Nasya's POV
"No, baby," I answered carefully. "Aunt Matilda has some... grown-up things she needs to take care of first."
Joanna seemed to accept this explanation with a nod, but as she turned toward the door, her sleepy eyes suddenly flew wide open.
"Mommy!" she shrieked, small fingers clutching desperately at my clothing as she tried to hide behind me. "There's a scary monster man here!"
I winced at her description. "Joanna, this is... someone Mommy knows. He's going to help us get to New York tonight."
Zayn responded with a derisive snort before striding past us to the doorway.
"Are we done wasting time yet?" he demanded, his voice like cracking ice.
The harsh tone made Joanna whimper and press her face against my leg, too frightened to move.
"Shh, it's alright, sweetheart," I soothed, stroking her hair. "Just stay close to Mommy."
