Caden’s Little Girl (Soldier Daddies #9)

Chapter 1

Brooklyn snuck another peek at the handsome military man next to her. She hadn’t been comfortable around men for months. Ever since… She shook her head to erase the angry face that loomed in her thoughts. No. I won’t think of him.

He’d driven her car away several blocks from the gathered newsies and onlookers who’d swarmed around her car after she helped Giana flee from her assailant before she pulled herself together enough to note her location.

Brooklyn forced herself to break the silence that filled the interior of her car.

“Thank you for your help. I was too shattered by the chase to navigate out of there. I don’t want to put you out anymore.

I bet you need to get back to the base. Is there a back entrance or somewhere convenient where I could drop you off? ”

“Trying to get rid of me?” he asked, drawing his words out slowly with a Texas accent that poured over her like warm honey.

As Brooklyn pondered the implications of how a voice could be so damn sexy, she caught his sideways glance toward her and rushed to answer. “No. I just don’t want to impose. You definitely weren’t expecting to have me screech to a stop on base and need Prince Charming to come save me.”

“Prince Charming, hmm? I think I like that.”

She turned in the seat to stare at him in disbelief. Who was this guy? He was older—not like her father’s age, but more seasoned than the other soldiers who had rushed to Giana’s aid. He also didn’t react like any man she’d ever met before. “Maybe I should call you Caden?”

“That works too,” he agreed and smiled at her.

Holy moly. That smile is lethal. She squashed the arousal that flared inside her. Men are bad. Dangerous. Her mind argued with the self-preservation warning system she’d built up over her time with her ex.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Should I pull over?”

“Yes. Stop anywhere,” she agreed quickly.

To her amazement, he did. Caden steered into the first parking lot he came to and parked the car before twisting in his seat to meet her gaze directly. “Brooklyn, he’s locked up for a while. Tom can’t get you.”

“That’s good. Thanks again for helping me,” she told him.

“Do you want me to get out?” he asked.

“Yes, please.” Brooklyn was polite automatically as her mind raced several steps ahead to returning to the apartment and grabbing her stuff. She needed to be out of town before Brent saw her on the news.

“I won’t hurt you.”

That pulled her out of her plans. “Of course not. You’re not that kind of guy.”

“Then why are you so eager to get rid of me?”

“It’s better for you to get far from me,” she forced herself to explain.

When that concerned expression she’d noted as he protected her from the press reappeared, she added, “I have a crappy ex who habitually beats up on me and anyone stupid enough to be anywhere around me. You do not strike me as dumb.”

“I try to avoid that.”

Brooklyn waited for him to say something else, but silence filled the car. She hadn’t explained herself well. “I stick to myself because I don’t want anyone else’s pain on my conscience. I’ll pay for an Uber to take you back to base. I’ve got to empty my apartment and find a safer place to stay.”

“You’re safe with me, Brooklyn.”

She laughed hoarsely. “That’s what my last boyfriend said too. He ended up in the hospital with a skull fracture. Seriously, Caden, get out of the car and forget we ever met.”

To her surprise, Caden shifted the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking space. “What are you doing?”

“Give me a minute.” He tugged his phone out of his pocket and selected something on the screen. Instantly, she heard a ringtone.

“Who are you…” She snapped her jaw shut when he held up a finger to signal her to be quiet.

“Caden? We’re starting a ten-mile hike. Did you change your mind about taking the day off?” a deep voice asked.

“Not exactly, Jerico. Bring the team. We need to move Brooklyn now.”

She shook her head vigorously, mouthing the word no.

“At Giana’s old complex?” the other man answered. “Bring a van?”

“Yes. Time is essential,” Caden stressed.

“We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” The phone disconnected.

“What are you doing?” Brooklyn demanded.

“Playing Prince Charming.”

Never in her life had anyone taken charge of everything like Caden did.

Pissed off at first by his insistence in helping her, Brooklyn’s emotions shifted almost instantly to gratitude and amazement.

Now standing in her empty apartment, Brooklyn checked her watch.

Twenty-two minutes. That’s how long it had taken for the buff men to pack her things into her car.

The van hadn’t been necessary. She’d wanted to have her possessions in her vehicle in case she needed to leave quickly.

“What have we missed?” Caden asked, walking through the place, opening cabinets and doors.

“Nothing. I can’t believe how fast you all gathered my things. Thank you.”

“If you’d let us pack your clothes, we could have shaved five minutes off the time,” he said with a smile.

She pressed her hands to her cheeks to cool them off as she blushed again.

The flashback of seeing her cotton panties in a stranger’s—Caden’s—hands as he efficiently folded them into her suitcase still horrified her.

Thank goodness she didn’t wear scraps of lace butt floss like other fancier women did.

“Could we not talk about that?” she whispered.

“Of course, little girl. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

He looked so concerned that she rushed to reassure him. “I’m being silly. Thank you for your help. I can’t believe you brought your team here to help. Everyone was so nice.”

The minute she finished thanking him, his words replayed in her brain. Little girl? That phrase sent a shiver of excitement through her. But he couldn’t mean that like a daddy would say, right?

Caden stepped closer. Brooklyn’s skin tingled as if he were magnetic.

What was it about this guy that attracted her so viscerally?

His powerful body and self-assurance lured her toward him.

His attitude screamed, “I can protect you from harm.” That wasn’t real, of course.

Brent had erased any illusion of safety from her world.

“Do you have somewhere to go?” Caden asked, running his hand lightly down her arm.

Brooklyn loved the light touches that he used. A warm hand on her back as he ushered her into a room. The brush of his arm against hers when he relieved her of a heavy box. This reassuring contact. He can’t be this wonderful.

Taking a step away from him, Brooklyn missed his warmth immediately when his hand dropped to his side. “I’ll go turn in my keys, and I can be off. Let me lock the door and then you can go back to training.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he reminded her as he walked into the hall with her.

“What question?” she asked, hoping he’d drop it.

“Go turn in the keys, and we’ll figure it out.”

“Oh, you don’t have to wait for me.” Brooklyn hustled toward the office, calling her thanks to the team who’d helped.

“Take care, Brooklyn,” Jerico called.

She’d enjoyed meeting the guys. Caden had an amazing team.

Jerico, who looked like a hot, ripped Boy Scout.

Who was she kidding? They were all handsome as hell and built like they could wrestle a bear and win.

Koa, with his island handsomeness and savage tribal tattoos.

The team medic was tough as nails in a safeguarding way.

The massive Max, who bulged with so many muscles Brooklyn bet he could bench press her car.

He had stowed her belongings in her trunk with a precision she’d never understand.

Brooklyn wished she had a phone to take a picture of the arrangement so she could attempt to recreate it.

And Hank. Slightly distant, Hank had an air of sadness.

She’d wondered about his backstory before pushing the mystery out of her head.

Brooklyn wouldn’t be around to figure it out.

Coming out of the office with the receipt for her payment to end the lease, Brooklyn studied the building she’d hidden inside for several months.

Her apartment had provided a refuge for her to heal and regain her strength.

It was time to move on now. Not only because of Tom and the skirmish with Giana; Brooklyn had a weird feeling that Brent was zeroing in on her location.

She hadn’t spotted his silver sports car since she’d moved here, but had studied a warning posted by the mailboxes of a fuzzy image of a man with brown hair.

Something about the image triggered a warning inside her. Could it be Brent?

The truck the soldiers had driven had disappeared, signaling they’d left.

A sigh eased from her nostrils. Brooklyn hadn’t understood how alone she’d felt until she’d had people around again today.

Hearing the men ribbing each other and working together to empty her apartment had provided companionship.