that was around and then said he felt bad about her mother and a neighbor, so he felt he couldn’t leave her. The cincher was when he brought up her brother in the conversation.”
Brylee looked up at him. “Sir, I have to tell you, if what she was telling me was right, I’d always have it in the back of my mind that you were with me because of an obligation and not because you wanted me.”
“Fuck, I can’t remember my exact words, but it’s nothing like she thought. I thought she believed me when I told her that.I went over the whole conversation I had with my friend.”
“She was trying to, and you were getting through her, but then the last week, you haven’t talked to her or … you know … had sex, and that’s the first thing that popped into her head.”
“There’s just been a lot going on,” Nate said.
“Man, I have to tell you that women who are littles are ten times more sensitive than the average woman. They’ll pick up on anything and blame themselves,” Gage said.
“I’m learning that,” Nate said. “So, what happened this time?”
“It was like my daddy said. Tessa thought it was her that was making you sad. One of the girls told her to break a rule because daddies liked to punish their littles. She decided to go to the construction level to find you.”
Brylee wiped a tear from her cheek. “She found you with another woman.”
“What the fuck?” Gage asked.