Nick stopped immediately, as he felt small hands tug at the edge of his coat.

“Niiiiick! Nick! Ni-nick!”

He turned around, pushing Baxter away from him and looking at Alice who held out her hands to him, crying disconsolately. The truth was that she was more hysterical than afflicted. Nick had always seen her as excessively clean, and it was alarming to see her crying, with her face dirty from tears and a runny nose.

He did what he wasn't supposed to do, but he didn't even think about it. He bent down and lifted Alice in his arms, pressing her to his chest as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face in his shoulder.

“Calm down, my child, calm down!”

The sirens of police cars began to sound in the distance, and Baxter glared angrily at them.

“You just signed your sentence!” Nick spat the words. “Now get the hell out of here, and don't you ever come near my daughter again!”

Samuel had no time to retort, he ran to his car and the tires burnt their rubber on