Hero Daddy

by Roberts, Laylah

  She gestured over to the pink motorcycle jacket she’d worn in and tossed over a chair. She also had a pair of pink motorcycle boots on, with rhinestones along the top.

  “Did you put those on?” Betsy asked her, gesturing to the rhinestones on her boots.

  “No, they came like this. A, umm, friend sent them to me.”

  “A friend?”

  “Yeah. Duke wasn’t too happy when I got them.”

  “Why wouldn’t he be happy? Does he not like this friend?”

  “Not really. It might also have to do with the motorcycle he sent with the boots.”

  Betsy’s mouth dropped open. “A friend sent you a motorcycle?”

  “Uh-huh. A Harley-Davidson, custom-painted pink. It’s gorgeous. But Duke won’t let me ride it. I refuse to sell it, though. It’s a gift. So it’s sitting in the garage.”

  “Oh wow. What kind of friend is this?”

  “One who Duke is gonna kill if he gets his hands on him.”

  “A guy sent you a pink motorcycle?”

  Sunny winced. “I know it sounds bad, but he’s not interested in me like that. He’s just, unusual. And he’s not good with boundaries. Or understanding that sending expensive gifts to me might upset my boyfriend. Or maybe that’s why he sent it. Because I think he enjoys upsetting Duke. He also once gave me a first edition of Alice in Wonderland. He knows it’s my favorite story.”

  “He sounds…interesting.” And like he had a death wish. She might not know Duke well, but from what she’d seen and heard of him, she wouldn’t want to cross him.

  “Oh, he’s that all right. He sent me this patch that you can iron on to clothing, it had Property of Sunny written on it and a picture of a sun. And it’s all glittery.”

  “That’s cute, what are you going to put it on?”

  “Umm, well, I might have seen this woman trying to flirt with Duke a few nights ago at the club and I might have stitched it to his cut when he was out.”

  “His what?”

  “Oh, his vest. The one that has all his patches on it. The one I’m never, ever supposed to touch.”

  Betsy’s mouth dropped open. “You did what?”

  “Yeah. I’m still not sitting comfortably.” Sunny shifted around on the sofa.

  Shock filled Betsy and then all of a sudden, she was giggling. The giggles turned into full-blown laughter. Sunny joined her and they both laughed until tears fell from their eyes.

  “I can’t believe you did that to his cut.” Betsy shook her head with a giggle. “I can imagine how mad he was.”

  “Furious.” Sunny didn’t look too worried by that, though.

  “Pass me the blue glitter,” Betsy said to her. “This picture needs more sparkle.”

  “You know what, Betsy?”

  “What?”

  “I think we’re gonna be the best of friends.”

  * * *

  Ink walked back through the offices with Duke, toward the safe room. The camera feed from the room was coming through to his phone. He’d checked on her several times while he’d met with Duke and Brody.

  But he still needed to be close to her.

  As he and Duke passed by the back of the reception area, he heard Jana cackling. “Oh my God, it’s so pathetic. You should see them in there, they’re coloring and putting glitter on everything. Like they’re four or something. I know! Nah, there’s a viewing panel you can turn on to see in. Privacy? Why should she get any privacy, apparently, she’s been shacked up with some psycho. I know. And now she thinks she’s a child. So weird.”

  “Fucking bitch,” Duke muttered.

  He clenched his hands into fists. He strode forward. “Jana!”

  She nearly fell off her chair. She turned, her phone clanging to the floor. “Shit! Damn it, Ink! You could have broken it. You would have paid for it if you did.”

  “Get your stuff and get out.” He brought out his phone and called Stone.

  “Yeah?”

  “Jana is fired. Come escort her out for me. Tell Brody to wipe her security clearances.”

  “With pleasure.”

  “Fired! You can’t fire me!” Jana whined.

  “Just did. You were inexcusably rude about a client.”

  Well, technically Betsy wasn’t a client. She was far more important than that.

  Jana’s face twisted up in a sneer. “Yeah? You sleep with every client we have in the safe room, boss? Or just the ones that fulfill some weird sexual fantasy for you?”

  “Enough,” he said sharply. “What I do or don’t do is none of your business. Your work has been subpar for months. You’re constantly late, you’re rude to everyone and I only put up with it because of Jay.”

  Jana didn’t even flinch at the mention of his name.

  “But insulting my woman and my friend is the last straw. Pack up your shit and get out.”

  “Got nothing here I want and I was gonna quit anyway. I don’t need this shitty job or crap pay. Got someone far better to go to.”

  “Good,” Stone interjected, walking into the reception area. “I’m more than pleased to get rid of you.”

  Jana just glared at him then she picked up her bag. She slung it over her shoulder and stormed out with Stone following, a huge smile on his usually emotionless face.

  “Shit.” Ink ran his fingers through his hair.

  “What a bitch,” Duke muttered. “You should have fired her a long time ago.”

  “Yeah, I know. Thank God, Betsy and Sunny didn’t hear her talking about them like that.” He’d hate to think what it would have done to Betsy. Her self-esteem was dragging on the ground. She needed care and attention, not to have someone belittling her like that.

  “What happens once you meet with Forrest and she can leave the safe room?” Duke asked.

  Ink scowled. “I’ll move her to my place. It’s almost as secure as this building and few people know where it is.”

  “And that’s not moving too fast for Betsy? She’s had a lot happen in a short amount of time. So have you. You sure you’re ready to have her live with you?”

  “I’ll give her as much time as she needs to adjust. I’m not gonna jump on her. But I need her under my protection.”

  “Look, I know you’ve been searching for someone special. Just make sure she’s the one. ‘Cause that girl might have a strong core, but she’s also vulnerable and fragile right now.”

  “I’m not gonna fucking hurt her. I’d never hurt her.”

  “All I’m saying is that she’s just gotten free from Forrest’s hold and before that it sounds like she was controlled by her husband. Maybe you should just give her some space to adapt.”

  “Why would I give her space? I can’t even stand to have her out of my sight. I give her space, I’m likely to end up stalking her ass.”

  “Jesus,” Duke muttered. “Just make certain she knows she has choices, huh?”

  “I’m not a fucking asshole.”

  Ink’s phone rang and he sighed. Christ. Now he was gonna have to find a new receptionist on top of everything else. When all he wanted to do was spend time with Betsy. He drew out his phone, frowning as he saw Matthieu’s name.

  “What’s up? The boys okay?”

  “Oh, they’re fucking fine,” Matthieu replied in his French accent. An accent that only came out when he was upset.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “They fucking drugged me! Then they stole my car!”

  “They what?”

  “It is only because of our long-standing relationship that I have not called the police!” Matthieu was an odd guy. Ink had never once heard him swear. Or lose his temper. Seemed like he was close to completely losing his shit.

  “Okay, calm down. Why would they do that?”

  “I do not know.” The other man took a ragged breath in. “They were asking me a lot of questions last night. About why their mother would send me to get them and where was she and why they could not speak to her.”

  “Shit. They figured out
something is going on.”

  “They are not stupid,” Matthieu growled. “They were in the midst of organizing a large rebellion at that school. Had they been left there long, I have no doubts they would have stormed the gates. One of them is bad enough, but two…they could take over the world. They’d charm the knickers from a nun.”

  He’d grin at Matthieu’s words if he hadn’t lost the two people that Betsy had risked her life to keep safe.

  “Shit. Okay. I’ll get someone to track them down. I’ll get your car back.”

  He knew Matthieu considered that car his baby.

  “If there are any scratches on her…”

  “I’ll pay for them.” He ended the call.

  “Boys have gone?” Duke asked with a frown.

  “Yep. Fuck.” This was a nightmare he didn’t need.

  And what the hell was he going to tell Betsy?

  20

  “Did a glitter bomb go off in here?”

  There was glitter all over the coffee table, their hands, their hair and the floor. He was shocked any glitter had actually made it onto the picture they were decorating.

  Both girls glanced up at him guiltily. But he caught the way Betsy’s lips twitched.

  “This place is a mess.”

  “Daddy doesn’t like glitter,” she said to Sunny.

  Daddy, huh? She must be feeling comfortable with Sunny. Satisfaction filled him. He wanted her deeply entrenched in his life, with his friends. He wanted her happy.

  “How can he not like glitter?” Sunny scowled up at him. “What kind of a person doesn’t like glitter?”

  Betsy shook her head. “It’s so sad. I think he was deprived of glitter as a child.”

  “Must have been. Maybe he got some in his eye once, that would hurt.” Sunny gave him a sympathetic look.

  Okay, he could see he was fast losing control of this conversation.

  Did you ever have control?

  “Or maybe he got it up his nose,” Betsy added.

  “Or down his shirt.”

  “Or up his bottom,” Betsy whispered. Both girls started laughing hysterically.

  He groaned. Beside him he heard a deep chuckle. He turned to glare at Duke. “You’re supposed to be on my side here, man.”

  Duke held up his hands. “I am. You’re right. Sorry. Sunny, you need to apologize to Ink.”

  “Why?”

  “For suggesting that Ink might have gotten glitter up his ass and that’s why he’s so uptight about it.”

  “I am not uptight about it.” Ink placed his hands on his hips.

  “But I didn’t suggest it. Betsy did. I thought it went down his shirt or in his eye.”

  “Sunny,” Duke warned.

  She huffed out a sigh. “Sorry, Ink.”

  Yeah, she didn’t look sorry at all.

  “I don’t think we can leave the two of them alone in future,” Ink told Duke. He gave Betsy a firm look.

  “Sorry, Daddy,” Betsy said, looking up at him with those big, brown eyes. Christ, he was completely and utterly wrapped around her little finger.

  “This is gonna be hell to clean,” he muttered.

  “I don’t envy you, man. This is why Sunny is supposed to keep her glitter contained to the play room. How did that glitter get here, by the way?” Duke asked Sunny.

  Her eyes widened innocently. “I don’t have control over the glitter, Daddy. The glitter has a mind of its own. It goes where it wants to go.”

  “Uh-huh. The glitter is sentient? And I have magic beans to sell you.”

  “You do?” Sunny bounced up and down on the sofa sending more glitter flying around the place. “Magic beans. Yay!”

  Ink had to grin at that. Glittery mess aside, the two of them were adorable.

  “Come on, little rebel, let’s clean you up before you traipse glitter through the place. Don’t think that will help Ink’s rep any.” Duke grinned at his growl.

  “Like our picture, Daddy?” Betsy asked, pointing down at the huge mess on the coffee table with a smile.

  “Beautiful, button. Although next time, might be best to put down a cloth first.”

  “Does that mean Sunny will come back again?”

  He loved how carefree she looked. And at the same time, he hated it. Because soon he was going to have to burst her happiness.

  “Of course she can.” Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. “You’re beautiful, button.”

  “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered as Duke and Sunny reappeared from the bathroom.

  “Got her cleaned off best I can. We’re off. Talk later, man.” Duke clapped hand against Ink’s back. “Sorry to leave you with this mess.”

  Uh-huh. Sure he was.

  “Bye Betsy!” Sunny waved as she left.

  “See you later, Sunny.” Betsy waved back.

  Duke hustled Sunny out and Ink grabbed hold of Betsy’s hand, taking her into the bathroom to clean up. When she was as glitter-free as he could manage, he led her back into the main room. He sat on the coffee table, pushing the picture to one side. Then he pointed to the sofa in front of him. “Come sit, Betsy.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, perching on the edge of the sofa.

  “There’s no easy way of saying this, so I’m just going to come out with it. Royal and Baron have gone missing.”

  “They’re missing? How can they be missing?”

  He winced at the fear in her voice.

  “Is it Forrest? Did he take them?”

  “No, baby. Not Forrest. They took off. Drugged Matthieu and stole his car.”

  Her mouth dropped open and she gaped at him. Then she jumped to her feet to start pacing the room. He waited for her to tell him this was his fault. That he should have done a better job of keeping them safe.

  It was nothing short of the truth. Their safety was his responsibility. He didn’t shirk his responsibilities. Or when he was at fault.

  He braced himself for her anger.

  “Those…those ratbags!” she said in typical Betsy talk. He’d rarely heard her swear. Something her mother had no doubt taught her in her quest to make Betsy a perfect little lady.

  He was glad that old bitch was no longer alive.

  Betsy tugged at her hair viciously and he winced, moving over to stand in her way.

  “Easy, brown eyes. You’ll pull out all your hair.” He reached up and drew her fingers free from the strands. “My fault but I will damn well find them.”

  “Your fault? How is this your fault? You sent someone to get them out. This is in no way your fault. Everything you’ve done for me, for them…I can never repay you.”

  He frowned, not liking the sound of that. “You don’t owe me a fucking thing.”

  “I owe you everything. How many men when they got that note would have just walked away? Kept themselves safe? Would have been so angry with me that they left me to rot? How many men would have cared to find out the truth?”

  “You’re making me out to be a better person than I am, brown eyes. I was furious with you. Felt betrayed.”

  She flinched.

  “But now that I know why, I don’t blame you, Betsy. You had no choice and you weren’t at fault.”

  “I feel at fault.”

  “You weren’t. And the only reason I felt betrayed is because I’d come to care about you. Got to admit, I did worry that you didn’t want me.”

  “That’s not true.” She shook her head. “You’re the only man I’ve ever…” She broke off, going bright red.

  “You have to finish that sentence.”

  “You’re the only man I’ve ever thought of while I’ve made myself come.”

  He was glad he’d disabled the cameras and sound into this room. He didn’t want anyone spying on them, the way Jana obviously had on Sunny and Betsy.

  He grinned. “Why Betsy, are you telling me that you got off thinking about me?”

  She groaned. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that.”

  Reaching around, he gently
tapped her ass. “Answer me. Did you touch yourself and think of me? What did you do? Did you touch your nipple? Squeeze it? Did you flick your clit? Press your fingers deep inside of yourself and pretend it was my dick sliding inside you? Claiming you?”

  “I’m not sure this is a proper conversation to have,” she said in a prim voice that made him grin. He loved when she spoke like that.

  Just made him want to teach her there was nothing that she couldn’t see or do with him.

  He wanted to corrupt her. Dirty her. Make her his.

  “One day you’re gonna show me. You’re gonna show me how you touched yourself and thought of me. You’re gonna lay naked on my bed and finger fuck yourself and I’m gonna watch as you cry out your release while you scream my name.”

  “I-I can’t do that!”

  “Oh, brown eyes, you most certainly will. I guarantee it.”

  She went silent, her sharp breaths filling the air. “And will you do the same for me?”

  “You want to watch me jerk off, brown eyes? Because I can tell you that I’ve been doing it every night since I met you. I’d wrap my hand around my cock and think of you. Course it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as having your pussy sucking on my dick. Or your mouth. But I guess now I don’t have to dream about that any longer.”

  She stiffened in his arms.

  Pushing too far too fast, asshole.

  “Not yet. When you’re ready.” Maybe Duke was right. He needed to slow things down. Fuck, he hated when he was right.

  She drew back to look up at him. “What makes you think I’m not ready?”

  His breath caught in his chest as she stared up at him. Then he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “There’s a lot going on, brown eyes.”

  “I know that.”

  “Don’t want to fuck you until you’re certain you’re mine.”

  “I believe we’ve already had this conversation.”

  There went her snooty voice. Christ, it had to be wrong that he got such a kick out of it. But a few weeks ago, he knew she’d never have spoken to him like that. She’d been too scared to be herself.

  He fucking loved that she felt secure enough to let him see her.