Possessive Daddy: A Dark Romance

by B. B. Hamel

  “Morning, kids,” he said as we approached.

  “Morning,” I grunted in return.

  “Looks like an ugly day,” Claire said.

  Tommy nodded. “Actually, looks like we have this afternoon off.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Had a bunch of cancellations this morning, so I decided to call it entirely.”

  Claire frowned. “Really?”

  “Yep. Sorry about making you guys come all the way down here. I’m going to make the calls; you two can head on back.”

  Claire looked out across the water while I was already planning my day in my head.

  “Hey, Nate,” she said, “let’s go out anyway.”

  I raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s going to rain and we have no customers. No, thanks.”

  “Come on. It’ll be fun. You can show me how to fish some more.”

  “No, thanks, babe. I have a long run calling my name right about now.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to go out in the rain?”

  “You know I’m not.”

  “So what’s stopping you?” she pouted, clearly trying to play it up. I shouldn’t have fallen for her shit, but I was having a hard time saying no.

  “Mostly just that I don’t feel like it.”

  “Fine. I’ll go out alone if you’re so scared.”

  I sighed and looked at Tommy, who just shrugged. “You two do whatever you want,” he said. “I’m heading home.”

  He stood up, gathered his stuff, and walked back toward the parking lot.

  I turned back toward Claire. “You really set on this?”

  “I am.”

  “Fine. Let’s do it.” I hopped on board. “You untie the lines.”

  She did as told, which brought a nice little smile to my face as I climbed up into the pilot’s room. There was nothing better than a hot as fuck woman that obeyed commands. I briefly wondered what else she’d do.

  I started the engines and enjoyed their hum as I sat back and waited for her to finish. I didn’t know what she was playing at trying to get us out on the bay alone in the rain, but I couldn’t exactly back down. I wasn’t a coward, but I just didn’t see how it was going to be fun. Then again, seeing Claire get soaking wet might be worth it.

  “Let’s do it,” she said, appearing in the cabin door.

  “Full speed ahead.” I hit the throttle and we were off, pulling out into the bay.

  She sat down next to me and put her feet up on the dash.

  “Nothing better than the open sea,” she said.

  “Didn’t know you were into it.”

  “I wasn’t, I guess, but it’s really growing on me.”

  “All you needed was a SEAL to show you the ropes.”

  “Yeah, right,” she mumbled.

  The clouds began to grow darker in the sky, and I frowned down at the little radar screen. We clearly had a storm coming, but Claire was probably right. It was going to be mostly rain, which meant the water shouldn’t be too choppy. We’d be fine out in the bay.

  “Where to, then, captain?” I asked her.

  “I’m the captain now?”

  “Honorary. We both know who’s really in charge.”

  She laughed. “I don’t know. Let’s go to the same spot as yesterday and do some fishing.”

  “Roger that.” I tapped a few buttons and set the course. The ship could probably navigate by itself if I let it, but I liked having control over the steering. As we began to get farther out away from land, the rain started, a little drizzle at first that quickly turned into a real, steady rain.

  “Looks like I was right,” Claire said.

  “Seems that way.” I peered out at the clouds. There hadn’t been any lightning yet, which was good.

  “Think we should go back?”

  “We’ll be fine so long as you don’t mind getting wet.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind.”

  “I figured that out already.”

  We motored along, making idle small talk, until eventually we made it to the same spot as yesterday. It was far enough that we could barely see the land, but close enough that I didn’t feel like we were in any real danger from the storm.

  The boat was rocking from side to side, the water a bit more aggressive than I had expected, but it wasn’t too bad. I was used to being out on a ship in stormy seas, though I was worried Claire might get seasick and upchuck or some shit. I didn’t want to have to deal with that at all.

  “Ready to do this?” I asked her, dropping the anchor.

  “Ready as ever.”

  We stood up and looked out at the wet deck. “Be careful and don’t slip.”

  “What if I fall overboard?”

  “I’ll get you. Don’t you worry.”

  We stepped out into the rain and Claire laughed. We were drenched immediately, and fortunately it was a hot day. The rain was comfortable and cool against my skin as we moved out onto the main deck and started to set up our fishing rods.

  I couldn’t help but stare at Claire’s sweet ass in her soaked shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a soaking ponytail, and her white shirt was totally see-through, revealing a navy blue bikini top that barely concealed her amazing tits. My cock was hard almost as soon as we were out there, and I wanted her more than ever. She was soaked and practically begging for it.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked.

  “Your perfect fucking tits,” I said.

  She blushed. “Don’t be so crude.”

  “Just stating the truth. You look fucking incredible all dripping wet.”

  “Let’s just start fishing.”

  I helped her cast out, not at all hiding the fact that my dick was rock hard, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. Once she was set up, I cast my own rod.

  “I like the way you handle that thing,” I said to her.

  “I’m still new at this.”

  “I know. You’re practically untouched. But you handle a rod like you were born to do it.”

  She looked at me, making a face. “Thanks, I guess.”

  “You’re welcome. A girl like you should know that she’s good with her hands, especially soaking wet.”

  “Okay, you’re definitely not talking about fishing.”

  “Nope. I never was.”

  “Do you ever think about anything else?”

  “Not when you’re around.”

  “Must get exhausting.”

  “Only because you pretend like you don’t want it.”

  “Not pretending.”

  “I don’t have time to fuck around, Claire. I live on the razor’s edge all the time. It’s my job and my fucking pleasure to risk my life day in and day out so people can be safe.”

  “I know that.”

  I stood back away from the deck and slipped off my soaking pants. She gaped for a second before realizing I was wearing a bathing suit underneath and quickly looked away.

  “A little warning next time,” she said.

  “I’d rather you watched. I know you like to look.”

  She peeked back over at me as I stripped my shirt off.

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “You think I don’t notice you staring? You’re like a starving animal.”

  “What’s that?” she asked suddenly, pointing at the scar on my leg.

  “That’s a scar, babe. I have a lot of them.”

  “But it looks fresh.”

  I was silent for a second. “I was wounded on my last mission. That’s why I’m even home, actually. Command mandated that I take some R&R, and so I did.”

  She reached out but pulled her hand back. I laughed at her. “Go ahead,” I said, “touch it.”

  She reached out again and her fingers gently touched the rough flesh of the scar. “Does it hurt?”

  “Sometimes. Not as much anymore.”

  She looked at me quietly for a second, and then her eyes narrowed. “What’s that?”

  I followed her gaze and saw it immediat
ely: a boat, gray against the gray ocean, slowly coming toward us. It was small and fast, the kind of boat that was built for taking other ships by surprise. I wasn’t sure I would have spotted it if she hadn’t noticed it first, which was impressive in itself, but I didn’t have time to think much about her eyesight.

  “That’s a boat,” I said softly, mostly to myself.

  “What’s it doing out here?”

  “I’m not totally sure.”

  She moved away, watching the boat coming slowly closer. Suddenly, a bad feeling hit me right in the gut; it was the same feeling I used to get before combat missions. I knew what it meant.

  Danger was coming.

  “I think you should get below deck,” I said to her.

  “Why?” she asked, still watching.

  “It’s not safe up here.”

  She laughed. “What are you talking about? Because of that boat?” She looked at me like I was crazy.

  “Yes,” I said softly, coming up behind her. “We don’t know who they are.”

  “This is the Outer Banks, not Somalia. They’re not pirates.”

  “They might be. The coast guard can’t patrol every inch of water all the time. Plus, we’re sitting ducks.”

  She looked at me, her surprised good humor turning into worry. “You’re serious.”

  “I am. Go below deck until they’re gone.”

  The boat was coming up faster now, and I got a better look at them. The two men were nondescript but young looking. I couldn’t see if they were carrying any weapons, but they’d keep them hidden as long as possible. Their clothes suggested they were prepared to move quickly, but they weren’t wearing ski masks and camo gear, either.

  “No. You’re just being overprotective.”

  “Claire,” I growled at her, “get below deck or I’ll throw you down there.”

  “Come on, cut it out—”

  I didn’t let her finish. I grabbed her and tossed her over my shoulder like she weighed nothing.

  “Nate, what the hell!”

  I walked over toward the stairs leading below deck. “For your own good,” I said as she began to smack my arms and back.

  “Put me down, you asshole!”

  “Nope.”

  I carried her down the steps, grinning softly to myself. I stopped in front of the storage room and placed her down on her feet. She huffed and blew the hair from her face.

  “Go in and stay there.”

  “No way.”

  I gave her a long look. “Do it or I’ll make you.”

  She sighed and opened the door. “Five minutes.”

  “Until I get you.”

  “Ten. See you soon.” She shut the door behind her.

  Relieved, I moved fast. I didn’t have a gun, but I did have my knife strapped to my pants. I went back on deck and noticed how much closer the men were. I quickly grabbed my jeans and slipped the knife from the sheath. Then I gripped it against my thigh, crouching down next to the railing.

  The boat was coming fast, and the closer they got, the more positive I was that they were definitely pirates. They were headed right for our boat, and neither of them were talking into the radio or trying to signal us at all. They had grim looks on their faces, as if they were about to do something horrible. Those were looks I knew very, very well.

  But there were only two of them, which was good.

  I waited until they got within shouting distance. My heart went calm in my chest as my battle instincts took over.

  “What do you want?” I yelled out.

  “We’re lost,” one man yelled back. “We need help.”

  “Land is due west.”

  “We need help. Can we board?”

  “Negative. Do not board.”

  They didn’t slow down. They were headed right for us.

  “Do not board,” I yelled again.

  Suddenly, the man I had been talking to pulled out a rifle from beneath his bench and aimed it at me. My training kicked in as I dove away from the bullet spray, the scream of the weapon cutting through over the rain and the engines.

  I rolled off and quickly moved toward the stairs, getting under cover behind the metal door. I didn’t have a gun to return fire, or else this would be much easier. Instead, I needed to let them board. I needed them to get close, nice and personal.

  And so I waited. After a few minutes, their engine cut out, and I saw ropes get thrown up onto the deck. They caught on the railing and went taut.

  The two men climbed over. They were both wearing masks now, and both carried the same AK-47 rifle. They moved with some practice, though I couldn’t tell if they were professionals or not.

  I cursed under my breath and then yelled indistinctly. They heard my voice and came hustling toward me. I was moving on autopilot, following my instincts and my training, letting the cool, deadly calm of a trained warrior take over me.

  I went down the steps and quickly hid beneath them. Claire was poking her head out of the door, and I signaled for her to get back inside. She listened right away, for once in her life. She must have heard the shots and guessed correctly what they were.

  I heard the men’s footsteps coming down the stairs. Time felt like it slowed down.

  I acted fast. I whipped around the side, bringing my knife up. My aim was true as I dragged the blade along the Achilles tendon of the man in the front, severing it cleanly.

  He screamed in pain and toppled forward, his leg useless. His gun began to fire as I moved back under cover. I heard his body thud against the wall at the bottom and his gun stopped shooting. The other man yelled out but retreated upstairs.

  I was out and on the first guy in half a second. He was sitting up and bringing his rifle steady when I kicked it to the side. I plunged my knife into his neck without thinking, and then I ripped the gun from his hands, leaving the knife in his throat.

  I didn’t have time to think or react as I fired some rounds at the second man with my newly-stolen rifle, forcing him back away from the door. I quickly followed up, firing at him as he retreated back onto the deck.

  He was clearly an amateur, sloppy and terrified. He wasn’t at all the practiced professional I thought he was when I first saw them board. He was moving from cover to cover, but he moved slowly, and he was clearly scared. His shots were missing wildly, and there was no thought to tactics or strategy, just an obvious animal fear.

  I was the opposite. This was my element. Even half naked with a borrowed gun, I was a deadly killing machine. I had been beaten down and broken by the Navy SEALs and rebuilt into a real man. They had drilled every bit of training and deadly force into me, and now I could use it at will.

  But I didn’t want to kill the second guy. I wanted to wound him so that I could potentially find out who the hell they were. He was more useful to me that way.

  As he fell back, my shots forcing him toward their ropes, he decided to be brave and make a jump for it into their ride.

  Before he could make it, I put a targeted shot right into his calf. He screamed in pain as he toppled forward. Before I could get to him, though, his momentum carried him forward and he tipped over the railing, disappearing into the water.

  Cursing my bad luck, I looked over the edge but couldn’t see him. He wasn’t in the boat and he wasn’t coming back up for air. I watched and waited for another minute, but there was nothing. The sea had swallowed him whole.

  I moved back downstairs and checked the first man. He was dead; there was no question about it. Frustrated, I wiped my bloody hands on his clothes.

  Claire looked out from the back room. “Nate?”

  “Get back inside,” I snapped at her.

  Her eyes were wide as she stared at the dead man at my feet.

  “Is he . . .?” she asked, trailing off.

  “These men were pirates.”

  “I heard gunshots.”

  I nodded gravely. “They’re gone now, though.”

  “You killed him,” she said softly.

  �
�I did what I had to do. Now get back in that room and stay there while I take care of this.”

  She obeyed, hesitating, her eyes full of fear. I was sure it was the first dead man she’d ever seen.

  I pulled my knife from his body and wiped the blood on his shirt. I yanked off the mask, but I didn’t recognize him. He was young, possibly Latino, but I wasn’t positive.

  With a sigh, I began to drag his body up the steps. Dead bodies weighed a lot, and so it was a bit of a struggle, but I managed. Once there, I lifted him up and perched him on the railing.

  Before I could let him go, I caught sight of a tattoo on his wrist: a red heart with a dagger in it. I didn’t think much of it as I tossed him over the side.

  The sea reclaimed him, too.

  I sat down on the deck, breathing deeply. The rain had finally given up. My battle calmness was slowly beginning to fade away.

  What a fucked up day. I knew we should never have gone out. There was only one last problem: their boat. I forced myself to my feet, because a SEAL never left a job unfinished, and walked over to the lines. I cut the ropes and decided to let the boat drift free. There might have been something useful on board, but I didn’t want to risk the climb.

  Besides, I couldn’t leave Claire down below much longer. She was likely freaking out. Civilians weren’t trained for the sort of thing that had just happened. They couldn’t handle the violent and sudden realities of life. That’s why SEALs existed. We were the men that protected people from the bad shit in the world.

  I didn’t know what I’d say to her. I didn’t know what the right thing was. Talking down scared girls wasn’t exactly my kind of shit.

  But I was going to have to figure it out.

  The last few minutes had been a blur of violence and danger. It all had come out of nowhere, but I was always ready, always prepared to do what I had to do.

  Claire, however, was probably going to be a little fucked up from it, at least for a little while.

  Still, I’d take care of her, because that’s what I did.

  9

  Claire

  I was shivering by the time Nathan pulled the boat back into the harbor.

  The face of the dead man kept coming back to me, over and over. Everything had happened so suddenly and so brutally. I didn’t have a second to really understand until the guns started going off.