Auctioned By The Ceo

"I must say the change in Rhia since she has been placed with you has been remarkable. She really is a delightful little girl. I was very impressed with how much more confident she was when I visited her at her nursery. So, you see, I'm not here to find fault with your parenting. It's clear to me that you love your niece and your wife." Hannah tensed in his arms, and he scowled at the woman making these ridiculous assumptions. Not that she took any notice, just prattled on. "So that's a very good start, but I need to cross all the T's and dot the I's, especially as this has now turned into an adoption case."

Still reeling from the woman's assumption that he was in love with Hannah, he almost missed that last part of her statement.

"Excuse me, what?" He grimaced at the hoarse quality of his voice, and Hannah struggled upright. Clearly this was news to her, too.

"Yes, as of yesterday, your brother renounced all of his parental rights.” Hannah gasped and slid off his lap as Logan shot to his feet.

"The fuck he did? I'm gonna kill him for sure, this time." Hands fisted by his side, he paced to and fro in his living room, as the red mist descended. Too late he noticed the deathly quiet which had descended upon the room.

Hannah didn't look at him, and the social worker... fuck, fuck, fuck. He was ruining this.

"Daddy Logan?" Rhia's sleepy, hesitant voice pulled him back from the brink, and he forced a smile on his face for her benefit. With her dark curls all tousled from sleep, her trusty stuffed rabbit under one arm she stood in the doorway, thumb in mouth looking at him.

"Hey, munchkin, you awake?"

She nodded, popped her thumb out, and looked at Mrs. Offrey.

"Mummy Hannah sick, so Daddy Logan and I gonna look after her.”

"I'm glad to hear that, little one." Mrs. Offrey smiled at Rhia and patted the seat next to her. "Why don't you sit down with us? We were just talking about you.”

Rhia screwed up her little nose and made her way across the room. She didn't sit next to the social worker though, but threw her little arms around Hannah instead, and hugged her close. Something inside Logan's chest cracked open seeing those two heads together. He tried to rub the ache away, but it wasn't working.

Maybe he was having a heart attack. Wouldn't that be the icing on the fucking cake of his life? Rhia whispered something to Hannah that he couldn't catch. Whatever it was had to do with him because both of his girls looked his way. Hannah shook her head.

"Of course not, Rhia."

"What are you two whispering about this time?" He aimed for a light tone but his voice came out cracked, and he frowned. What the fuck was that about? He was losing the plot.

"Yes, I would like to hear that, too."

Hannah glanced at Mrs. Offrey when the other woman sent that query into the room and frowned.

"It's nothing, really."

"Little dove?" This time he had no problems at all to project his voice with all the authority he was going for. Probably far too much of his remaining anger showed, because that damn social worker started scribbling in her notepad again.

Hannah sighed, and hugged Rhia closer.

"Rhia just asked me if you were angry because she gave me her nasty germs."

Logan reared back and shook his head.

"Of course not, munchkin." He stepped over to them and ruffled Rhia's curls before he held his arms out. After a momentary hesitation Rhia all but jumped at him. Hannah collapsed back against the settee, and his chest started to ach@again. Maybe he should see the doctor and get himself checked out. This

couldn't be normal.

"Not your fault at all, but those pesky germs. Besides, you do a fantastic job helping me look after Hannah, and you know what? We really ought to tuck her back up in bed. Gonna help me do that, munchkin?" "K." Rhia squirmed to be put down, and pulled at Hannah's hands to get her off the settee the minute her little feet hit the carpet.

"Come on, Mummy."

Mrs. Offrey gasped, Hannah's eyes went wi

de, and Logan's damn heart felt like it was about to burst out his chest bone. The only one who didn't seem at all perturbed by what she'd just said was Rhia herself. "Daddy, help me."

Another punch to the gut, right there.

"You heard Rhia, Mr. Bryce. Do take care of your wife. I have all I need for today, anyway. Regarding the other matter, we were discussing before." She paused and pulled a leaflet out of her thick file. "This will explain what will happen next. Also, the person in question has stressed that the child this concerns ought to stay where she is."

Logan shut his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, it was to see the other woman smiling at the three of them.

"There is still a lot of red tape to wade through, and evidence to collect, but I'm reasonably certain this matter will be resolved with the best interests of the child in mind, and that will always be a place where she is loved and cared for."

Mrs. Offrey stood up, gathered up her belongings, and extended her hand. This time Logan took it.

"It was enlightening to meet you in person, Mr. Bryce. Mrs. Bryce, I hope you feel better soon." She smiled at Hannah and then got to her haunches to address Rhia.

"You look after your new mummy now, won't you, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Miss." Rhia mumbled her reply, and Mrs. Offrey straightened up.

"Right, I'll see myself out. Good luck, all of you."

With that she strode from the room and it was only with the click of the front door heralding her departure that it shook Logan out of his temporary stupor.

"Right, you heard the lady. Let's take care of you, Mrs. Bryce."

Chapter Eleven

Hannah was dying. In fact, she had to be dead already and burning in hell. That was the only explanation for the shivers that wracked her body, the stabbing pain in her throat, and the way she was coughing her lungs up. Then again, would she have need for lungs if she was dead? And would it hurt this much to breathe?

She forced an eyelid open and

promptly shut it again. Hmm, maybe not hell. Surely that would be dark and red, not this bright light that increased the pounding in her head.

From Somewhere a deep voice

registered, and that annoying beep which sounded like a jackhammer in her head got faster, more insistent. She whimpered at the pain.

Make it stop. Please make it stop.

"Nurse, get your ass in here now. She's waking up, and she's in pain."☐☐☐