King (Shadowridge Guardians MC #11)

13. Ella

THIRTEEN

ELLA

E lla skipped off with the other Littles, feeling lighter than she had in days. As she moved away, King’s deep voice rumbled behind her.

“Be good, Little one.”

She glanced back over her shoulder, her smile bright and playful. “I always am,” she teased before hurrying to catch up with the others.

His laughter made her grin even wider.

Once they were sitting by a large tree, Carlee, Ivy, Harper, Remi, and the rest of the Littles surrounded her while they passed out sandwiches and juice boxes, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Okay, spill,” Ivy demanded, plopping onto the ground and crossing her arms. “How was your date?”

Ella’s cheeks burned as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was… really nice,” she admitted, smiling to herself at the memory of the restaurant and drive-in.

Harper gasped. “Is he your Daddy yet?”

Ella shook her head quickly, though her stomach fluttered. “No… but hesaid he wants to be.”

That earned a chorus of squeals from the group.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Remi grinned, nudging her playfully.

Ella shrugged, biting her lip. “I don’t know. It’s just… a big step, you know?”

Ivy rolled her eyes, leaning back on the blanket dramatically. “Girl,please. We all knew he was gonna claim you the second he laid eyes on you.”

Ella giggled, unable to argue. King had made his intentions pretty obvious. And she loved that he was so vocal about it.

Her cheeks burned the entire time they ate as she thought about his words.

Iwant this. I wantyou. And I want to be your Daddy. Not just that. I want to be your partner, too.

Everything he was offering seemed so amazing. She’d never thought she’d find a Daddy, let alone one who she liked so much.

“All right,” Carlee clapped her hands together once they’d finished their lunch. “What are we doing today?”

“Ooh! Let’s play hide-and-seek!” Harper suggested excitedly, bouncing on her toes.

A round of excited agreements followed, and within seconds, they were choosing someone to be “it.” When Remi volunteered, everyone scattered, squealing and giggling as they ran off to find hiding spots.

Harper grabbed Ella’s hand, and the two of them dashed across the compound until they spotted a thick bush near the side of one of the buildings. They ducked behind it, crouching low as they tried to stifle their laughter.

Ella pressed a finger to her lips, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Shh! She’lltotallyfind us if we keep giggling.”

Harper clamped her hands over her mouth, her whole body shaking with silent laughter. Ella giggled, too. She hadn’t played like this before. Mostly because she had never really had any friends in New York.

And in that moment, as Remi rounded the bush and found them, Ella knew she’d made the best decision of her life by moving to Shadowridge.

The game had gone on for hours, filled with giggles, whispered plans, and frantic scrambles to avoid being found. Ella had lost count of how many rounds they’d played, but she wasn’t ready to stop. Not when she was having so much fun.

Crouched behind an old stack of wooden crates with Remi and Harper, she tried to steady her breathing, listening as the Daddies started calling them.

“All right, Littles, the game’s over. Come get something to drink and take a break.” Doc’s voice rang out across the yard.

Ella glanced at the other two, biting her lip.

“We should go…” she whispered.

Remi snorted. “Or—hear me out—wedon’t.”

Harper gasped with delight. “Oh, we should totally make them find us.”

Ella’s stomach twisted with both excitement and nerves. “Won’t that… you know… make them mad?”

Remi waggled her brows. “No. They know we’re somewhere within the compound, so we’re safe. Besides, it’ll be fun to see what happens.”

Harper grinned. “They’re used to us being naughty. It gives them a reason to discipline us.”

Ella hesitated, but the idea intrigued her. Would King really discipline her if she pushed the boundary? She wasn’t sure, but her curiosity outweighed her nerves, so she stayed put.

Outside, the men’s voices grew louder and sharper.

“Girls!” Doc called, sounding much less amused.

“Not funny anymore, Littles!” Kade’s voice followed.

Ella gulped, eyes darting to Remi and Harper, but they were grinning like they had no regrets.

Then she heard his voice.

“Ella.”

Her stomach flipped.

“I’m going to count to three,” King warned, his deep voice laced with authority. “If you don’t come out by three, Little girl, you’re going to be in trouble.”

Ella’s breath caught, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Harper giggled quietly. “Oh,thisis gonna be interesting.”

Remi giggled. “Told you this was a great idea.”

Ella’s whole body tingled as King started counting.

“One.”

She squeezed her hands into fists, fighting the urge to leap up and obey him.

“Two.”

Harper whispered, “You sure about this?”

No. Absolutely not.

“Three.”

Ella clenched her eyes shut, bracing for whatever was coming.

The silence stretched for a second before heavy footsteps moved toward them. Then, suddenly?—

“There you are,” King’s stern voice said.

Ella’s eyes flew open to find King, Doc, and Kade standing over them, their arms crossed and their expressions firm.

“Up. Now ,” Kade ordered, his gaze fixed on Remi.

Doc shook his head at Harper, sighing. “Youneverlearn, do you, baby girl?”

Harper giggled, utterly unrepentant.

Ella, on the other hand, swallowed hard as King’s intense gaze locked onto hers.

“You’ve got some nerve, dollface,” he rumbled. “Get inside.”

Her stomach flipped as she scrambled to her feet, suddenly wondering if she really hadthought this through.