Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
ARROW
H e read Emilee’s face like a book.
Like hell was she thinking about work. If he’d venture a guess, she’d been thinking about her run in with Mills. The bastard would pay for what he’d done to Emilee. If he wasn’t a well-trained and disciplined special forces operator, he’d likely have stormed out of his house, tracked him down and made him suffer. Lucky for Mills, he wasn’t an impulsive pup.
Instead, he would call in reinforcements who could build a case against the asshole. An ironclad case. The worst place on earth for a police officer was in general prison population and he intended to see him rot there for the rest of his life. Hopefully, a short, miserable life.
Later, he’d focus on getting justice for Emilee. Now, he had a little girl to take care of. She needed her Daddy to help her forget all the terrible things she’d been through and give her permission to relax.
Arrow scooped Emilee up into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he carried her to the bathroom. “Alright, Kitten. Let's get you all clean and cozy for bedtime.”
He set her bare feet down gently on the fuzzy bath mat and started running the water, making sure it was the perfect temperature - warm but not too hot.
“Do you have bubbles, Daddy?” Emilee asked shyly, peeking up at him through her lashes.
Arrow's eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Of course, baby girl. What kind do you want? Lavender or strawberry?”
“Strawberry!” she exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. He’d gone on a shopping trip while she was at work and spent several hundred dollars on items he knew little girls loved. Bubble bath, coloring books, toys of all kinds and some new toddler dishes.
Emilee watched with wide eyes as Arrow tested the water temperature. He could physically see her transitioning into her little space. She was full of energy, bouncing on her heels, her animated facial expressions and sparkling eyes captivating him. He was grateful she trusted him enough to relax and let herself go.
“Is it ready now, Daddy?” she asked in a small voice.
“Almost, Kitten. Can you lift your arms for me?” She obediently raised her arms, and he helped Emilee out of her clothes. Folding them neatly, he placed them on the counter. She didn’t protest against being naked in front of him, yet she crossed her arms over her chest, covering her breasts. He wouldn’t press the issue tonight, but eventually, he hoped she wouldn’t feel the need to hide from him.
“In you go, sweetheart,” he cooed, lifting her into the tub. Emilee let out a contented sigh as she sank into the soothing warmth. Arrow knelt beside the tub and handed her a bucket of squirting toys. She giggled as she raised a hot pink hippo and squirted Arrow with it.
He bopped her nose and shook his head slightly. “Keep the water inside the tub, Kitten,” he said, softly. “Daddy already had a shower today.”
Emilee giggled again and resumed playing with two of the animals, assigning each a unique voice; the penguin and hippo had an elaborate conversation debating which flavor of cookie was the best. As he listened to her play, Arrow made a mental note of her preferences, gaining insight into her likes and dislikes. He was relieved to see how relaxed she was and how quickly she allowed her little out. Taking his time, he carefully bathed her, using a soft washcloth to remove the accumulated stress from the day.
As the washcloth dipped between her legs, a pretty blush spread across her cheeks, but she didn’t protest. As he observed her exquisite curves, his desire grew, and he yearned to lavish her with kisses, licks, and nips, savoring every single part of her. Tonight wasn't the time for anything sexual between them, so he moved a bit to fix his awkward boner.
“There's my good girl,” Arrow murmured, as he finished cleaning the rest of her body. He shampooed her hair, massaging her scalp soothingly.
“Close your eyes, Kitten. Time to rinse,” he instructed softly. Emilee obeyed, tilting her head back as Arrow poured warm water over her hair. When she was all clean, he helped her out and wrapped her in a big, fluffy towel.
Arrow dried her off tenderly, then rubbed a lightly scented baby lotion into her skin. He helped her into one of his oversized t-shirts, the soft fabric enveloping her frame, falling right above her knees.
“What a beautiful little Kitten,” he smiled, leading her to the bed. “Stay right here, I’ll be back in just a second.” He returned to the kitchen, where he fixed her a sippy cup of warm chocolate milk. He popped the now cooled multicolored crayons from the muffin tin into a bowl and set it next to the coloring book she’d been working on earlier.
Then it was off to the bedroom, where he found her holding her stuffed bear close to her chest. The same one she’d accidentally left under the bed the other day. He smiled warmly at her and climbed in bed, pulling her close as he opened a storybook. “Drink your milk while I read you a story.”
“Milk?” she frowned at him.
“It’s chocolate milk,” he told her. She snatched the cup from his hands and took a long, happy drink, never once remarking on the sippy cup. He wondered how old her little was, he figured somewhere between three and six, if he had to guess.
“Once upon a time,” he began, his deep voice soothing as he read. Emilee snuggled against him, sipping her milk and listening to the fairy tale. By the time he finished the second story, her eyelids were growing heavy. Arrow tucked her in, pulling the blankets up to her chin. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Kitten,” he whispered before quietly leaving the room.
Arrow stepped quietly from Emilee’s room, the soft hum of her breathing following him. He closed the door gently, ensuring that the creaking hinges wouldn’t disturb her slumber. She’d faced enough for one day. The night had wrapped around his house, enveloping it in darkness. The stillness of the night was a stark contrast to the chaos running through his mind.
His jaw tightened as he walked down the narrow hall toward his office, the weight of the day settling heavily on his shoulders. The Rusty Crab was supposed to be a safe place for Emilee and every other person in town. There were few places he was okay with Emilee going alone right now, but Corky’s was one of them. The servers and Corky had a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior. He was worried about Emilee running into Catie or Mia. Both women still had issues with her, but he knew their Daddies would handle it if they crossed any lines.
But he couldn't do anything about Officer Mills showing up. Arrow really didn't enjoy being unable to control situations. But, Mills was a sworn officer of the law. It would be difficult trying to keep him away from the diner. He hadn’t spoken to Corky about the situation yet. Not knowing if Mills worked alone, he and Dax had kept the information quiet for now, until they found hard proof of his treachery. Now, with him threatening Emilee in public, he was rethinking their decision. Maybe, they should bring in the others. All of them. Valhalla and The Watchmen made a great team. Valhalla often played defense to The Watchmen’s offense. It was give and take and the men were honorable.
As he stepped into his office, Arrow’s heart raced, not from fear or anxiety, but from a growing fury that demanded he take action. He reached for the phone and tapped on Dax’s contact. The line rang twice before Dax’s voice came through.
“Arrow. What’s up, brother?” Dax asked, a slight edge of urgency threading through his tone.
Arrow's jaw clenched. “He threatened Emilee at The Rusty Crab. I want him looked into, thoroughly.”
“Shit,” Dax muttered. There was a brief pause on the other end, and Arrow could almost hear Dax’s mind working through the implications. “I’ll take care of it. You sure he threatened her?”
“Yeah, Delilah heard it, word for word. He didn’t see her standing behind him. She’d watched him sit down and grabbed a menu to give him. It wasn’t just him being an ass; he meant it.” Arrow’s fists clenched as he recalled Delilah’s words. Mills’ sneering face, the way he had leaned too close to Emilee. “He’s a loose cannon, Dax. You know he’s crossed the line before.” Arrow recounted the incident in detail, his grip tightening on the phone as he spoke.
When he finished, Dax let out a long sigh. “Yeah, and I’ve found a stack of complaints about him. The investigations were closed when the complainants changed their minds or evidence went missing. No investigations were ever done,” Dax replied, frustration cutting through his usual calm, laid back demeanor. “I’m working on tracking down the camera footage from the night he hit Emilee with his cruiser. That could be the smoking gun we're looking for, but it's proving tougher to find than I expected.”
Arrow leaned against his desk, the hard edge pressing into his back a welcome distraction from the tightening coils of anger in his chest. “Missing evidence? That’s not just negligence, Dax. Someone’s covering for him, he has help.”
“Could be,” Dax conceded. “This town, as great as it is, isn’t immune to corruption. You know that better than anyone. But I’m on it. I’ll dig into Mills’ background, see what else they’ve been able to bury.”
“Make sure you do,” Arrow urged, urgency layering his tone. “I won’t let him get away with this. Not again. His days of intimidating Emilee are over.”
“Relax, Arrow. I’ll handle it. Just stay close to her. I’ll shine some light on the shadows lurking in the corners of this department, believe me. I need a few days.”
The words hung between them.
“Make it quick,” Arrow said and ended the call, his mind racing through scenarios, each darker than the last. He was an operator, a protector by nature, trained to fight battles both foreign and domestic. But this felt different. This was personal. His girl was being targeted and he wouldn’t have it.
He glanced at the small corkboard on the wall next to his desk, covered in photos and newspaper clippings—remnants of a past life, memories of missions that had shaped him into the man he was today. Each face told a story, and each story was one he carried with him. Emilee was part of that now, she was his. He didn’t know whether to thank God or fate for stumbling upon her in the parking lot, but he was grateful.
Determined, Arrow reached for a pen and began jotting down everything he could remember about what Emilee told him happened that night with Mills. He’d ask Sam to get the hospital records from the night, find out who the nurses were that blindly listened to the officer and ignored his girl’s protests. He documented the man’s movements since, his behavior at The Rusty Crab, any details that could help Dax build a case.
Anger ignited a fire within him; he wouldn’t allow Emilee to become another statistic in a broken system. He paused, the pen hovering over the paper. The thought of Emilee being hurt again, of Mills’ threat becoming a reality, twisted his stomach. His protective instincts surged, a primal urge to shield her from anyone out to hurt her. He’d sworn an oath to protect those he cared for when he joined the Watchmen, and he intended to uphold that oath, no matter the cost.
The Spartan Watchmen had his back, and he would call on them if he had to. They were more than just a motorcycle club; they were family, bound by shared scars and a commitment to protect one another. They’d been through a lot in the last few years, but they’d gone through them together and come out stronger on the other side.
As Arrow returned to his desk, he heard the faintest sound from Emilee’s room—a soft sigh, completely contrasted to the nightmare she’d had just the other night. The fragility of the moment pierced him, and he took a deep breath, grounding himself. Emilee was worth fighting for, worth every ounce of strength he had left. He promised her safety, and he’d make sure he kept it.
He picked up the phone again, ready to reach out to his brothers, to inform them of the situation, to enlist their help. The more eyes on Mills, the better. As he waited for Lucky to answer, his thoughts drifted back to Emilee in her little space. Her smile, the way her laughter had filled the space around them, a reminder of all that was good and beautiful in the world. He hoped she could spend more time like that and less time with her defensive walls up fighting him at every turn. He’d be the man she needed, the Daddy, and help her find her place in Grand Ridge.
As he spoke with Lucky, who assured him he’d get the word out, Arrow’s resolve solidified. They would find the truth. They would get justice for Emilee. Mills would never terrorize another citizen of Grand Ridge.