Claimed by her Daddies

by Roberts, Laylah

  “I know who got the worst end of this stick.”

  * * *

  The door to the bedroom opened as she switched over the channel on the television.

  “Hey, little one.”

  She glanced away from the television briefly then drew her pacifier from her mouth. “Hi, Daddy T.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Watching TV.” Silly Daddy, couldn’t he see that? Mind you, he did look tired. “What you doin’, Daddy?”

  “Checking up on my favorite girl.”

  That should have made her squirm with happiness. But nothing made her happy at the moment.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yeah?” he asked as he moved around the bed to sit down next to her. “What is this?” He picked up the Batman plate they’d bought yesterday. Wow, that felt so long ago.

  “Batman plate,” she said.

  “No, I mean the food. Is that chicken nuggets? Did Aric buy you fast food?”

  “We got it delivered. Do you want it, Daddy?”

  “Ah, no thanks. This sort of food isn’t good for you. Aric should know better.”

  “I didn’t eat any of it, Daddy. You want me to order you something?”

  “No thanks, little one. I can do it.”

  “Okay.” She slid the pacifier back into her mouth.

  “What are you watching?”

  She drew it back out with an impatient sigh, staring at him. “I dunno. Some cartoon about a cat. It’s funny.”

  “Would you like to have a bath with me?” he asked her.

  “No, thank you, Daddy.”

  “How about something else to eat?”

  “No, thanks.”

  “Would you like me to get you dressed?” he asked.

  “No, thanks.”

  “Little one, look at me.”

  With a disgruntled sigh, she turned her gaze to his. Couldn’t he see she was busy? “Yes, Daddy?”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Course Daddy, why wouldn’t it be?” She ignored his worried look and turned back to the television. Silly Daddy. Why was he worrying so much? She was just fine.

  Sure, that’s why you’re hiding in Little space, not wanting to face reality. You’re being a coward.

  Shut up, stupid adult voice.

  “Matek is asking for you. We didn’t tell him everything or he would have pulled himself out of bed and dragged himself along on his hands if he had to in order to get to you.”

  God. She wanted to see him so bad. Wanted to hold him. Wanted to tell him how sorry she was. How this was all her fault.

  Guilt bubbled inside her stomach and she felt like vomiting up the protein drink that Aric had given her earlier. What would Matek think? What did Kassim think? Were they both angry at her?

  “Little one? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Daddy.” She ignored the concern in Tavi’s eyes, as she started coloring.

  At least for a small while she might be able to forget how much she’d messed up.

  * * *

  Kassim walked into her bedroom.

  Carefully, he closed the door so as not to wake the two people sleeping in the bed. The light from the bathroom was on so the room wasn’t pitch black despite it being the early hours of the morning. He moved around to her side then knelt down just staring at her.

  He closed his eyes and let the guilt envelop him.

  He could have lost her.

  What would he have done if he had lost her? If she’d been hurt? He was meant to protect her. That was his number one job.

  A failure.

  Never again. Never again would his brother lie in a hospital room, injured. Would his woman come close to being harmed.

  He couldn’t be around her. Not until he’d made up for his failure.

  Not until he deserved her.

  22

  “Kassim, we need to do something about Pippa,” Tavi demanded.

  Kassim forced himself to keep his gaze on his work as Tavi and Aric walked into his office at the country estate.

  They’d arrived two days ago. He and Matek had come by helicopter and met with the woman he’d hired to help Matek with his physical therapy. She also had some nursing experience. Aric, Tavi, and Pippa had come later by car.

  Kassim still wasn’t certain that being here was the best move. He felt more in control in Escana, and he knew that Matek could make the flight back with the right team in place. But he, Caleb, and Judd had all had a meeting and decided the country estate was the safest place for the moment. The fact that Pippa had been attacked here as well as in Escana didn’t sit well with him. Why would someone attack her? To separate her from them?

  Perhaps the best idea would be to send her somewhere safe until this was all over.

  “Kassim, damn it, are you listening to us?” Aric demanded, whacking his fist down on the desk.

  Kassim scowled up at him. “I am trying to work.”

  “When aren’t you working? You can’t hide from your problems behind work,” Tavi told him.

  “I am not hiding.” But he was. Because it had been up to him to protect them and he hadn’t. Because he regretted not telling her that she’d actually been attacked instead of letting her think it was an accident.

  He’d thought he’d known what was best and he hadn’t.

  “Then why aren’t you saying anything? Haven’t you heard what we said?” Tavi asked urgently. He paced back and forth. “Pippa is in a bad place in her head and we can’t get her out.”

  “What do you mean? I thought you said she’s mostly been watching cartoons and coloring.”

  “She has,” Aric said tiredly. He looked as exhausted as the rest of them.

  Kassim wasn’t sleeping. Most of his time was dedicated to trying to figure out who had tried to harm his woman as well as attempting to keep Matek calm. The other man knew something was wrong and he was demanding to know what was going on. If they didn’t tell him something soon, he was going to lose his mind. It didn’t help that Pippa wouldn’t visit with him. They’d managed to give him excuses in the hospital, but it wasn’t going to fly now.

  Thankfully, the painkillers had ensured he slept a lot.

  But it wouldn’t last.

  And then, in the middle of the night when the urge to see her became too much, Kassim would find himself sneaking into her room to watch her sleep.

  “It’s not healthy,” Tavi said. “She’s using Little space to hide from everything.”

  “It’s not like she’s even really enjoying herself,” Aric said. “She sits in bed and watches TV while attacking her coloring book with pens. I can’t get her to eat. All she’s having are those protein drinks.”

  Concern stirred. He needed to do something about that. She couldn’t hide. She would make herself sick.

  “You need to take charge,” Kassim told them.

  “What about you?” Tavi retorted.

  Kassim looked at Aric. “Weren’t you worried that she wouldn’t see you as anything other than a playmate?” He turned to Tavi. “Or that you wouldn’t be noticed because you didn’t know where you fit in? Because you weren’t her boss, her playmate, or her stalker?”

  Both of them gaped at them. Hadn’t they realized he noticed everything? It was his job to take care of them all.

  He was a failure.

  “You cannot blame her for wanting to hide. Someone tried to hurt her. She’s probably scared. Make her feel safe. The new guards are due to arrive today, that should help,” he told them.

  “I don’t think that’s why she’s hiding, Kassim,” Tavi told him.

  “Then why?”

  “You should know why better than most. It’s why you’re hiding too,” Aric pointed out.

  He clenched his jaw.

  “You’re not the only one who notices things, brother,” Tavi said, moving towards the door. “And you don’t need to take responsibility for this family fully on your shoulders. You can lean on us.”

  If onl
y he knew how.

  * * *

  “So that was pointless,” Aric said, feeling worried. What the fuck were they going to do? He’d hoped that Kassim would pull his head out of his ass when he realized that Pippa needed him.

  Tavi shook his head. “We’re not going to get through to Kassim. But I know who will.”

  Right. Pippa. She was the one tying them all together. The one they all wanted to protect and coddle. But right now, she needed something more than that.

  “Yes, but how do we get through to her?” Aric asked. “We need to get her to open up about what’s going on.”

  “She’s terrible at talking about her feelings and emotions,” Tavi said as they moved into the kitchen, nodding to Matek’s therapist, who was walking out.

  She stopped and stared at them for longer than was polite. But Aric just walked past her. She wouldn’t be here long. Matek couldn’t stand having other people touch him and he was certain to fire her. Probably by tomorrow.

  “Well, I might have an idea, but it involves Matek.”

  Aric raised his eyebrows as he sat at the kitchen counter while Tavi made them tea. When they stayed here, someone came in to clean a few times a week but otherwise they preferred to do everything themselves. And Judd didn’t like people coming and going. Actually, he didn’t like people in general, but he was even more grouchy about it right now. He hadn’t even wanted to hire Fiona, the physical therapist.

  “Does that mean we have to tell Matek that we suspect the car that hit him was aimed at Pippa? Because he’s going to go insane.”

  “I know. Which is why we need to tell him how much Pippa needs him first.”

  “Okay, anything to get her to come back to us,” Aric told him. “This morning, I made her pancakes in the shape of bats. All she said was ‘no thanks’, I’m getting really sick of hearing ‘no thanks’. Even when I threaten to spank her or make her write lines, that’s all I get.”

  “I get it, man. I’m worried too. About her and Kassim. But if we get through to Pippa, I know she can work on Kassim.”

  Aric sure hoped so. “She has to. We’re meant to be a team. A family. The four of us and her. Our princess. We can’t let everything fall apart. We can’t lose her.”

  Tavi whacked his back. “We won’t, brother. It’s just our turn to take charge and guard our family.”

  23

  Pippa frowned as a weird thumping noise interrupted her show. She yawned and looked around. What time was it? Where was everyone?

  Her bladder protested as she moved. Slime balls.

  Urgh, she didn’t want to get out of bed. It was so hard to drag herself free of the fog pulling her down and find the energy to do anything. It was easier just to hide in Little headspace and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

  Yeah. And how is that working for you? You just going to spend the rest of your life in bed?

  What about the princes? They were going to get sick of being around her. When was the last time she even saw Kassim? And Matek had to be upset with her.

  Grabbing Cranky, because when you were upset sometimes you just needed your toy to come pee with you, she stomped into the bathroom.

  Darn it. Why was the toilet seat so cold? She shivered. Maybe she should have put some more clothes on than the shorty pajama set that Aric had bought her.

  She wished she could rewind time. Go back and change everything.

  After peeing, she washed her hands, avoiding looking at herself in the mirror.

  Nobody wanted to see what a mess she was. Least of all her.

  That thumping sound came again.

  “Help!”

  She froze.

  “Hey, someone help!”

  That was . . . that was Matek. But why would Matek be calling for help?

  Because he’s injured, dummy. He’s hurt. Go help him.

  She shook her head. She couldn’t help him. She couldn’t even help herself. And she didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want the guilt to override her. Matek never got mad at her. Never grew tired of her. He was just there for her. He always stood between her and any harm.

  The thought of him dying . . . if she lost him, she’d lose a piece of her heart.

  “Help!”

  But isn’t shutting him out like this losing him too?

  “Shut up, shut up,” she whispered. She’d managed to shut down the voice telling her she was being a dumbass. Telling her to go to Matek and tell him she was sorry. To ask for forgiveness. To hold on to him and never let him go.

  The voice saying to track down Kassim and demand that he tell her why the fuck he was avoiding her.

  The voice that said she needed to treat Aric and Tavi more fairly. To be the woman they needed. The voice that screamed that she needed them to follow through on their warnings, not just make them and walk away.

  Because somehow that made her feel worse.

  “Stupid voice, stop it.”

  It all rushed at her, threatening to overwhelm her.

  She’d turned it off, but the pipes had burst.

  And she couldn’t breathe.

  Leaning over, she grasped hold of the counter as she attempted to breathe in and out.

  She should probably leave. But how could she when they held her heart?

  So what are you doing instead? Pushing them away before they can send you away?

  “You’re a fucking idiot,” she muttered. “Who does that? You know who? Dumb idiots. Four freaking gorgeous men want you and you push them away because you’re scared?” She stood and looked at herself. “Find some backbone, Pippa.”

  Damn, her dad would be ashamed. He didn’t raise her to be like this. It felt like ever since he died, she’d been hiding. Protecting herself from hurt. She’d chosen Gary, not because she loved him but because she knew she never would love him. She’d run to Escana because it was easier than facing everyone back home. She’d told herself it was an adventure, but she’d never pushed herself to do more. Now, when she came close to losing one of her men, she was running again, trying to protect herself.

  And hurting herself and everyone around her. She hadn’t missed the concerned looks Tavi and Aric had given her, the hurt at her rejection.

  Then there was Matek and Kassim.

  Maybe they were angry. Maybe they couldn’t forgive her.

  But she wouldn’t know if she didn’t try.

  Another thump. “Help! Help!”

  Shit. Shit. Where was everyone? Why was Matek calling for help? Where was that therapist? Pippa had taken an instant dislike to her when she’d opened the door to Pippa’s room without knocking. She’d claimed she’d gotten the wrong room, but Pippa hadn’t trusted the look in her eyes or the way she’d stared at Pippa.

  Matek wasn’t a person to ask for any sort of help. Unless he was desperate.

  Help him.

  Moving from the bathroom, she set Cranky down on the bed. “Sorry, Cranky, but if things go bad, I don’t want you to see. Last thing I need is for you to try to protect me by biting Matek’s foot off. If he’s angry at me, well, he’s entitled to be. And I know how protective you can be.”

  She moved out of the bedroom, looking around. A shiver ran through her. It was far colder in this big house than in the penthouse. She’d grown used to the warmer climate of Escana.

  But rather than returning to her room to get a jumper, she moved towards the noise.

  “Hey! Is someone there?”

  A door was open to the room next to her and she peeked in. Shock filled her as she saw Matek on the floor.

  “Matek!” she cried, racing towards him.

  “Baby.”

  She stopped just before she flung herself at him. That would be great, wouldn’t it? Injuring him further.

  “What happened?” She crouched next to him. “What’s the matter?”

  “Needed the bathroom. Couldn’t reach my crutches.” He nodded over to where they leaned against the wall.

  “So what? You thought you’d climb out
of bed and shuffle on your bum?” she asked him.

  He grimaced. “Something like that. Get them for me?”

  “Of course. Wait. Maybe you shouldn’t be moving around. What if you hurt yourself?”

  “Be fine. Got to use the bathroom.”

  “Are you sure you’re not supposed to use a bedpan or something?” She glanced around as though one might pop out at her.

  “Not using a bedpan,” he growled. “Crutches. Now.”

  She jumped to her feet, taking a step to get them before she realized what he was doing.

  She narrowed her gaze at him. “I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

  “Crutches. Now,” he bossed back. She chewed at her lip.

  “Unless you want me to have an accident.”

  No, she didn’t want that. “But how are you going to get off the floor? Where is everyone? I’ll go find Aric and Tavi. They can lift you up.” She spun around. “I can’t believe they all just left you. It’s completely unacceptable. You need someone here to help you.”

  “Pippa, freeze,” he demanded.

  She paused at the doorway.

  “Get back here.”

  “Matty,” she wheedled. “You need help.”

  “Now.”

  Shoot. She stepped back into the room as he crooked a finger at her. Then he pointed at his crutches. “Now.”

  “How did I not know you were this bossy?”

  “Haven’t had to get bossy with you.”

  “But you do now?” She grabbed the crutches and brought them back to him. Then in a feat of strength, he grabbed the bed behind him and drew himself up so he was sitting on the edge. His biceps bulged and she hovered, ready to catch him.

  “Been avoiding me.”

  “That’s not true,” she protested.

  He shot her a quelling look that made her gulp nervously. Uh-oh.

  “Fifteen,” he told her.

  “Fifteen what?” she asked.

  “You know fifteen what,” he grumbled.

  She moved behind him, her arms out. She had no idea how she was going to hold onto him if he tilted over but she’d have to try. She wasn’t so worried about the fifteen. So far, they hadn’t given her any of the punishments they’d threatened.