by Stella Moore
The playful expression on her face was worth the rock-hard erection pressing painfully against the zipper of his jeans. “Promises, promises, old man.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” A quick glance around confirmed they were mostly alone, so he reached down and swatted her once, hard enough to make her squeal.
“James!” Her voice dropped to a hiss. “You can’t do that here!”
“It’s Daddy to you, little girl. And I can do whatever I want. Isn’t that right?”
Though her cheeks went pink with embarrassment, her eyes blazed with need. “Yes, Daddy.”
God, it was tempting to ditch their plans and spend the entire weekend in bed. Instead, he winked and linked his fingers with hers. At the car, she changed into her sandals and they walked the short distance to the wooden boardwalk. The soft breeze coming off the ocean lifted her curls, sending them dancing to a tune he couldn’t hear. Unable to stop himself even if he wanted to, he pulled her into him and lowered his lips to hers.
“I love kissing you, little one,” he said when he reluctantly broke the kiss a few moments later.
“Yeah?” She grinned up at him, and he’d have been lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the way her eyes had gone just a little unfocused and glassy with his kiss.
“Yeah. I don’t get to kiss you nearly as often as I’d like.”
“Then shut up and kiss me again, old man.”
He growled softly, and the kiss he laid on her this time wasn’t slow and gentle. This was a kiss filled with dark promises of retribution. “Keep pushing your luck, little one,” he murmured against her lips. “The ride home Sunday may not be as much fun as the ride here.”
“Whatever you say, Daddy.”
“That’s more like it.” James took her hand again, swinging it lightly as they strolled the boardwalk.
“Oh!” They’d only passed a few shops when Olivia rushed over to a window display, pulling him along behind her. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”
The sculpture was stunning. Made of what he assumed was porcelain, a mermaid rose from a crashing wave made of glass, her head tossed back as some imaginary wind lifted her hair. The mermaid’s face was somehow hopeful and sad at the same time.
“Do you like it?” James asked. Since he was watching her more than the window, he saw the pleasure on her face.
“I love it. It would look beautiful in the new house. It’s probably a small fortune, though.”
“Let’s go take a look.”
“Oh, no, we don’t have to. I just thought it was pretty. Really, James, you’ve spoiled me enough this weekend.”
“Nonsense. There’s no such thing when it comes to my girl. Come on.” Ignoring her protests, he pulled her into the shop.
The sculpture wasn’t as expensive as he’d imagined, though it was more than he’d normally spend on such a piece. But he’d seen the look on Olivia’s face when she’d spotted it, and he couldn’t put a price tag on her happiness. After paying for it, he made arrangements to have it delivered to the new house after the papers were signed.
“You really didn’t have to buy it, James.”
“No, I didn’t. But you wanted it, and I wanted to make you happy.”
Without warning, she stopped in the middle of the boardwalk, looking up at him with her ‘I have something big to tell you’ look. “James, I don’t need things to make me happy. This whole weekend, the house, none of it matters to me. I mean, I love it, please don’t get me wrong. But what makes me happy is having you by my side. I don’t need you to spoil me.”
He considered brushing her off, but the earnest look in her eyes told him he needed to come clean. “I need it.”
“What?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he blew out a breath. “I need to spoil you. The past few months without my little girl were hell, and we were finally getting back on track when this asshole decided to start killing people. I love you, and I need to spoil you a little so you never forget how much I love you. Losing you...” He had to stop and drag in a breath to counteract the shakiness in his voice. “Losing you would fucking kill me, Livvy. I just need you to know you’re my whole world.”
“Oh, Daddy.” She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. “I know. I always know. But if you need to spoil me, I won’t say another word about it.” Pulling away from him, she mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key.
Her silliness helped to ease some of the tension gripping him. Leaning down, he brushed a kiss over her lips. “That’s my girl.”
* * *
Sunday morning, he woke to the sound of crashing waves. Sitting up in bed, he squinted at the sunlight pouring into the room through the open door.
Why the hell was the door open? He looked to his left, his stomach lurching violently at the empty space beside him.
“Liv? Livvy!”
He’d just yanked his shorts on when she came jogging up the stairs. “You’re awake!” she called cheerfully when she spotted him.
Without giving her a chance to explain where she’d been, James sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her across his lap. The damp spot on the back of her shorts gave him a pretty good idea where she’d disappeared to, which just cemented his decision. He tugged the shorts to her knees and slammed his hand into her wet, bikini-clad bottom.
“Ow! Daddy, stop!” Kicking and squealing for all she was worth, Olivia struggled to avoid his hand, but he was well practiced in giving his little girl the spanking she needed, no matter how hard she fought.
“You do not disappear without telling Daddy where you’re going!” He continued to pepper her bottom with hard, well-placed swats while he lectured. “I had no idea where you were. You scared the shit out of me, Olivia Jane!”
She froze over his lap. “Oh. Ouch! I’m sorry, Daddy.”
It was the real contrition in her voice that convinced him she’d had enough. After a few more heavy spanks, he stopped and rubbed her bottom. “Why are you sorry, little one?”
“I didn’t think about your feelings. I’m sorry, please don’t be mad anymore.”
“Oh, Livvy.” With a sigh, James helped her to sit up on his lap. “I’m not mad. I was scared. You should have left me a note or woken me up or something. Not to mention the whole issue with going into the ocean by yourself, young lady.”
“I’m not a baby, I know how to swim.”
“I know you’re not a baby. But even the strongest swimmers have accidents in the ocean. No more going in without me, okay?”
“But Daddy—”
“Olivia.”
She pouted, her full bottom lip sticking out so far he could’ve landed a 747 on it. “Fine, I won’t have any fun without you.”
Raising an eyebrow, he gave her ass a hard squeeze. “Someone seems keen to ride home on a very sore bottom this afternoon.”
“No, Daddy.” Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed. “I’m sorry I scared you and I won’t go in the ocean alone again.”
“Much better. Now, how about some waffles?”
Chapter Nineteen
Olivia was fighting sleep by the time they turned into their neighborhood. Despite sleeping like a rock the night before, she’d worn herself out with swimming and other activities with her daddy.
But when she spotted Bryant’s car in their driveway and the figure sitting on their front steps, every trace of sleepiness fled.
“Something’s wrong. James, did he call you? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, Livvy. Olivia!”
She’d unbuckled and jumped out of the car before he had a chance to put it in park. Racing for the front steps, she called his name. “Bryant! What’s wrong?”
Bryant lifted his head, and the sadness in his eyes stole her breath. Pushing to his feet, he reached for her. “Livvy, sweetheart. It’s Shannon. She’s in the hospital.”
The world spun violently. “What? No. You’re lying.”
“No, sweetheart, I’m not. I saw it on the news
this morning, and I made some calls. She was attacked last night.”
“Daddy?” She turned into James, but even his strong arms couldn’t hold off the sobs rising in her throat.
“I know, baby. Let’s get you inside so you can lie down.”
“No!” Jerking out of his embrace, she glared up at him. “I need to see her.”
“Livvy.” James shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry. Of course you do. We can go see her right now.”
“I’ll drive,” Bryant said. He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Unable to speak, she jerked her head up and down. She allowed James to bundle her into the backseat, where he helped her close as they raced to the hospital.
“What happened to her, Bry?” she managed to ask halfway there.
“I don’t know, exactly. I saw it on the news this morning, but the hospital couldn’t tell me anything. The detectives were a little more forthcoming, but not much.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“I—” He audibly swallowed. “I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“What the hell do you know, Bryant?” she snapped, ignoring James’s attempts to calm her.
“I know she was found this morning in a house she’s listing. And she’s pretty beat up.” When he met her gaze in the rearview mirror, her stomach twisted at the grief in his eyes. “Livvy... she might not make it, sweetheart. You need to be prepared for that possibility.”
“No. You don’t know her like I do. She can’t—she won’t.” Squeezing her eyes shut, she focused on her breathing. But she couldn’t seem to draw in enough air through the vise of fear gripping her lungs. “She’s strong,” she whispered.
“Livvy.” James’s gentle voice prodded her to open her eyes and turn to him. She saw her own fear mirrored in the crystal blue, but underneath she saw the strength she so often relied on him for. “Just breathe, little one. You need to breathe, and calm down so you can be strong for Shannon. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.” She gripped his hand, centering herself with his touch. “I’m calm. I’m calm.”
“Good girl.”
While he’d been coaching her through her mini panic attack, Bryant had found a parking space. The three of them climbed out of the car and James’s hand on hers was the only thing that kept her from racing through the white, sterile halls.
Bryant had worked some kind of magic with his police contacts and gotten them cleared through. Shannon’s room was easily identified by the uniformed officer standing guard. Bryant spoke to the officer in hushed tones for a few minutes before waving Olivia forward.
But now that she was here, she couldn’t move. Fear, the deep, primal kind that came from the possibility of losing someone you love kept her rooted to the spot.
“Livvy?”
At the sound of her name, she looked up at James. Her daddy. The vise around her chest loosened and she was able to breathe again. “I can’t,” she whispered, shame heating her cheeks and bringing tears to her eyes.
James lifted a hand to her cheek. Part of her expected to see disappointment in his eyes, but she was met only with compassion. “Yes, you can, little one.” He dropped his voice so only she could hear. “Daddy’s right here. We’ll go together.”
“Okay.” Focusing on him, she matched her breaths to his. “Okay.”
Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of her best friend in a hospital bed, pale and lifeless with dozens of wires and tubes connected to her. Shannon, who had always seemed larger than life, looked like a tiny little girl in the bed. Her right eye was black and blue, a stark contrast to the white of the bandages around her neck.
“Oh, Shannon.” Olivia stepped forward, picking up her friend’s limp hand. There was so much she wanted to say, but the words all seemed to get stuck in her throat.
Bryant and James flanked her, quiet sentries guarding their princess. As grateful as she was for their silent strength, she desperately wished she could will some of it into the lifeless form in the hospital bed.
They’d only been in the room a few minutes when the sound of a throat clearing had them all turning to face the door. Detective Rogers stood just inside the room, her face a stony mask. “I’m sorry to intrude, but I need a few moments with Mrs. Monroe.”
“Can’t this wait?” Bryant snapped.
Forcing a smile, Olivia squeezed his hand. “It’s fine. Will you stay with her while I go talk to the detective?”
The muscles working in his throat told her he wanted to argue, but he eventually nodded. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”
Hand in hand with her husband, she followed Rogers down the hall to a small, empty waiting room. The trio stepped inside and the detective closed the door behind them.
“I know this is difficult for you, but I just have a couple of questions. Would you like to sit?”
“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be,” Olivia said as James guided her to a chair. “We’ve been out of town since Friday and we just got home.”
Rogers jotted something down in the small notebook she’d pulled from her jacket pocket. “That’s helpful. Anything you can give us might help us piece things together. You and Ms. Wright are friends, correct?”
“Yes.” Swallowing hard, Olivia blinked against the tears burning in her eyes. “She’s my best friend.”
“Do you know if she’d been taking any precautions since the first murder?”
Murder. Olivia couldn’t quite stop the soft whimper from escaping, promoting James to drape an arm around her shoulders and squeeze. “Um. She stayed with us for a couple nights. Her agency didn’t seem too concerned, but I do know she was able to get some of her coworkers to go to a few showings with her.”
“That’s very helpful, Mrs. Monroe. Did you speak to her at all this weekend? Did she mention anything about who she might have been meeting last night?”
“No. I didn’t call her Friday to let her know I was leaving town. She’d decided to go back to her apartment, so I didn’t even think to call her.” Each breath required her to focus. “I didn’t think of her at all this weekend.”
Beside her, James shook his head. “Livvy, baby, we didn’t know.”
“We didn’t know because we didn’t call her. I was so wrapped up in the house and the surprise vacation, I never thought to check in. I should have.” Hysteria bubbled up inside of her and no amount of breathing techniques could keep it at bay. “If I’d called last night, I would have known something was wrong and we could have helped her.”
“Look at me.”
The snapped order from Detective Rogers shocked her into obedience. “This was not your fault. This happened because some asshole has it in their head that they have the right to come after you and your friends. Everything that has happened, every second of pain and misery is his fault. Not yours. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The lecture and instinctive response helped to hold the panic at bay. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Or anybody else for that matter. Not a goddamn bit of this is your fault, so don’t you dare apologize.” The detective rose and tugged forcefully at her shirt sleeves, as if the fabric had somehow offended her. “If you think of anything else, you know how to contact me.”
“I like her,” James said when the door shut behind her.
Olivia stared at him for a moment before snorting out a disbelieving laugh. “She’s a real peach.”
“Well, she could certainly work on her customer service skills, but she wasn’t wrong. And you don’t look like you’re about to go into a full-blown meltdown anymore.”
“No, I’m better.” She was surprised to realize she meant it. Though she was still sad, and scared, she no longer felt like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “We should go back to Shannon’s room.”
“You sure? You can have a few more minutes if you need it.”
“I love that you want to protect me, but I’m good. Pinkie promise, Daddy.”
<
br /> Hooking his pinkie with hers, he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. “All right. Let’s go.”
They returned to the hospital room where Bryant had been joined by a stunning older version of Shannon. “Mary.” Taking the last few steps at a run, Olivia threw her arms around the older woman’s neck. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“She’ll be fine.” Mary Wright’s voice held the strength Olivia couldn’t seem to find in herself. “My baby is strong. She’s a fighter.”
“I know.” Olivia stepped back, allowing James to move in for a hug. Bryant hung back, slowly moving toward the door.
But Olivia wasn’t about to let him get away that easily. Linking arms with him, she anchored him in place. “Mary, have you met my brother-in-law, Bryant? He and Shannon are... friends.”
Mary’s eyebrow quirked up, and despite the circumstances, her green eyes danced with mischief. “We’ve been introduced, but I was under the impression he was here with you.”
“Don’t let him fool you. He’s been working up the nerve to ask Shannon on a date since he laid eyes on her.”
The look Bryant sent her told her she’d regret that bold statement the moment they were alone. But a quick glance at her daddy reassured her he was enjoying his brother’s discomfort as much as anybody.
“So, Bryant. Now that I know you have designs on my Shannon, might I ask what you do for a living?”
Bryant sent James a silent plea but James simply shrugged, amusement dancing in his eyes. Apparently realizing he was on his own, Bryant forced a smile in Mary’s direction. “I’m a lawyer, ma’am.”
“What kind of law?”
“Criminal, but nothing as glamorous as you might see on television.”
“Ah. I got my start in criminal law, but Shannon’s father convinced me to move to real estate law after she was born.”
Olivia hadn’t known Bryant’s face could turn that particular shade of red, and she had to swallow a giggle when he stammered out a reply. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I, ah, didn’t mean to imply anything.”
“Of course not, dear. Do you own your own home? I happen to know a lovely agent.”
