“It’s a bit late for a nap today, button,” Ink said as they walked into the living area of his home. “Why don’t you go play quietly for a bit while I check my emails.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she said happily before walking over to her teepee.
Ink had set it up in the living room, which she’d been a bit embarrassed about, but it didn’t seem like he got visitors all that often. She’d left some toys in there from when she’d been playing in it this morning while Ink made breakfast.
She climbed back in and grabbed Floppy, giving him a big hug. “Missed you, Floppy. And you too, Stella.” She grabbed her doll, hugging her too.
She’d been playing for a while when Ink crouched down, looking in.
“Hello, what’s going on in here?”
“Daddy, I’m doing Stella’s hair.” Her tongue poked out in concentration as she braided the doll’s long, red hair.
“It looks beautiful. I brought you a drink.” He handed over the sippy cup.
“Juice?”
“Water.”
“I want juice.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Well, button, you don’t always get what you want, do you?”
She pouted. “Not thirsty.” Stupid water.
“Button, do you need to spend some time in the corner?”
Really? Why did he keep asking her things like that?
“I don’t need to go to the corner, Daddy.”
“Then put that lip away and drink your water,” he said sternly.
She sighed. It was a long, drawn-out affair.
“Does Daddy need to go buy you a bottle to drink from?”
She gaped at him. “No.” Although maybe…
“Really? I think you might like that. I’ll look into it. I want all that water gone, understand?”
“Yes, Daddy. I really don’t know what you have against juice, Daddy. It comes from oranges. It’s fruit. It’s healthy.”
“And you already drank some at lunch today. Too much juice isn’t good for you.”
“For someone who doesn’t like veggies you sure are worried about what I eat and drink, Daddy.”
“That’s just the way Daddies are. Their Little one’s health will always come first.” He leaned in to brush a kiss across her forehead. “How are Floppy and Stella getting along?”
“Floppy’s pretty jealous,” she admitted. “I’m gonna have to have a word with him, because he’s not being very nice to Stella.”
Ink shook his head. “That’s sad to hear. Floppy needs learn to get along with others.”
“Uh-huh,” she agreed. “Floppy is very stubborn though. He might need a spankin’.”
“Hmm, I know someone else like that.”
“I don’ts need a spankin’, Daddy.”
“That remains to be seen.” He ruffled up her hair and she gave him a suitably disgruntled look in return, before tidying up her hair. “I’m going to make some dinner.”
“You’re making dinner, Daddy?”
“Yep.”
“Do you need some help?”
“Thank you for offering but Little girls aren’t allowed to use the stove.”
“I can chop stuff.”
“You most certainly cannot chop stuff,” he told her. “Besides, I’m basically just heating stuff up in the oven.”
She had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling.
“You stay in here and play. I’ll be back soon. Drink your water.”
She took a couple of sips, but then she had to act referee between Floppy and Stella who started fighting over the same outfit.
“Button, dinner is ready.” He appeared in the opening. “We should get you some fairy lights for this teepee.”
She clapped her hands in excitement. “That would look great, Daddy.”
He gave her a smile then his eyes dropped to the still full sippy cup. Uh-oh.
“What did I tell you about drinking your water, button?”
“I wasn’t thirsty, Daddy. I had lots to drink earlier.”
“You had lots of juice. You were told to drink that all up, little girl. Want to tell me why you didn’t do as you were told?”
“I was busy. Floppy and Stella were arguing over the same outfit. Which is just silly since Floppy can’t wear the same clothes as Stella. He’s an elephant, for goodness sake.”
He placed his hand over his mouth and she wondered if he was hiding a smile. The skin around his eyes crinkled like he was smiling. But when he removed his hand, he just looked stern.
“You’re being cute, Elizabeth Victoria.”
Uh-oh. Both her names. In full. That wasn’t a good sign.
“I’m always cute, Daddy.”
“That you are. But remember what I said about it only getting you so far.”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
“You are. Come on. Come have your dinner. I made fish fingers and oven fries. Afterwards, we can have a chat about doing what Daddy says.”
Uh-oh, she had a fair idea of what having a chat meant.
“Can Floppy and Stella come to dinner?” she asked.
“Only if they can stop fighting. If not, they’ll have to go into timeout.”
She looked at him in horror, gathering Floppy and Stella up against her chest protectively. “Daddy! That’s not very nice. You can’t put my toys in timeout!”
“You just said that Floppy needed a spanking,” he pointed out.
“I was joking. You can’t put Floppy and Stella in timeout.”
“That’s what will happen if they’re naughty and can’t get along. It’s what happens when Betsy is naughty, isn’t it?”
She sulked. “Yes.”
He held out his hand to her and she crawled out and took it, leaving her toys behind. She didn’t think they could behave themselves so it was better if they just stayed in the teepee. She didn’t want to test whether Daddy was actually serious.
He grabbed the sippy cup of water then led her over to the kitchen counter. Placing the cup on the counter, he pulled out a stool then lifted her onto it. He picked up the bib he’d put next to her plate.
“Daddy, I’m not a baby.”
“No, but this will keep your clothes clean.” He placed the sippy cup beside her. She reached for a fish finger, not really feeling that hungry but knowing he expected her to eat.
His phone rang and with a frown, he answered. “Yeah? What? Where? Fuck, yes, I’ll be there in twenty. Thanks.” He ended the call. Her stomach dropped as he turned his gaze on her.
“What is it?”
“Don’t freak out, brown eyes.”
That was guaranteed to make her freak.
“What is it?”
“Matthieu’s car has just been in an accident.”
* * *
The words still rattled in her head as they pulled up behind a cop car with its hazards on. It was now completely dark out, but the flashing of lights from the ambulance and cop cars brightened the area. However, she still couldn’t see the accident site from where they were.
She reached for the door handle as soon as Ink pulled the truck to a stop.
“Don’t even think about it,” Ink barked.
“But my boys are out there! They could be hurt!” She was barely holding it together. It wouldn’t take much to shatter her composure.
“Which is exactly why you’re staying in here while I check what is going on.”
“Ink,” she wailed.
“No,” he snapped, this was the firmest he’d ever been with her. “Let me check it first, brown eyes,” he relented. “Let me do this. I’ll come straight back to you.”
He hadn’t wanted her to come. But she’d insisted and he’d given in reluctantly.
So she nodded her assent. Reaching over, he grabbed hold of her chin, turning her to face him. “You stay in the truck. With the doors locked. Do not move, understand? Leave this truck and I welt your ass.”
“Yes.”
&
nbsp; He gave her a hard kiss. “Reyes, Spike and Razor will be here soon.” He’d called Reyes as they were driving here. “I’ll be back soon.”
She locked the doors behind him. He left the key fob behind.
She watched him leave, trying desperately to see something. Anything.
Where were the boys? Finally, she saw movement. The paramedic who had been standing by the ambulance suddenly took off running.
Holy shit. Had they been found? Ignoring Ink’s threat, she unlocked the door and climbed out. She needed to see them. To ensure they weren’t hurt.
Barely three feet from the front of the truck, an arm wrapped around her from behind. A large hand covered her mouth and a sickly smell assaulted her. She didn’t even manage to scream before she slipped off into blackness.
29
When she came to, she was lying with her head on someone’s lap. Where was she? What was going on?
Suddenly, she nearly went flying and a voice cursed as hands grabbed her, pinning her back against the seat.
“Watch where you’re going, numbskull! You almost tossed her off the seat!”
“You should have belted her in!”
“Maybe I would have if there had been time. But we had to get the fuck out of there before that big beast got back.”
The driver took another corner too fast. Swear words spilled from his lips and she sat up.
“Royal Maston Harrison! Who the hell taught you those words!”
Royal turned to gape at her.
“And keep your eyes on the road!”
“Yeah, bro, you’re gonna ‘cause another fucking accident.”
She turned to the boy sitting next to her. “And you watch your language too, Baron.”
“Ahh, Ma, we’re men,” Baron wheedled. “Men swear.”
“You never used to speak like that.”
“Sure we did, Ma,” Royal told her. “We just didn’t swear in front of you.”
“You were meant to be sleeping. Didn’t you give her a big enough dose, bro?” Baron asked.
“Didn’t want to. She’s tiny. Didn’t want her to sleep for a fucking week.”
She gasped as she remembered what had happened. “You little ratbags! You drugged me! You terrified me half to death.” She looked around. “Wait, are we in Ink’s truck? You stole Ink’s truck?”
“Idiot left his key fob in here. What else were we meant to do?” Baron asked in a reasonable voice.
“What else? What else? Baron, the two of you stole Ink’s truck. You drugged me! Not to mention Matthieu’s car, which you crashed. Are you both okay? Are you injured?”
“We’re fine, Ma,” Royal soothed. “It wasn’t that bad a crash.”
“Someone took a corner too fast.” Baron threw his brother under the bus.
“What were the two of you thinking? You could have been killed! God, how am I going to afford to replace his car?” She wiped her hand over her face. “Does insurance cover it when two teenagers take it for a joy ride? This is a mess.”
“We intended to give it back, Ma,” Baron told her. “But then Royal crashed it.”
“I didn’t mean to! Piece of crap took corners like a fridge on wheels.”
“Oh God. Oh God. Ink is going to freak! One of you, give me a phone.”
“We don’t have any phones,” Royal told her. “They got taken from us when Forrest had us locked up in that prison.”
“P-prison? I thought you were at school.”
“It was a prison masquerading as a school,” Baron said bitterly. “Beatings disguised as discipline.”
“And we didn’t learn a fucking thing,” Royal added. “We were smarter than the teachers.”
She didn’t doubt that, their IQs were through the roof.
“They beat you?” she demanded. Despair and horror filled her.
“Don’t worry, Ma, we gave as good as we got,” Royal told her, no doubt sensing she was about to shatter. He’d always been more empathetic than his brother.
“That place was hell,” Baron told her. “It’s why we were staging a revolt when that Matthieu guy rescued us. He seemed like an okay guy, but we couldn’t trust what he was saying.”
Anger flooded her. “I’m going to fucking kill Forrest. That bastard sent you somewhere where you were abused? Oh God. Why didn’t I get you out earlier? I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She started to sob and Baron started swearing. “Royal, she’s crying! What do I do?”
“Hug her, bro.”
“Hug her?”
“Christ. Here.” Royal pulled off the road and then climbed over into the back, sitting on the other side of her. He gathered her close, patting her back. Baron patted the top of her head awkwardly.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he was sending you away. I swear. It was a punishment for trying to run. I was devastated at first, but then I figured at least you were away from him. That you were safe. And all this time…” her voice broke.
Baron finally hugged her from the other side. “We’re okay, Ma.”
“We’re tough, Ma. It was going to take more than a couple of sadistic teachers to break us.”
“Yeah, if the old man couldn’t break us no one can.”
“That does not make me feel better,” she told them. “All I wanted was a better life for you guys and I’ve failed so many times.”
“You never failed us, Ma,” Royal told her. “You showed us how to care about other people. You protected us as best you could.”
“Not good enough.”
“Hey, I’m not in jail for murder so I figure we’re coming out on top,” Baron said.
Both Betsy and Royal turned to glare at him. “What?” he asked in confusion.
“Ma, why’d you never tell us that Forrest was holding you against your will?” Royal asked.
“We thought you wanted to be with that bastard,” Baron said bitterly.
“God, never! I hated him. But he was always listening in on our conversations. I hated that the two of you blamed me for being sent away, but I didn’t want you to worry about me.”
“Fuck, we were idiots,” Baron muttered.
“You don’t have to stress anymore, Ma. We’re here. We’ll protect you from him,” Royal told her fiercely.
“I wish you hadn’t run from Matthieu. Did he not tell you that I’m free of Forrest now?”
“Yeah, but now you’re mixed up with some gang. That big fucker by the crash site, he’s this Ink? He’s part of the gang?”
“What did Matthieu tell you?” she asked.
“Nothing much. Just that he owed a biker called Ink a favor, that he was taking us to you and him but we couldn’t talk to you.”
No wonder they’d freaked.
“Guys, Ink isn’t part of a gang. The Iron Shadows is an MC. And they’re good guys. He rescued me from Forrest, even though he didn’t have to. And he rescued the two of you. I, umm, I’m living with him. He’s my boyfriend.”
It didn’t encompass fully what he meant to her. But it was the best word she could come up with.
Royal and Baron were quiet.
“Really, he’s a good guy. Although, he’s not going to be too happy about this. I really think we need to turn around and go back before he loses his shit.”
Suddenly, light flooded the truck from behind. She hadn’t noticed the rumble of bikes until then.
“Shit,” Royal cursed, looking out the back window. “How many of those bastards are out there?”
She clasped both of their hands. “Brace yourselves, boys. We’re about to get the scolding of a lifetime.”
If only he’d be satisfied with just scolding her.
30
“You’re mad,” she whispered. She didn’t want to wake the boys. Which was silly, since they were sound asleep in the spare bedroom. Ink only had one spare bed, so they had to share. Not that they’d been worried.
Turned out it had been just three bikes with Reyes, Spike and Razor riding them. In
k had caught a lift on the back of Reyes’ bike. Apparently, they’d arrived at the crash scene shortly after Ink discovered her missing. After making certain the three of them were okay, he’d gotten in the driver’s seat. Only instead of taking them home, he’d returned to the accident.
The boys were in trouble for leaving the scene of an accident and for driving on a learner license. Matthieu had been contacted by the cops and said he wasn’t pressing charges as the boys were family friends who were welcome to take his car anytime. She wondered if he’d choked on those words.
The cops had finally let them go and Ink had driven them home. Silently.
But he’d obviously spent that time thinking about what he was going to say, because after giving the three of them the chance to explain themselves, he’d spent an hour thoroughly scolding them all, before sending the boys to bed.
Shockingly, they’d gone without argument.
Which made her hugely suspicious.
After they were in bed, Ink had clasped her hand and led into their room. In silence, he’d gotten her ready for bed. Now she was sitting on the bed, watching him pace up and down the room.
“I’m so sorry the boys took your truck. They’re impetuous. And that they crashed Matthieu’s car. They’ll pay for it.”
“Damn right they will. They’re coming to work for me every day after school. Once we find them a suitable school, that is.”
She blinked. She hadn’t really thought about how it would all work with the boys here. But now that they were here and safe…she realized they would need to find them a school. And a proper place to live.
“Is it safe? For them to go to school?”
Ink ran his hand over his face. “We’ll find a school with security. I don’t think it’s a good idea to home school them. They’re too…energetic.”
That was one word for it.
“I’ll get some contractors in to see about renovating the back of the warehouse behind the garage. It just houses my gym, but there’s enough room for two large bedrooms and a bathroom.”
“Really?”
Seemed that he’d been thinking about the future when she hadn’t.
“Of course. They can’t keep sharing that bed. They’re teenagers, they need their privacy.”
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