“Dad, you’re a boy too, you shouldn’t agree to that,” Jasmine said, shaking her head and giggling.
“Huh, I’m a man, not a boy, so it’s safe,” Peanut said with narrowed eyes and a fake mean face. Jasmine shook her head.
“Dad, you’re silly,” she said before she went back to eating her chicken tenders. Peanut glanced over at the blonde again, his eyes meeting hers. She quickly looked away, but not before he noticed the fear that clouded hers. His jaw hurt as he ground his teeth again, hating the fact that he couldn’t take care of whoever had left those bruises on her. He didn’t normally feel the need to protect the world, but for some reason seeing them on her enraged him. Maybe it was her slight resemblance to Melony, he wasn’t sure, but his guts churned with anger.
He watched her for another moment before he turned back to Jasmine. He noted that she was picking at her food, making small shapes from her nuggets and lining up her fries like little soldiers. He watched her dip a chicken tender into the ketchup and the mustard twice. When the waitress came over to check on them, smiled and asked her for a box since Jasmine wasn’t really eating her food so much as playing with it. Jasmine didn’t protest when he spoke, so he knew she was finished.
He found his eyes back on the woman as the waitress left their table. He watched as she stood up and headed to the door, noticing that her movements were stiff, and wondered where else she had bruises. He felt an almost irresistible urge to get up and follow her, but gripped the table to stop himself because ultimately it was none of his business. Peanut was still telling himself that going after her was a bad idea when the waitress brought their check and the box he’d asked for. He occupied himself with helping Jasmine put her food into the box, ignoring the way every part of him wanted to rush out the door to find the blonde.
He left enough money to cover the bill with a twenty percent tip and began guiding Jazzy to the door. He held the door open for her and she was skipping and singing some song she’d learned from some show she watched constantly as she went through. He smiled softly, feeling a tenderness in his chest that always seemed to accompany her presence. He loved his daughter so damned much he almost ached with it. He worked hard to make sure she never had to suffer what had happened to Melony. He let the door shut behind them and took Jazzy’s hand to lead her to the car.
As he looked up, he noticed that the blonde was sitting down on a bench a few feet from the door of the diner. Her foot was up on it and it looked like she was tying her shoe. His eyes narrowed as he watched a younger man heading toward the bench. Something about the kid screamed trouble. He watched as the kid shifted from foot to foot as he paused near the bench. He glanced left and right before he reached down and grabbed her bag.
Shit. Damn it, that little fucking punk!
Peanut watched the woman jump to her feet, her eyes wide as she watched the boy running across the street without looking for traffic. He let out a little growl. Fuck, he couldn’t just let this kid steal her shit. He crouched for a second getting Jasmine’s full attention.
“Jazzy, stay put and if I’m not back in ten minutes go inside with Hailey and call one of your uncles,” Peanut growled.
“Okay dad,” Jazzy said. He nodded and took off after the fleeing prick.
“Stop, you little fucker!” he yelled at the kid. He was a few feet away from the diner when he heard Jasmine speak to the woman. He grinned as he chased after the escaping thief.
“Don’t worry. My dad will take care of hi—” Jasmine’s voice faded as he ran toward the alley the kid had darted down. His feet pounded on the hard pavement and he saw that the kid was headed to a car that was idling at the other end of the alley. Fuck, he’d never catch the kid if he made it to that car. The thought spurred him on and he sped up trying to reach the car before the little shit could get away.
He was hoping that he’d be able to grab him while he opened the door on the late model Ford but when the kid was a few feet away the door was flung open. Peanut kept running but he knew he wasn’t going to catch the damned kid. He watched as he bulleted into the car and slammed the door before the squeal of tires filled the air. He stood panting in the spot that the car had been in, cursing his age. Fuck, a few years ago he would have caught that little shit.
A few minutes after watching the car disappear he pulled out his phone and put the partial tag number in his notes app. It likely wouldn’t do any good because the car was probably stolen too, but at least he could try to find the little shits. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and headed back to Jasmine and the blonde. He could see Jasmine patting the woman’s shoulder and talking to her. Peanut felt like shit when he realized that the woman was crying. Jasmine was trying to calm her down and as he neared them he heard some of what she was saying to the woman and he felt his chest expand with love.
“Don’t worry. Daddy will fix it. He and my uncles will get those big meanies. That’s what they do. Dad’s the best even though Uncle Rage says he is. He’s not though but my dad is, and he will make it better. I promise,” Jasmine was saying while patting the woman’s shoulder.
“I—I don’t think th-that he can fix this. What am I going to do? All my money was in there. I ca-can’t go back. I ca-can’t. What am I going to do?” the woman was saying.
“Don’t worry. Daddy will fix it,” Jasmine repeated.
“I can’t go back,” the woman moaned.
Peanut knew in that moment that he’d move heaven and earth to help her. Something about seeing her crying was really getting under his skin and making him itch.
“Dad! You’re back. Did you get him?” she asked
“I couldn’t catch him. He had someone waiting on him at the end of the alleyway,” Peanut said, wishing he didn’t have to say anything. He watched as the blonde raised her tear-filled eyes and he felt like he’d been punched in the stomach.
Fuck, she was a beauty. Even with the bruises marring her skin she was stunning. Those green eyes pierced him, and he noted the weariness in them. Those eyes reminded him of Melony again and every instinct he had screamed at him to protect her. He found himself sitting down on the bench beside her. Jasmine was kneeling on her other side still rubbing her shoulder. Jasmine looked at him with so much faith and he knew that to her he was the hero. He was the person who always fixed whatever was wrong and she expected him to fix everything. The heavy weight of that faith left him feeling every one of his thirty-two years.
“It’s o-okay,” the blonde whispered.
Peanut raised a brow at her and she looked away quickly because they both knew it was a lie. She shifted on the bench and her little sniffle gave away her distress. She wasn’t okay. Peanut watched her bowed head for a long moment debating what to do. She’d said that every bit of money she had was in that bag. It was obvious that she was running. She was trying to get away from whoever had hurt her. Melony had run away once too. He’d tried to help her but that little endeavor had ended with her being given back to her father by two well-meaning cops who thought she was a runaway.
“I can help you. I can give you money,” Peanut said.
Her green eyes shot to his and she was shaking her head. Her hands gripped the sleeves of her sweater as she wiggled nervously. Peanut wanted to reach out and wipe the tears from her cheeks, but he resisted the urge. He knew that she’d run if he pushed her too hard. He didn’t want that. Jasmine looked at him with a smile.
“See, I told you dad would help.”
“I can’t take money from you,” she said.
“You can. I’m offering and you need help,” Peanut replied.
He didn’t look away from her even when she turned away to stare down the street as she tried to process. Peanut wasn’t offended. He knew that her life hadn’t been easy and whoever had hurt her had taught her not to trust. His body was relaxed and still beside her. He wasn’t close on the bench, but he knew his nearness made her nervous. He could almost feel the power of her fear vibrating in the air between them as he
waited for her to speak.
“You could work for me if that helps,” he suggested. Her green eyes jumped to his again.
“Wo-ork?” she asked.
Peanut almost laughed because he could already see where her brain was going with that suggestion. Even as he set about reassuring her, his idea took on a life of its own and he knew that he’d do whatever it took to convince her.
“Yeah, I need someone to watch Jasmine.”
“Dad, Brenna watches me,” Jazzy insisted. Shit, him and his dick. How did he tell his little angel that he’d fucked that up? His idea was perfect. It kept the woman safe and it gave him a live-in nanny that he didn’t have to call every time he had shit to do.
“Yeah, but it would be easier if we had someone who helped all the time. It wouldn’t be so difficult for me to find someone to watch you when I need to help your uncles. It would also help, um—” he paused, realizing he still didn’t know her name.
“Phoebe,” Jasmine said, realizing who he was talking about.
“Right, it would help Phoebe,” he said testing the name.
It meant “bright” in Greek and it fit her. Peanut snorted a little at his own musings. He was surprised he’d remembered Hambone telling him the meaning of Phoebe’s name. It had been a little over six months ago when they were thinking of what to name their daughter. Hambone and Kate had ended up naming her Abigail which meant “Dad’s joy” or something like that. It was funny that he’d actually remembered. Stuff like that was normally something he didn’t really care about. He would be the first to admit he was a sappy fucker when it came to his daughter but thinking about names and their meaning wasn’t something he did.
“Let me get this straight. You’re asking me—a complete stranger—to live with you and care for your child?” Phoebe asked, her brow furrowed.
“Yeah,” Peanut replied.
Her words made him think about how out of character his request was. He hadn’t thought it through before he’d said it, but now that he had it felt right. He’d always trusted his instincts and today wasn’t any different. It might be crazy to allow a woman he didn’t even know keep his daughter, but something about her screamed responsible. He watched her tilt her head and look at him with those green eyes filled with uncertainty and confusion. He knew she was thinking over what he’d just suggested so he waited, observing her silently.
Chapter Eight
Phoebe couldn’t believe that the past few minutes had happened. Someone had stolen her bag and she’d been offered a job. What the hell was going on? Everything she owned had been ripped from her in just a few seconds. She had no idea what she was going to do. She’d had a plan, but that plan wasn’t going to be possible without any money. She looked over at the adorable little girl who had just taken her hand in hers. Jasmine smiled and gently squeezed her hand.
“Phoebe, it’s okay,” she said as her hand tightened in another reassuring squeeze.
Was it? Phoebe didn’t know anymore. She warily stared at the man who seemed to be handing her an answer to her problems on a silver platter. It made her nervous that he was just offering a perfect solution. Wasn’t trusting a man what had gotten her into this situation in the first place? She took in his shoulder length brown locks, his kind brown eyes, and the leather cut proclaiming him a member of the Devils Arms MC. She swallowed hard because the only thing she knew about the motorcycle club was what she’d seen in the news and that wasn’t pretty.
She was shocked that he wasn’t pressuring her. He just sat beside her waiting, like her answer didn’t matter to him one way or the other. Maybe it didn’t, maybe he was just trying to help her. She didn’t know what to do. She was scared to agree but she didn’t really have many choices. The reality was she had exactly sixty dollars that she’d shoved into her shoe earlier plus the change from the diner. She’d put the money in her shoe in case Johnny found her and she had to stash her bag. Phoebe hadn’t really thought her bag would be stolen, or she would have put more money in her shoe and she wouldn’t be in this position. She tilted her head and watched him silently, searching for some sign that she could trust him.
“It’s up to you,” the man said.
Phoebe felt something inside her ease when he said those words. She knew somehow that he meant them. It was odd how she already seemed to know him well enough to read his body language. She knew if she refused his offer he’d walk away. He wasn’t going to force her.
“I just want to note that I think you’re crazy for giving someone you don’t even know a job watching your daughter. What will your wife think?” Phoebe asked.
She didn’t know why she’d said it, maybe to see his reaction to her words. She knew how Johnny would have reacted. He’d likely have slapped her or maybe called her a bitch. He’d never hit her in public but the things he’d said to her had been almost as bad. They’d eaten away at her confidence and when they’d gotten home the beating had always been much worse.
“Don’t have a wife. As for the being crazy, that’s possible,” the man said with a little chuckle.
Phoebe felt her nerves return and she was about to refuse his offer. No way she wanted to chance getting into another bad situation. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.
“Dad’s just a big softie,” Jasmine piped up from beside her.
“A softie, huh?” Phoebe asked, smiling at the little girl despite her nerves.
“Yep, he’s always letting me convince him about stuff. Like I want some bangs and he said I could get them. Although sometimes he says no. Like when I wanted a pony with bright pink hair. So I guess sometimes he can be mean,” Jasmine said after some thought, her little brow furrowing.
“Ah, yes, very mean,” Phoebe said, laughing softly.
“The pony wouldn’t fit in your room and the yard’s too small,” he said on a frustrated sigh.
Phoebe realized he was upset that he couldn’t get his daughter something she wanted and her heart squeezed. Damn, why couldn’t Johnny have been like this man?
“You still said no,” Jasmine insisted.
“Yeah, Jazzy. I guess I did,” he replied before looking at her.
“He’s still nice though,” Jasmine said, her smile big, revealing the missing tooth that Phoebe hadn’t noticed before. It was cute as hell. She closed her eyes trying not to let the kid’s cuteness affect her. She couldn’t decide what to do. Should she trust this man whom she knew nothing about and take his offer or should she take her chances and try to get a job somewhere else? She just didn’t know. How could she trust her instincts when they’d led her so astray with Johnny?
“What’s it going to be? You want the job or not?” he asked.
“What’s the pay?” she asked, trying to stall for time to decide.
“Three hundred a week with room and board,” he said looking at her expectantly.
“You want me to care for her during the day every day?”
“I work a sporadic schedule. Most of the time I’m home but sometimes I have to be gone for a few days at a time. About twice a month I have to handle the runs for the club. Typically, I have Jasmine stay with our neighbor or one of my brother’s old ladies. It’s becoming a hassle to find someone every month. It would be easier with a live-in nanny,” he explained.
“Fine but I want four hundred and one weekend off a month,” she negotiated.
“Done,” he said.
“Yay! I like Phoebe. We’re going to have lots of fun together, I just know it,” Jasmine said jumping off the bench. He stood up and followed behind his skipping daughter without looking back to see if she was following. It was a bit of a shock to her as she sat there watching them for a moment wondering what had just happened.
“Wait, I don’t even know your name,” she called out as she got up to follow them.
“Peanut,” he muttered, glancing back at her.
She frowned. Surely he hadn’t just said his name was Peanut, had he? No, she must be mistaken. She stood up and follo
wed them towards the parking lot that was along the side of the diner.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you correctly,” she said as they neared a little Kia Forte.
“You heard me right. My name’s Peanut.”
He was holding the door open as Jasmine climbed into the back seat and buckled in. He glanced at Phoebe and grinned. She felt something inside her tighten in appreciation of that wicked grin he was displaying.
“Seriously?” She couldn’t keep the astonishment from her voice, and she felt her cheeks heat. He just chuckled as he shut Jasmine’s door and headed around to the driver’s side of the car.
“Seriously. Now get in, Lovely.”
She stood staring at the man who climbed into the car without another word. Wait, had he just called her Lovely? Surely not, that was just strange, wasn’t it? With her hands wringing and her mind screaming at her to be cautious, she walked to the car, opened the back door and climbed inside beside Jasmine. She wasn’t about to sit up front with the confusing man.
“Buckle up,” Peanut said from the front, not protesting the fact that she’d chosen to sit in the back. He just waited till she was in her seat belt before putting the car in gear and pulling out of the parking spot. What the hell had she been thinking, she asked herself as they pulled onto the street and headed away from the diner. Panic was setting in and she felt the fear course through her. She gripped the seat and tried not to freak out and scream at him to stop and let her out. She was just starting to think she was going to lose her mind when a little hand covered hers and pulled on it. She looked up and saw Jasmine watching her with a little frown.
“Don’t worry, Dad’s a good driver,” Jasmine assured her, misunderstanding the reason for her fear. Phoebe felt the tight ball of fear that had invaded her stomach ease just a little as she held the little girl’s hand. Her eyes met Peanut’s in the rearview mirror, and she knew he hadn’t misunderstood. The knowing look in his eyes told her that he was well aware of what she was running from. That knowledge should have sent her over the edge but somehow it reassured her instead. She found herself relaxing back into the seat as the scenery flashed by.
Saved by the Devil (Devils Arms Book 3) Page 6
