CHAPTER 115: HOPE? NAH!

At least then I hoped to see her smile and hear her laughter. Maybe even sing softly next to each other once darkness fell. Something sweetly familiar between mother and daughter should always remain forever etched into memory. Like it used to be back home. Only this time I wanted more than memories.

My legs practically flew faster than lightning toward the brightly colored wheel spinning above ground level. It took everything within me to stop running once reaching its base point.

My lungs heaved and sweat poured down every inch of skin exposed to air. Still gasping for breath, I stared wide-eyed at the circle of bright red metal rotating slowly overhead while below, several riders circled lazily, enjoying each other’s company. Children laughed and shouted gleefully; couples kissed passionately and parents watched on happily.

In contrast, my chest tightened so hard from anxiety I could barely breathe. My hands shook violently, threatening to drop my camera bag if forced to hold onto it much longer.

Even the steady, rhythmical sound of wheels whirling wasn’t able to block out the panicked pounding of my own pulse racing through veins.

Ba dum!

Ba dum!

For two hours now, I’ve been searching for Mia after she wandered off due to my carelessness. What should normally take a few hours of fun turned into half a day filled with worry.

Today more than usual, I missed having Christopher next to me instead of chasing down Mia solo.

She should be here somewhere. She has to be here.

That’s when I saw him.

A tall man in dark clothes, a hat pulled low. He sat by himself near the merry-go-round, his legs crossed and hands folded on his lap. If not for the leather gloves covering his fingers, I might have thought him one of the regulars. Only he wasn’t there to play. His dark expression didn’t show a single shred of happiness or joy as he stared straight ahead.

Stared straight ahead at a little girl, my daughter, Mia.

"MIA!!" I yelled louder this time, but for some odd reason, she didn’t seem to notice anything around her except the man staring at her directly without blinking.

The man continued to stare at Mia. For once he looked every bit as lost and confused as I felt.

"Uncle Leo!" Mia called happily.

My head whipped back in the direction of who she referred to.

Leo... Leo... Leo...

Where have I heard that name?

But on a closer look, that black hair, those blue eyes, that signature posture, gloves, and poise all belonged to none other than the infamous Leonardo ’Leo’ Romano.

No hat could hide that.

Was he the one who found her wandering alone earlier today? No, the bigger question is—why the hell is he at a park?!

He focused slowly on Mia, his face brightening up with a little smile. "Hello, little one," he said in a quiet voice meant only for her ears. "Did you enjoy your ride?"

Her eyes lit up like candles burning brighter and wider. She nodded vigorously before saying something too fast for words.

Instead she pointed excitedly over her shoulder, which made no sense until we followed her gaze all the way across the large open space where another group played games and spun plates on sticks suspended high overhead.

There were men everywhere dancing wildly and laughing hysterically, holding what appeared to look like long, thin rods covered in colorful cloth strips. They also wore hats similar to those worn during the Mardi Gras parades held locally whenever the weather allowed.

"I see they’re playing stickball again tonight," Leo muttered with a chuckle.

He’s laughing? What the hell is going on? Is my daughter some sort of comedian to make this person chuckle?

"Yessss! You wanna watch them?!" Mia asked eagerly while pointing toward the small crowd gathered around the game being set up between the playground equipment and tables lined along each side.

The area had already attracted many locals, including several children running wild within sight of the adults watching.

"How about next time? I’m waiting for some cool man to show up. It’s for work. You should go play some more." His cool reply made me wonder if the last thing he wanted was for people to know who he was.

Even now that we were only a few feet apart, I could tell how big he was. Taller than me by quite a bit. Not that it mattered. I’d fight anyone who tried to harm my daughter.

Not that I had any intention of doing so. This was my problem. I shouldn’t have let Mia run off like that. But I didn’t dare leave her cooped up inside our tiny apartment. So I made do with letting her run around the park for an hour after lunch while I worked on my latest article.

Now I wished I hadn’t bothered. What I should have done instead was stay home, let her drown herself in some animation while I worked on my other project: finding a way to make some extra money without having to resort to working for one of those sleazy modeling agencies back in New York. I hated the idea of going back to that world, and yet I couldn’t deny the fact that I needed more cash. And fast.

"Mia!" I screeched again.

What I wouldn’t give to have the power to reach out and grab her right then and there.

Leonardo was the first to turn in the direction of my voice.

His head cocked slightly as he stared down at me like some odd specimen sitting atop two wheels rather than feet or legs. He wasn’t smiling anymore but still managed somehow not to frown either, even though he clearly looked annoyed by whatever expression I mustered.

He gently pulled Mia closer to him as he stood upright, reaching two heads taller than me, standing perfectly straight and more intimidating every second spent looking into his deep blue irises.

No longer did he seem amused; instead, I sensed a warring battle raging behind those mesmerizing pools. There was light there somewhere. A soft spot hiding deep below the surface... unless I misreading things entirely.