Her Daddies’ Saving Grace

by Laylah Roberts

  “I’d say what you need is a medium-rare steak and an early night. Which I am happy to provide after I see to your hand and get you settled.”

  Arrogant ass.

  5

  Brick watched her eyes fill with temper.

  He preferred her temper to her wariness. Something told him she had a good reason for being so guarded. He likely wasn’t helping her feel more at ease around him. He was bossy and blunt, and he didn’t know how to change.

  One day he’d know all those nightmares he saw swirling in her eyes and he’d make every person that hurt her suffer. They’d rue the day they ever saw her.

  Ease back.

  You don’t know her. You’re here for a job. You have no right to her past.

  And he shouldn’t have any interest in her. She was the client. She was obviously damaged. There was far too much shit in his life going on right now for him to get into any sort of relationship. And he definitely couldn’t fall for a client.

  Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea for him to be her main contact.

  “Give me your hand,” he said, injecting some Dom into his voice.

  He waited impatiently for her to decide what to do. But before either of them could react or move, the door opened and Elias stepped in. “All clean, man.”

  Juliet let out a small squeal. Did that mean her vocal cords weren’t damaged? She leaned into him, and he had to stop himself from preening like a damn peacock. Idiot.

  There was definitely something weird here. He’d never felt such an instant draw towards someone.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you, Juliet,” Elias said, holding his hands out at his sides. He held the mop in one hand and the broom in the other.

  She made a noise of irritation, but he thought that was aimed at herself rather than Elias.

  With a sigh, she picked up her whiteboard.

  I’m not used to strangers in my house.

  “I totally understand,” Elias said with a smile.

  A stab of jealousy hit him as he sensed her relaxing. Elias could soothe the prickliest personality and have them soon eating out of the palm of his hand.

  “It’s not easy for anyone having strangers in their home. But we’ll do our best to be as unobtrusive as possible,” Elias told her.

  Will he?

  He frowned as he saw she’d drawn an arrow pointing his way after those words.

  Elias let out a bark of laughter. “Well, you’ve got Brick pegged right. And you’ve known him less than an hour.”

  Juliet smiled. Actually smiled. Her whole face lightened, and she looked so gorgeous that for a moment, his breath caught.

  Fuck. He definitely needed to get away from her.

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve got things I need to do. No time to stand around and chat. Elias, check her hand and don’t let her walk on that foot.”

  Before he could change his mind, he left the room.

  As soon as he left, he started cursing himself. Fuck.

  Shaking his head and ignoring his gut, which was telling him to go back to her, he strode out of the house and headed towards where he figured Sterling would be, setting up additional cameras.

  About twenty minutes later, Elias came into where he was sitting at the dining table. The pool house was as big as most people’s actual houses. It had two bedrooms, both with attached bathrooms and a full kitchen. He could easily stay here while letting Elias stay with Juliet in the house.

  “What was that?” Elias said.

  Brick was aware of Sterling turning to watch them with interest.

  “Why aren’t you with the client?” he asked Elias.

  “Because that’s your job.”

  “Not anymore,” he replied.

  “What does that mean? Damn it, look at me,” Elias snapped.

  Sterling looked between them with wide eyes.

  “I need you to take point with the client, Elias,” he explained. “I should have done that from the beginning. She’ll find it easier to be around you.”

  “I think you’re wrong. She wasn’t at ease with me at all after you left.”

  “What do you mean? Is she all right? Did you bandage up her hand?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I bandaged up her hand, but she was nervous around me. Jittery.”

  “What’s going on, Brick?” Sterling asked. “It was pretty obvious that she preferred you to the two of us when she grabbed onto you in the foyer.”

  “You gave her a fright and I was closest,” he grumbled. “She’ll be more comfortable with Elias.”

  “Fine,” Elias sighed. “I’ll go grab my stuff and get back in there, then. But I think you’re wrong. I think she’d be more comfortable with you.”

  Brick didn’t agree. He thought it was best that he kept some distance from her.

  6

  After limping into her playroom, Juliet set the electronic lock on the door.

  Hurt flooded her, but she did her best to squash it. Ridiculous. Why should she feel hurt? He had other things to do. Besides, he unsettled her. He made her react to him in ways she didn’t react to any man.

  Well, except Xavier. But her reactions to Xavier were unwanted as well. Because he would never reciprocate them. And yet, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Right now, all she wanted was to talk to him, to tell him about what was going on so he could reassure her that everything was going to be all right.

  Anxiety did a nasty dance in her tummy as she drew out her phone, she reread his text message.

  * * *

  Xavier: Sorry to leave you without saying goodbye but I’ve got to go see my parents. Call me when you can.

  * * *

  She clicked on his contact before she could talk herself out of it.

  “Twink? You okay?” His voice soothed her even as it excited her. But she thought he sounded tired.

  She sat on the sofa. “I’m all right. Are you? Why are you going to see your parents?”

  Xavier wasn’t that close to his parents. She’d never met them, but Reuben had told her a few things. They’d pushed all these expectations onto Xavier when he was younger. He’d always had to be the best at everything, and failure was never an option.

  Xavier sighed. “My mother found a lump in her breast, and I’m worried she won’t get it checked unless I’m there to help her.”

  “Oh no, I’m so sorry!” she told him.

  “Thanks, Twink. I’m sorry I had to leave before you woke up. I got called into the hospital to check on a patient. Are you all right? Want to tell me why you had a panic attack and Reuben told me to go around and check on you?”

  It always amazed her that with how much he had going on, he still took time to worry about her. She’d rang him with the intention of telling him what was going on, but she knew she couldn’t now. Her problems were nothing against his mother being ill.

  “I’m fine.”

  There was a beat of silence.

  “Twink,” he said in a low, warning voice that sent shivers through her body. If only Xavier saw her as anything other than a friend or little sister. “You know saying ‘I’m fine’ isn’t acceptable. Tell me what’s going on.”

  She sighed. “I’m really okay. There’s stuff going on with Reuben, but when isn’t there?”

  “Well, that’s true.”

  If he’d been here in person, he’d be able to tell she was lying. The last thing she wanted was to burden him with more stuff to worry about.

  “When do you catch a flight out?”

  “I’m heading to the airport early tomorrow morning. I just need to head home and pack then get some sleep.”

  “I’ll let you get ready.”

  “Call me if you need me, understand?”

  “Bye, Xavy. Be safe!”

  “Bye, sweetheart.”

  After ending the call, she moved to the area in the back corner, she picked up Angelique and Missy. Curling up on the pile of cushions, she reached under one of the cushions for a pacifier. She had them
hidden around this room and in her bedroom. The one in her bed was attached to her favorite blanket. It was something she’d had since she was a baby. It never left her bed because if she lost it, she’d be . . . devastated.

  She wasn’t sure how she was going to survive having them in the house. But maybe if she stayed up here, then she wouldn’t have to have much to do with them.

  That was the hope anyway.

  Of course, she still had to leave the house. But that was a worry for another day. She didn’t have to work until Monday, and today was Saturday. That gave her some time to get used to the idea, right?

  She hugged Angelique and Missy tight.

  Why couldn’t she just be normal? Was that too much to ask?

  Brick scowled down at the steak on his plate as though it had mortally offended him. They were all seated at a table on the patio outside the pool house. All of them except her.

  “This is a strange town,” Sterling said. He’d gone out to shop for food for dinner.

  “Strange how?” Elias asked as he dug into his large plate of food.

  “Three different people propositioned me, and that was before I even got inside the grocery store.”

  Sterling could have graced the cover of any magazine and he was always getting hit on. So, he didn’t see why it was such a great surprise.

  Where was she?

  “How long ago did you send that text?” he growled at Elias.

  The other man just raised an eyebrow then purposefully took another bite of food and ate it slowly.

  Asshole.

  Then he picked up his phone. Brick tightened his hands around his knife and fork. He’d told Sterling to buy steak since he was worried about how pale she was.

  “Ten minutes ago.”

  “What did you say to her?”

  “I said that we were eating dinner and there was plenty if she wanted to join us.”

  “And what did she say?”

  Elias sighed. “She said no thanks but to help ourselves to anything we needed.”

  “Why the hell did you let her go upstairs? She shouldn’t be walking on that foot.”

  “I can’t make her do anything. And unless there’s a direct threat to her, I also can’t order her to do anything.”

  Fuck that.

  If he’d been the one watching her . . . but he wasn’t. He’d given that job up. And now he was griping at Elias because he wasn’t doing it the way he wanted him to.

  He was absolutely being an asshole.

  “What’s so weird about women propositioning you?” Elias asked Sterling.

  “They all had to be over eighty, and one of them was a man.”

  Elias grinned. “That is a new record for you.”

  Sterling shook his head. “And there’s something else. There was this woman yelling at someone in a big red truck.”

  “How is that odd?” Brick asked, confused.

  “She was wearing a T-shirt that said: Why be the bigger person, go slash their tires.”

  Elias’s grin widened. “I already like her.”

  “I haven’t got to the weird part yet. She was on roller skates, and she had a helmet on that had images of monsters on it and two googly eyes at the top. When I stepped out onto the road, she nearly ran me over then told me I was getting in the way of her righteous revenge and to go back to pretty boy school.”

  Sterling sounded miffed as Elias burst into laughter. Brick stood.

  “Where are you going?” Elias asked.

  “She could be hurt. She could have slipped over going up the stairs and cracked her head and be bleeding out. What if someone got to her?”

  “Without setting off the alarms?” Sterling asked.

  “She said she was going up to her room to rest, man,” Elias added. “She’s probably asleep.”

  “We should put cameras in her room,” he said.

  Both Elias and Sterling gaped at him.

  “Bit far, don’t you think?” Sterling said carefully.

  “That would be a gross invasion of privacy,” Elias agreed.

  “We wouldn’t watch it,” he said impatiently. “Just check up on her when she isn’t answering our texts. This house is so huge, we’re already putting them at the entrances and exits, why not in her room?”

  Even he knew he sounded like a crazy person.

  “Fuck, I’m going to check on her.” His glare warned them both not to say anything. Walking into the huge house, he stormed up the stairs. With each step, his worry grew. They could be sitting there eating dinner and she could be hurt.

  Reaching the third floor, he was surprised to find just a small landing with one door off it.

  He knocked on the door.

  Nothing. Then again, it wasn’t like she could call out.

  “Juliet! Juliet, if you’re in there, then please open the door.”

  Nothing. Fuck.

  He reached for the door knob, but it wouldn’t turn. Locked. He ground his teeth together. She couldn’t lock them out when they were trying to protect her.

  “Juliet!” He thumped on the door. “Open this door. Now.”

  Something slid out under the door. He blinked as his eyes took in the note.

  No.

  No? Seriously? That was it?

  “Juliet, I’m not leaving until I have eyes on you. It’s my job. Now open the door.”

  Another piece of paper slid under the door.

  See previous note.

  He ground his teeth together. The brat. If she were his . . . well, she wouldn’t be on the other side of a locked door. That was for damn sure.

  And defying him on a matter of health and safety would end up with her over his lap.

  “Juliet, I’m not asking here. You’re going to open this door and talk to me.”

  Fuck.

  “I meant, let me see you,” he added hastily. Good job, pointing out the fact that she couldn’t talk. He still needed to find out why she couldn’t speak.

  “Juliet,” he warned in his Dom voice.

  Another note.

  I’m fine. Go away.

  “Your dinner is ready. I’ll help you down the stairs. It’s steak. It’s good for you. It’ll put hairs on your chest.”

  He rolled his eyes. Fuck, wasn’t he on a roll? Hairs on her chest.

  Another piece of paper.

  Yay! Just what I always wanted. A hairy chest. Something else to make me a freak.

  What. The. Fuck.

  “Who said you were a freak? Did someone call you that?” he snarled. “Tell me who and I’ll . . .”

  He’d what? Chase down the bastard and teach them a lesson? Yep, that seemed totally not insane.

  I’m tired.

  He stared at the last note and sighed.

  “If I bring the food up here, will you at least eat some of it? Please?” It went against his personality to practically beg her to do something. He was used to giving the orders and being obeyed.

  No answer.

  He sighed. “I’ll bring it up. I just need to go over a couple of things before I go. I’ll email you through some rules. We’re setting up additional security. We’ll do a big grocery shop tomorrow if you want anything. If you want to join us to eat at any time, you’re welcome. Please make sure that if you get your bandages wet that you put on fresh ones. If you need anything, you have my number. You need anything, day or night, then text me. Good night, Juliet. Sleep tight.”

  7

  “Where’s your hat?”

  The voice came from behind her, startling her so badly that she found herself slipping forward into the pool with a scream.

  She landed with a splash, the cold water moving over her head. For a moment, she just floated there at the bottom of the pool.

  Well, she had been thinking how nice a swim might be. She’d spent most of the morning in her playroom trying to gather up the courage to go downstairs, knowing she might run into one of them.

  Mainly Brick.

  Sexy, grouchy, Brick.


  Somehow, the little sleep she’d got had been filled with dreams about him. And in most of them, he’d taken on the role of her Daddy. Which was ridiculous. Because the only kind of Daddy she’d ever want would be patient and kind and sweet.

  Someone more like Xavier.

  Not Oscar the grouch.

  Something grabbed her around the waist as she lay there, floating, and she turned, trying to fight them off. Then she saw Brick’s blurry face. He grabbed her, thrusting her up into the surface.

  Darn. There went her swim.

  Well, she didn’t have her floaties anyway. Not that she needed her floaties or her blow-up lifesaver or her giant mermaid floatie. But really, what was the point of going swimming without those things?

  Couldn’t bring them out while she had Brick, Elias, and Sterling here. Which is why she’d been sitting forlornly, with her feet in the water, before Brick snuck up and scared her.

  What a grumpy butt.

  Speaking of Mr. Grumpy-Butt, he was currently losing his cool right now.

  “What the hell were you doing by the water if you can’t swim!” he yelled as he dragged her towards the stairs. “God damn it! Why do you have a pool if you can’t swim? There shouldn’t even be water in here. What were you thinking sitting on the side of the pool?”

  She stared at him in shock as he kept raving at her. He started up the stairs with her in his arms. Why she wasn’t panicking at being held by him, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because one of them ought to stay calm.

  Or maybe it’s because you like him holding you.

  Nope. It wasn’t that. No way. No how.

  But then he stopped and glared down at her. How could he be sexy even when he was insane?

  It was hard to work out.

  “Are you listening to me, Juliet?” he snapped.

  She shook her head before she thought better of it. His gaze narrowed. He muttered something under his breath that she was certain wasn’t at all flattering to her.

  “Hey, what’s going on? We heard yelling.”

  She looked over at Sterling who had spoken. Elias was behind him, studying them both with one eyebrow raised. They had strange looks on their faces that she couldn’t figure out. She stiffened and attempted to get out of Brick’s hold.