Protector Daddy

by Roberts, Laylah

  Spike groaned. She turned to look at him in concern. He sounded like he was in pain. “Are you all right?”

  “Fuck. Me.”

  She noticed Grady watching her curiously as though she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. She gave him a wide smile, but she felt certain that he saw entirely too much for her liking.

  But she ignored that for the moment. She’d likely never see him again, so it didn’t matter what he saw or thought he had figured out about her.

  Nobody knew all of her.

  “Forgive me, but why were you in an alleyway to begin with, my dear?” Grady asked.

  A blush filled her cheeks. “I got a bit lost. And I think the maps app on my phone is broken as it led me down that way. I’m afraid I’m not used to navigating around the city.”

  Spike made a strangled noise. She was starting to wonder if he had intestinal issues. Poor guy.

  “Anyway, where was I? These two guys started talking and I was kind of stuck crouching behind the dumpster. I didn’t want to move and risk them seeing me.”

  And because she was nosey as hell.

  Spike gave her a look like he knew exactly what she’d been up to.

  “They started talking. One of them wanted to know what the other one was doing, pulling him out here. He said something about being in trouble if one of Steele’s guys spotted him. The first guy, well, he didn’t seem to like you very much.” She wrinkled her nose as she looked over at Damon. He seemed unperturbed. “He wanted to know if you had anything to do with his father’s death. And he said he was certain that you had helped his father’s girls get away. It sounded like, well, like his father had a lot of women who worked for him.”

  She couldn’t read Damon’s face. Spike had stiffened next to her. Grady took a sip of his drink. Oh, she hadn’t tasted hers. She took a sip and smiled. “This is delicious.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Did they say anything else?” Damon asked.

  “Oh yes, the second guy he said something like, he hadn’t heard that you’d killed the other man’s father or helped these girls, but that you didn’t sell, umm, oh dear . . . umm, sex.”

  “Hmm.” Damon frowned, appearing thoughtful.

  “How did that lead you to Spike?” Grady asked curiously.

  “Oh, he said the one thing he did know is that Grady set up a meeting between a guy named Spike from the Iron Shadows and this man, Luther’s, father.”

  “Luther? The first man’s name was Luther?” Damon asked so sharply that she sank back into the sofa in surprise.

  “Careful how you speak to her,” Spike said in a low, almost casual sounding voice. But one that made an impact on her. She turned wide eyes on him, watching him carefully.

  “I apologize, Miss Millie. I’m not upset with you. Just at this news. It sounds like this second man is close to me. Like maybe I have a rat, someone whose loyalty lies elsewhere. It explains a lot actually.”

  “The shipments that have been interfered with, deals that have gone wrong,” Grady muttered.

  “Yes, I’m afraid it sounds like this other man is spying on you. He asked Luther if the boss knew he had contacted him. Luther basically said that he was angry at the boss because he was having to transport stuff around. And how they were equals. I’m not sure who the boss was that they both spoke of.”

  Damon just looked thoughtful. Grady appeared furious.

  She bit her lip, worried for a moment at the darkness in Grady’s gaze. She hoped that she’d done the right thing, coming to these guys. Although they’d been nothing but nice to her. Well, Grady and Damon had.

  “Anything else?” Grady asked.

  “Just that this Luther, he said that he was going to deal with Spike and Steele. It sounded like a threat to me.”

  “Why’re you warning us?” Spike asked.

  She didn’t point out that he hadn’t wanted to listen to her last night.

  She shrugged. “Luther wasn’t very nice and I didn’t like the way he talked about . . . about women. It sounds like he’s planning to rebuild what his father had.”

  “Luther’s father was a pimp,” Damon told her, cementing what she’d already deduced. “He used to recruit young girls. Usually runaways. Or he’d buy them from guys that were even more evil than he was, often selling them to other men to be sex slaves.”

  She shuddered, her mind going to dark places. Her breath started to come in sharp pants.

  “Millie? Millie? Are you all right? Millie?” Spike demanded.

  Her body went cold then flushed hot. She glanced down at Spike who was now crouched in front of her, her hands in his.

  “I need the bathroom,” she managed to get out.

  “This way.” Grady jumped from his chair and pointed to a door. She raced towards it, barely making it to the toilet before she started heaving.

  She didn’t take the time to close the door behind her. But she was surprised as someone came in behind her. A hand wrapped around her hair, holding it back from her face as she heaved up the daiquiri as well as the chocolate croissant she’d had for dinner.

  The heaving stopped but she remained kneeling there, shivering in reaction. She knew exactly who was behind her and she didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to face him.

  “Here, this might help,” Grady said from the doorway.

  She cringed. Well, this was humiliating. And try as she might, she couldn’t lock down the embarrassment coursing through her body. Shoot.

  “Can you turn around, doll?” the man behind her asked. It was the gentlest she’d ever heard him speak. She wasn’t sure where the nickname came from.

  But she couldn’t resist the coaxing in his voice, turning and sitting on her bottom with her back leaning against the cool wall. She didn’t look up, didn’t want to see anyone.

  The toilet flushed. There was the sound of a cupboard opening and then a pair of jean clad legs appeared in front of her. A big hand reached out and gently grasped hold of her chin, raising her face.

  Millie closed her eyes. A cool cloth was run over her face, wiping off the sweat. It was soothing. And sweet. And not something she’d expected from him at all.

  The cloth disappeared and a cold glass was pressed to her lips.

  “Open your eyes. Drink this.”

  She really didn’t want to. Opening her eyes meant looking at him. And that meant acknowledging that this wasn’t some nightmare.

  “Come on, doll,” he coaxed.

  Shit. She opened her eyes then her mouth, gulping down the glass of water he held. She was helpless against this side of Spike. This gentleness. Caring. When was the last time someone cared for her?

  “That’s a good girl,” he told her.

  Had she banged her head? Was this some alternate universe?

  With a shaking hand, she reached for the glass.

  “Uh-uh,” he said in a firm voice with a look that just did things to her. Why, she had no idea. She was always the one who took care of others.

  And aren’t you tired?

  Didn’t you spend countless nights wishing for some help? To not have to shoulder every responsibility?

  Still, it was odd to let someone else take over.

  Spike removed the glass when she’d drunk it all down. He grabbed another washcloth from the cupboard under the sink, wet it, then gently pulled her away from the wall. Twisting her hair up, he laid the washcloth on the back of her neck.

  Oh. That was nice.

  She must have made some sound because he drew back and gave her a knowing look. “Feels good, huh?”

  “Y-yes. Thank you.”

  He just gave her a sharp nod. “Want to tell me what that was about?”

  “Not really.”

  His gaze narrowed. “What was that about.”

  Definitely not a question this time. She still shook her head, wincing slightly as a sharp pain engulfed one side of her head. Shoot. She hoped that wasn’t going to turn into a migraine.

  “You need anything
else?”

  She glanced up into the doorway to see Grady standing there. He gave her a small smile. “Ibuprofen? Another glass of water?”

  “A time machine to go back ten minutes?” she said dryly.

  “Only ten?” he said with a wink. “Not further back to before you had to stun gun that asshole?”

  “No, because then he might have succeeded in dragging Tawny out of here and I don’t think she would have fared well.”

  Grady’s face softened. He glanced down at Spike, his eyes narrowing. “Isn’t every day that something sweet lands in your life after a lifetime of sour. Sweet things need to be guarded. To be treated for the rare treasure they are. Not thrown away and discarded.”

  He disappeared.

  “What was that about?” she asked, thoroughly confused.

  He shrugged. “Color’s better. This a reaction to what happened earlier?”

  As an explanation it was as good as any. Okay, it was a lie. But only a little white one. Surely Reverend Pat would understand.

  She nodded her head, not actually trusting herself to answer him without giving herself away.

  “Was starting to wonder if you had any common sense,” he grumbled.

  She frowned at him. Of course she had common sense. It was just that she didn’t like to dwell on things. Once she started thinking, well, she never stopped. And she didn’t have time for that. She had a mission to accomplish.

  Spike suddenly stood and picked her up. But instead of setting her on her feet, he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom into the other room.

  She blushed bright red.

  “Stop wiggling,” he growled.

  “Please put me down before you hurt yourself.”

  “Why the fuck would I hurt myself?”

  But he did set her down on the sofa.

  “You didn’t injure your back, did you?”

  He gave her an incredulous look.

  “My dear, I hope you’re not implying that you’re too heavy for Spike to carry around,” Grady said, leaning back with one arm along the back of the sofa opposite them. Damon sat next to him, studying her intently.

  She went bright red. “Well, I’m not exactly light.”

  Spike made a grumbling noise of discontent. Then he leaned in, placing his hands on the back of the sofa on either side of her so she was boxed in.

  “No.”

  No? That was all? Just no? No, what? No, he hadn’t hurt his back?

  What was going on with him right now? He stepped away into the kitchen.

  “I think what Spike was trying to say, my dear, is that you shouldn’t be disparaging yourself. You’re gorgeous. Lush. Sexy. Those curves.” Grady ate her up with his gaze.

  She’d never been looked at like that before. Like she was a tasty snack to be eaten up.

  Suddenly, Spike appeared between them and she was staring at his sexy ass. Holy hell. How was it possible for a man to have such a gorgeous ass? The longing to reach over and squeeze one cheek was almost too much for her to resist.

  “Not. Yours.”

  Wait, what did Spike just say? She peered around to look at Grady who was gazing up at Spike, a small smirk on his face. Damon, though, was looking at her.

  Holy. Crap. That was one intense look.

  “Not yours, either. That means she’s fair game, yes? You don’t have a husband do you, Millie? A boyfriend?” Grady asked.

  “N-no,” she said, not understanding what was happening.

  “Back off,” Spike commanded. He sat beside her. Then he wrapped his huge arm around her shoulders, dragging her in close.

  Spike and Grady stared at each other for a long moment.

  Damon looked tired as he studied her. “Millie, could you describe the man you saw talking to Luther?”

  “Sure, but he was pretty nondescript and the light wasn’t great. Taller than Luther, pale skin. Brown hair, I think.”

  “Would you know him if you saw him?” Damon asked.

  Spike stiffened as she nodded. “Yes, I’m certain I would.”

  “You’re not using her to sniff out a rat in your ranks,” Spike stated.

  Damon raised his eyebrows. “I’m not proposing to use her. I was merely going to ask for her help. You don’t mind, do you, Millie?”

  She shook her head, not understanding why Spike suddenly leaned forward and jabbed his finger violently at Damon. “No, you’ll put her at risk. If this guy finds out you’re searching for him, if he knows that Millie saw him, then he could come for her.”

  “There’s no way he’d learn about it. No one in this room would say a thing,” Damon said. “I need to know who it is. And who he’s working for. You’re sure they didn’t name him?”

  She shook her head. “The other guy just called him the boss.”

  “Likely Jared Bartolli,” Grady said. “Luther is married to his cousin.”

  “Millie, you never said why you came to the city? How long have you been here?” Damon asked.

  Should she tell them? “I arrived here a few days ago, I’m looking for someone.”

  “Who?” Spike asked.

  She didn’t want to say. Not because it was a big secret, but because she knew that talking about it would upset her. And she wasn’t ready to be that vulnerable in front of these men.

  “How much longer did you plan to stay here? Do you have a job to get back to? Family waiting for you?” Damon asked.

  “Oh well, I’d planned to stay as long as I needed to. Nobody is expecting me home at any time and I don’t have a job anymore. The library had to let me go.”

  Sympathy filled the men’s faces. She couldn’t have that. Hastily, she changed the subject.

  “Luther sounded like he wanted to rebuild what his father had. We can’t let him do that. We can’t let him use women like that. Hurt them. Pick on them when they’re vulnerable and alone.”

  “You’re not having anything to do with it,” Spike growled.

  “No,” Damon agreed. “This has nothing to do with you, sweetheart. You leave Luther to me. I’ll make sure he doesn’t have a chance to do that.”

  “But what about his threats? It sounds like he was planning on hurting you both.” She looked at Spike.

  Spike snorted. “That dickhead doesn’t scare me.”

  Damon gave an arrogant nod. Well, she was glad they were so confident. Because she wasn’t so sure. He seemed shady.

  Someone’s phone buzzed. Grady stood and pulled a phone from his pocket, walking into another room to answer it.

  “Millie, I—”

  “Fuck!” Grady stormed into the room, his face a thundercloud.

  Damon straightened. “What is it?”

  “Mitchell just found Jerry unconscious. The Devil’s Sinner guy is gone.”

  “What the fuck!” Spike snapped, making her flinch. “You lost him?”

  Damon’s jaw tightened at Spike’s words. “I want to know how.”

  Grady nodded.

  “We’ll find him,” Damon assured her.

  “He’s going to come for her,” Spike stated angrily.

  “But he doesn’t know who I am,” she pointed out. “Or where I’m staying.”

  Grady rubbed a hand over his face. “He could find out. Even though none of us would say anything, we can’t guarantee that the girls won’t. And guys like that, they kill people for a lot less than what you did.”

  “He’s going to need to save face,” Damon told her. “He’s likely pissed at all of us, but you are the most vulnerable. Which is why I think it would be a good idea for you to stay with me.”

  “Stay with you?” She gaped at him.

  “It would be my honor to keep you safe, Millie,” he practically purred.

  “And she’d be conveniently placed for you to parade your men in front of her until she points out the rat,” Spike said sardonically.

  Damon shrugged and sat back. “A bonus.”

  “She ain’t staying with you.”

 
“She’s not? Where is she staying then?” Damon inquired.

  “Well, I have a motel room—” she began.

  “She’s staying with me.”

  Those four words fell into the room with a sonic boom, leaving an eerie silence in its place.

  9

  Spike stared at the bathroom door.

  Millie was on the other side. She’d excused herself after he’d laid out his offer.

  Okay, it wasn’t an offer. She didn’t exactly have a choice. Even though Steele tried to give her one. There was no way Spike was letting her go stay with Steele in his cold, enormous mansion.

  He’d never get her out.

  And he cared because . . . fuck it. He wasn’t going to think about that too closely now. All he knew was that she was in danger. And he couldn’t stand the idea of her being out of his sight. Even knowing she was just in that bathroom was difficult for him.

  He frowned, hoping that she wasn’t throwing up again.

  “Haven’t seen you this interested in a woman since Jacqui died,” Steele mused.

  Spike turned his gaze to Steele. “I’m not interested in her.”

  Grady huffed out a laugh. “If you were a dog you would’ve pissed on her.”

  “I can keep her safe, Quillon,” Steele told him.

  Spike glared at him. He was one of the few people who knew Spike’s name. Possibly the only one who would dare use it.

  “So can I. And I don’t have an ulterior motive.”

  “Don’t you,” Steele mused.

  Spike narrowed his gaze. “If you’re inferring I want her for sex . . .”

  “Oh, I’m definitely inferring that,” Steele answered.

  Spike let out a breath. “I’m not after her for sex.”

  Steele leaned forward. “She needs a keeper. She’s been here how long did she say?”

  “A few days,” Grady mused.

  “She’s been held at gunpoint, overheard a pretty damning conversation between fucking Luther Franklin and some bastard who’s managed to infiltrate my ranks to spy on me,” Steele stated. “Then she tracks you down to warn you. Bet you’re regretting not listening to her now, huh?”

  Spike just grimaced.

  “And then she tracks me down, where she proceeds to charm one of my girls into offering to give her free dance lessons. Then she steps in when some asshole threatens another one of my girls and takes him down. She doesn’t just need a keeper; she needs a fucking protector. She needs a Daddy.”