Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Weird kid.
Sweet kid.
Rani laid her head on Daisy’s shoulder. The nursery was illuminated with night-lights, giving the place a glow.
Bri stood in the middle of the room. “I can’t find Devi.”
Daisy sighed and set Rani on her feet. “Hey, sweetie. You get into your PJs with Miss Bri and I’ll be back to read you a story.” She gave Rani a hug before turning back to Bri. “She’s probably sitting on the back step regretting all of her life decisions. She thinks if she’d gone into the Army instead of college she might be in a better place. That better place being closer to Zach. You know she feels like the odd one out in her family even though Aunt Erin was thrilled she went to college.”
“Talk to her,” Bri said, holding Rani’s hand. “I’ll get Rani ready and then make us all some tea. I’ll look around to see if I can feed the Aussies. They can eat.”
They definitely could, and she might need something heartier than tea because she felt like she and her da were about to have a long overdue conversation.
She started for the back door when her cell buzzed in her pocket.
She glanced over at the security system and sure enough, it was off.
But Devi would have turned it off to open the door and back on when she closed it. She would never have left the alarm off. Devi was good with random numbers.
What Devi wouldn’t have done was walked away from the door. She couldn’t see her sitting on the steps where she sometimes took a break. Devi wouldn’t have left that door unattended. Not ever. If she had to leave, she would have informed someone.
A chill went through her, and she backed up.
Something was wrong. She just knew it.
She raced back to the men she cared about most, eager to put this all in their hands.
Chapter Twelve
“Hey, Uncle Li, I just wanted to…” Lucas began.
Nate stepped back, wanting to watch how this scene played out.
“You wanted to what, Lucas? Do you think I don’t have ears? What is your mother going to say when I tell her you wanted to defile my precious angel?”
It felt so good to have Li O’Donnell’s outrage directed at someone else.
Lucas sighed. “She’ll probably direct you to group therapy. My mom is very sarcastic. She’ll give you a lecture on how defiling is my favorite activity.”
When they’d shown up ten minutes before, his gut had tightened as he’d watch Li punch in the security code and let himself in through the front door. He’d watched as the man had avoided the kids’ area. He’d known exactly where he was going. The security office, where Nate had settled in for the night. Only the addition of his father had made Nate think Li wasn’t on an assassination run.
Liam had made his way to the office and then given Nate a rundown on what had happened in El Salvador.
It might take a few days, but Liam was absolutely certain someone from a rival cartel would handle the problem. He’d explained the work hadn’t been rough. A little misinformation here and there and voila, Li O’Donnell had two rival cartels taking each other out. He was a perfectly ruthless bastard, and Nate approved.
Just a few more days and Daisy should be safe enough to be out and about in public, and what was Nate planning on doing about that?
His father had sighed and said something about Nate being young and he and Daisy just starting to date and Nate had been honest.
“Marry her as soon as she says yes,” he’d explained.
Then real trouble had shown up. Before Li had been able to reply to his declaration of intent, those three lotharios had been invading and trying to take his honey. He’d known the minute those three had shown up Aidan had talked to the Doms and likely been an asshole who told them she was now on the market for a Dom.
Of course he’d heard the twins had been told what was happening and they’d unleashed a wrathful Lou on Aidan’s ass. Aidan was being bombarded with emails about male enhancement drugs. It was a minor revenge, but then Aidan had been following his father’s wishes.
This felt like malicious compliance at its finest.
The good news? He’d heard his girl explaining all the reasons she had no interest in any of these pretty, rich boys.
Gabriel Lodge was heir to a billionaire. Lucas’s parents ran a restaurant empire. Hunter’s folks were part owners of McKay-Taggart.
He was nothing but a soldier with a busted-up truck and barely a room of his own, but his Daisy didn’t care.
He was so fucking in love with her.
“I think they understand now, Liam.” Nate was perfectly calm since he knew where his Daisy’s affections went. He also thought once he had a collar around her throat all the horny arseholes would back off. Well, the Doms would. He got the feeling he would have to explain to more than one besotted idiot that Daisy belonged to him.