“Hush little Laney duck, you mustn’t make a sound,” Dana Paul whispered against Laney’s head. Her British tones soothed Laney’s whimpers as her soft hand gently brushed the baby fine black strands from her daughter’s tear-stained cheeks. “I will tell you a story. Would you like that, my darling?”
Laney jumped and shivered as she heard shouting from the floor below them. The house alarm continued to blare. It wasn’t as loud from where they huddled in the corner of the closet. There was a panic room in the house, but the bodyguard had told Dana that it was cut off and had rushed them into the Laney’s closet for safe-keeping. “Yes please, mama.”
She knew Dana was desperately frightened, and storytelling was something they both adored. Laney was brave, even for a five-year-old, so she would protect her mom as best she could. She wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, rested her head against Dana’s silk pajama-clad breasts and held her tightly while she spoke in whispers as the sounds of men dying grew closer.
“Once upon a time there was a girl who lived with her father. He was a wonderful and smart man that traveled to many foreign lands and taught English for money. The little girl loved to travel with her father and learn all about the different countries and their people. Eventually they travelled to a magical land called Japan. The girl especially loved this country and wanted to stay forever. The people, the culture and the history all fascinated her. Even after her father finished teaching and decided to move on, the girl decided to stay and go to college there and learn as much as she could about this magical place. Her father loved her very much and was sad to say good-bye, but he understood that they would one day have to part. He hugged her and said, be careful my daughter, if you ever need me, come back to me in England.
“The girl lived a happy but lonely life in Japan. Until she met a prince. This prince loved her at first sight, he swept her right off her feet. He promised her the world. He said he would make her a princess and chase away her loneliness. The girl wanted to love him back and she tried very hard, but she was worried. He didn’t tell her much about himself. He wouldn’t let her meet his family. He was very jealous if she talked to other people, men or women. Sometimes he would hurt her. Hold… hold her hand too hard and other things.”
“Dana!”
A man’s voice roared through the house, shaking the walls. Laney bit back a whimper and her mother flinched, holding Laney hard against her. They both shook and crawled further back into the closet. A man screamed in pain, this time on the stairs near Laney’s bedroom. Deep in her heart Laney knew that these sounds meant they would soon be caught. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she was beginning to understand her mother’s story had a purpose. She squeezed her mom, encouraging her to go on, knowing they didn’t have much time.
Dana spoke fast, her whispers taking on a desperate edge. “The girl tried to break it off with the prince, but he wouldn’t let her. He never left her alone. She decided it was time to take her father’s advice and go home, but the prince whisked her away to his castle and kept her locked up. She finally learned about his family and his life. She learned why he never talked about himself. He was a bad man. He did terrible, illegal things. He tried to do nice things for the girl, but the more she resisted him the meaner he became. Until the time came that he forced her to marry him.
“She had no choice, he threatened to send his castle guards to her homeland and kill her father if she didn’t. She cried and cried, but he refused to let her go. She thought about ending it all and jumping off the castle wall, but then something wonderful happened.”
“What, mama?” Laney whispered.
“The princess found out she was pregnant,” her mother smiled and hugged her tightly, “with a little girl of her very own. She knew that she would find a way to run away from the evil prince and back to her father, where they would keep the child safe together. She knew she couldn’t leave a child with the monster that was her husband. Not in the dark heart of the…”
The closet door wrenched open and light from the bedroom flooded in. The silhouette of a man stood in the doorway. He held a gun loosely at his side. Blood dripped from his hand and shirt sleeve. Shadows obscured his face, but Laney could see the glint of triumph when his eyes landed on Dana huddled on the floor, her arms wrapped protectively around a solemn, black-haired girl. The happiness reflected in their depths at having his family once more in his power. The wrath that would be Dana’s existence until he was satisfied with his vengeance on the woman he loved. The woman that dared to take their daughter and leave.
“Yakuza,” Dana whispered, taking Laney’s hand and standing to face the husband she hadn't seen in over five years.