He didn’t say anything either, allowing her to cling to him and take his strength . . . pushing it from him and giving it freely as a gift. It was the least he could do for the daughter he never even knew existed.
Slowly her body stilled, her cries ceasing, but she stayed within his arms, her hands still clutching to him. Cody remained where he was, savoring the feel of his daughter in his arms, wondering what it would’ve felt like to hold her as a newborn. How he would’ve felt to see her being born at all. Shit, he’d missed so much, but he wasn’t going to allow her to walk out of his life now.
Not happening. He’d do whatever it took to keep her . . . and rescue her mother . . . his one and only love. Surely the two of them would want that? He just had to figure out how to do it without getting himself killed in the process.
“I’m okay now, thank you.” Cordy stepped back, not completely away from him, and looked up into his face. “You make me feel . . . safe. For the first time in, like, forever, I feel safe. Not scared, or anxious, or angry.”
“You’ll always be safe with me.” He chucked under her chin. “I’m not the boy that left all those years ago. I’m strong and I’ll fight for you, and your mother. Don’t think I won’t, Cordy. You’ll stay here, where you’re safe, and we’ll talk things through about how we move forward . . . okay?”
Her head canted to the side, sizing him up. She came to a decision, he saw it clearly in her eyes, her face, her body language, well before she spoke. “Fine, I’ll stay, but I’ve no idea what we’ll do and I’m too tired to think about it.”
“That’s for me to figure out, for now, let me show you to your room.” He pointed behind him. “That’s mine there, and there’s two spare ones down the opposite end, over there. You can pick which one you want, but I think the one at the back . . . it’s got huge windows and looks out to the forest and it’s quieter as it’s not over the bar. And, it’s got a lock on it. It helped to make some of the people I had staying feel safe, maybe that’ll help you too. After all, you don’t know me. Again, it’s your choice though.”
“That sounds good.” Cordy followed him as he led the way. “I’ve had a tiny room at my grandparents and it wasn’t quiet, especially when he’d come around threatening to haul me home. I’d go off into the woods to hide for a few days every time he did that, until he’d cooled off. So, being here will be like being on holiday . . . it is safe. Isn’t it?”
She sped up, getting in front of him and he saw fear crossing her face as she asked that last part. It tore at his insides and caused his beast to rear up, his skin rippling uneasily, and he knew his eyes would be showing signs of an impending shift. He fought against it, forcing his Wolf back at the same time as he made sure to allay her obvious panic.
“You’ll be fine here, for many reasons.” He took her hand, holding it firmly as he carried on, “First, I have a great security system, so that would let us know well in advance if we’re asleep. Second, I’m a damn good fighter, so I can keep you safe . . . and I’m not trying to sound big headed. That’s just a simple fact. Third, I have people just a phone call away that can be here in minutes, not just my staff, but my pack. They’d be here in a heartbeat, Cordy, they won’t let anything happen to you. You’re mine, so they’ll protect you just as they would me. Even if you weren’t my daughter, you’re in my house, so they’d still protect you. The only thing you need to worry about is what you want for breakfast tomorrow. Now, here we are . . . what room do you want?”
“The back one.” She smirked up at him, heading straight for the door. “I’ll take your advice, about the view. See you later.”
“Yes, you will. Rest well.” He waited until she was inside before making his way back to the sofa and settling down.
There was not a chance in hell he’d be able to go to his room and sleep. Not while she was there and there was even a slim chance of a threat appearing. He planned on staying close, a night on the sofa would do him no harm. He’d done it many times before and, no doubt, would do so again.
Cody wouldn’t rest until Cordy was safe and that meant he had to come up with a plan on how to make that happen. But that was for tomorrow, tonight he had enough on his mind . . . coming to terms with the fact he had a daughter was a big enough surprise for one evening. But a full grown one was even more so.
His mind going over and over the what ifs, his stomach roiling, and his heart aching at the lost years . . . until finally it was too much and he fell over into a fitful slumber.
~ Chapter Six ~
Soft lips caressed his neck before nipping his skin playfully, his fingers dipping between thighs that opened willingly to give him better access to tease her clit, her moan against his skin his reward.
He knew her body so well and how to get her off quickly and that was his plan . . . only then would he sink inside her and take her to another orgasm as he sought his own. All the while he’d gaze down at her beauty, her face still flushed with the afterglow of the one he’d just given her. She never looked so fucking gorgeous as she did at that moment . . . eyes wide and dreamy, skin dewy with a sheen of sweat, and her love for him shining brightly.
Cody’s thumb brushed over her nub, circling it gently before using more pressure . . . her response was immediate and vocal as she jerked beneath him and squealed, “Oh god, yes!”
He couldn’t stop himself from chuckling, sliding down her body to dip his head and add his tongue to the mix. He knew he was torturing her . . . and that she loved it, knowing her body was his duty and he took it seriously. Her fingers grabbed his hair, holding him firmly in place as he licked and suckled her sensitive bundle of nerves until she was writhing beneath him . . . “Cody!” she screamed his name as her legs shook, her belly trembling and she came apart beneath him . . .
His eyes flew open and once again he felt despair filling him. The dream had been so fucking real that he was certain he could taste her on his lips, on his tongue . . . but no, he couldn’t. He was being a fool, she’d come to him only because of what had happened the previous night. It had dredged up everything, again. Cody forced himself to get up, and filled with melancholy that he wasn’t sure he’d get rid of anytime soon, he went to get showered and changed.
He wasn’t sure what Cordy would like for breakfast. Was she a bacon and eggs girl? Or did she prefer pancakes? The fact he didn’t know that basic detail about his own daughter caused a bout of anger to course through him. He had a damn right to know of her existence. He should’ve been told, damn it. The reality was he was pissed off he hadn’t been, but he also knew that it would’ve been difficult to have done so.
He remembered well the exact moment he’d smashed his ancient phone when he’d left his pack, and she hadn’t contacted him. A fit of temper overtaking him and he’d thrown the device to the ground, stomping on it, cursing like a heathen, before striding away to leave it in a muddy puddle. He could almost feel the rain as it had fallen that day, lashing over his face and masking the tears that had ran down his cheeks while he’d rushed away, knowing that things were truly over and he’d lost her forever. Now he wondered if she’d tried . . . had she called to tell him, only to find there was no answer?
Fuck! That swirled around in his brain like a hurricane causing his vision to blur, his stomach to churn and he was sure he was going to throw up. His hands gripped the sink, drawing deep breaths in as he fought to control his dry heaves.
A soft hand on the base of his back, quickly followed by a concerned voice, shocked the hell out of him . . . before he remembered he wasn’t alone. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
Cordy. She sounded worried as she peeked around and looked up at him. He pasted a smile onto his face, nodding. “I’m fine, it’s okay.”
“You didn’t look okay. You looked as if you were gonna puke.”
“No, honestly, I’m just . . . processing everything. I’ll be fine.” He didn’t think outright lying would fly with her. “So, bacon and eggs, or pancakes?”
&nb
sp; She went to the island and sat down on a stool, eyeing him. “This must be a lot for you too. I never thought of it from your side.”
“I’m okay, so, breakfast, what do you fancy?”
“Do you do that often?” She nibbled a nail, looking nervous. “Avoid things you don’t want to talk about?”
Cody was surprised at her forthrightness, she reminded him of, well, him. He smiled over at her. “Sometimes, yes.”
“Me too.” She smiled back. “Want to tell me what you were upset about?”
He didn’t. Really didn’t. But . . . maybe he should. She was asking him to open up and that was something he wasn’t good at. Shoot, it was something he was really bad at, but this was possibly a place they could start. She was asking him to trust her with something and this, possibly, could be the start of them building a relationship. If only he could take that first step.
“A memory.” He went over and sat down opposite her, pouring them both some orange juice.
“A memory? From when you left? Or before that?”
“I was angry earlier . . . I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that, but it’s the truth.” He sighed. “I was upset that I knew nothing about you. I thought I should’ve known about you . . . and then a memory flashed into my head about an incident after I’d left the pack.”
He shook his head, sadness engulfing him as he saw it again, his anger and frustration as he’d crushed the phone beneath his booted foot before storming away.
“What? What did you just see? Your face . . . it looked so sad.” Cordy’s voice was barely a whisper, her body leaning forward onto the counter.
He looked up, knowing his eyes were filled with the emotions stampeding through him, and although he tried to shield them as he carried on, he wasn’t sure he succeeded. “I was young, angry and upset, because I loved your mother with every cell in my body and when she wouldn’t leave with me . . . it broke me. It tore me apart and about a week later, maybe six days . . . I’d been checking my phone constantly, shit, it felt like every hour, and nothing. It was huge, in those days they weren’t like they are now, anyway, I’d pulled it out and checked it again. Nothing. So, I threw it on the ground and stomped on it until it was nothing but tiny broken shards beneath me and then I left it there and walked away. Now I can’t help but wonder if I hadn’t done that if she’d tried to tell me about you . . . I would’ve gone back for her. I would’ve done something, anything, to get her and you.”
Her eyes widened, her cheeks pinked, and her body stiffened. Shit. He shouldn’t have said anything. He’d probably just made everything worse by opening his big damn mouth. She sat there, saying nothing for long moments as he watched her, finally his eyes dropping because he couldn’t bear it any longer.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you that. It was stupid of me to put that on you.” He stood, desperate to erase the words and take them back . . . yet knowing he couldn’t. He was fucking this whole thing up but he had no clue how to do any of this and there was nobody to ask. Damn it. He should’ve done what he always did . . . kept his mouth shut.
“No.” Her voice was tiny, but it stopped him just as much as if she’d yelled it. “Thank you. I never thought you cared. I didn’t know you felt like that. Momma said she loved you and you loved her, but I didn’t really believe it, not truly, not ‘til now. I thought you were an asshole who’d just ran out on her, guess I was wrong on that too. Guess I’ve been wrong on a lot of stuff. Guess I need to rethink things ‘bout you.”
“No, you’re right. I was an ass. I did run away, well, I didn’t have much of a choice because the Alpha told me to go, but I could’ve done it better and I sure as hell could’ve stayed in touch and not been such an idiot and reacted the way I did because she refused to come with me. Maybe things would’ve been different, somehow, shit, I don’t know, Cordy, but if I’d known, about you, then I damn well would’ve done something. My pride got in the way of everything . . . I was hurting so much inside and my anger took over, so between anger and hurt feelings, shit, that’s what stopped me from finding out about you. I’m sorry.”
“You were young, like Momma, there’s not a lot you two could’ve done.” Cordy shrugged. “She said it was all decided very quickly when they discovered she was pregnant. She was mated within days and then she was under his control and not allowed to do anything or go anywhere on her own. It’s been like that ever since. I think he knew that if she could that she’d try and contact you, so, he made sure she couldn’t and he used threats to keep the secret. Used me against her, so it’s not your fault. I see that now and my anger at you has gone.”
Cody couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This young woman was talking like a much older one. One with years of experience under her belt, and one that had a heart of gold full of forgiveness he didn’t deserve. It humbled him like nothing he’d felt in his life before, his Wolf lay down inside him, whining . . . he knew how it felt.
“That means a lot to me. Thank you. But I could’ve done more and I’ll regret that for the rest of my life . . . but, you’re here now, so let’s agree to take it one day at a time from here on. Okay?”
Her bottom lip quivered slightly before she held out her hand, pinkie first. “If you promise you won’t run away from me ever again.”
Cody knew that was something he could never do. She was his and he would never abandon her. He’d die first. “I can make that promise, Cordy. Wholeheartedly.”
He joined his pinkie with hers and she gave him the brightest smile he’d ever seen in his entire life. It lit up the room, her eyes sparkling as their fingers entwined. “You better not.”
“Not gonna happen, baby.” He leaned over the counter and gently kissed the top of her head. “Now, will you answer my question? Bacon and eggs or pancakes?”
“Really?” She frowned, the skin puckering between her brows as she shook her head at him. “That’s not a valid question . . . both, of course!”
Cody chuckled, going to his fridge. “Then both you’ll have.”
“Can you show me around after breakfast?” she asked as he went to work. “I didn’t see much last night and the bar looks huge but it was full of people, so yeah, I didn’t get to look around.”
“Sure, I’ve got several deliveries coming so I’ll be downstairs for those and I’ll be checking stock for opening. The staff comes in early to help but I try and get most of it done before that. You can help, if you want. We can talk while we work . . . get to know each other.”
“Sounds good.” Cordy watched as he cooked, obviously surprised at his expertise.
“Hey, don’t look like that,” he joked. “I used to work in the kitchen when I was starting out, before I could afford to pay someone, and I never got any complaints. When I first left the pack, I had to earn money and I did whatever it took. Sometimes it was working in restaurants . . . well, that’s too posh a word for some of the places I worked in, but I learned how to cook.”
“Jeez Louise! He would never do anything like this. That’s women’s work in his eyes, shoot, he wouldn’t even get off his ass and get himself a beer from the kitchen. This is nice, having you cook me breakfast . . . you’re not a Neanderthal like so many of them back home.”
“A Neanderthal huh?” Cody dished up her bacon and eggs, checking the pancakes and deciding they needed another minute or so.
“Yeah.” Her face flushed. “I was hoping to go away to study Anthropology, I had the grades. I’d love to follow a career route that takes in that sort of thing, maybe work in a museum . . . or even working in criminology. I’m not sure, but I wasn’t allowed to go. It was too expensive and the money wasn’t there, he said no and that was that. So, I’ve been stuck at home and trying to stay out of his way for the past few months.”
Cody bristled at the thought of her obvious intelligence being wasted. He couldn’t understand why her supposed father wouldn’t want her to flourish. Hell, he’d be doing everything in his power to make her dreams come true . . . th
e fucker was an asshole for crushing them.
“Pancakes.” Cordy pointed with her fork and he realized he’d forgotten about them.
He only just managed to save them, hauling the pan off the flames before they burned. “Wow, almost lost them,” he jested as he slid them onto her plate.
“This is amazing.” She tucked in, eating as if she were starving.
“Thanks, just a simple breakfast.” He sat down, watching her as she scoffed the lot. His gaze taking in details that he hadn’t noticed the previous night. Ones that concerned him. She was thinner than she should be and he didn’t think it was a fashion statement.
Her clothes were old, worn, and probably second hand. Just how far did the mistreatment go? How long had it been going on for? Her entire life?
Fuck. That thought had Cody’s heart almost ripping from his chest, sadness engulfing him as he thought of the little girl being neglected and wronged by the person she thought of as her daddy. Wondering why he didn’t love her like all the other daddies loved their little girls.
If he found out that was the case, he’d take great pleasure in tearing that bastard’s heart out and stomping it into the fucking ground.
“All finished.” Cordy slid the plate away. “I’ll wash up.”
She didn’t seem to notice his mood, sweeping everything up and taking them to the sink. He needed a moment to collect himself so he didn’t tell her he had a dishwasher, allowing her to wash up and taking the time to calm himself before she dried her hands and turned around . . . he smiled, standing and nodding at her to follow him.
“All right, come on, I’ll give you the tour and then you can help me. Okay?”
Her eyes lit up, sparkling as she joined him. “Sounds good.”
“Don’t look so happy.” He grinned down at her. “You’re gonna be working too, Cordy, no slackers allowed.”
Cody's Second Chance: Bad Alpha Dads (Silver Streak Pack Book 3) Page 4
