Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
M att noted the ransacked room, but his focus remained on the woman in front of him. The woman who was holding her sleeping daughter in her arms and staring at him with her mouth agape, her brown eyes wide in borderline disbelief.
He didn’t move any closer, didn’t want to crowd her space. “Scarlet?”
When she said nothing, his gaze darted to Quinn, who’d moved to stand next to her. The man simply lifted his chin in greeting.
After Chase gave him a nod and made his way toward the other apartment, Matt took a step deeper into her apartment. He kept his hands at his sides to appear as unimposing as possible. “Scarlet, sweetheart,” he said, softening his voice. “Are you okay? Is Daisy okay?”
At the mention of her daughter’s name, Scarlet jerked like someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water on her head. “Um, what are you doing here?”
A tiny part of him ached at the way she looked at him. As if he’d grown two heads or something. But the other part, the larger part, got it. He was probably the last person she’d expected to step through her broken front door.
Gaze locked with hers, he nodded toward Quinn. “He called me. With Poppy and Cade out of town, he thought you could use a friendly face.”
Matt didn’t think her eyes could get any bigger, but there they went.
“No offense, Matt, but he called you ?”
Her comment should’ve stung. But again, he got it.
The corners of his lips twitched up, and he stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels. “What can I say? Quinn’s a nice guy. I’m sure he didn’t want to wake up Martha and Ray at this ungodly hour.” He shrugged. “So you got me instead.”
Her face flushed a bright pink as she continued to sway back and forth. “Ohmygod, I’m so sorry. That’s totally not what I meant. It’s just that...” She shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“You’re fine, Scarlet. And you’re right, I’m not exactly someone you’d call a friendly face.” He really wasn’t—at least not with her. He’d been the exact opposite, in fact.
Shit, maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all. But damn, too late now. There was no way in hell he’d leave them in a lurch.
“It’s not that, Matt. You are. But... you barely know me. It’s like four in the morning or something, and yet... you’re here.”
That look of disbelief was back on her face, and frankly, it hurt his heart. “Sweetheart, you’re best friends with Poppy.”
“Yeah?” she asked, head tilted in confusion.
“And Poppy’s basically married to my best friend, Cade. They’re not here to look out for you, so I am.”
Her brow scrunched. “But why?”
Damn, what the hell kind of people had she been friends with before Hudson? “Because you matter to them, and that means you matter to me.”
“I called Matt because I know he’s part of your circle of friends,” Quinn explained, moving to stand beside him. Hell, Matt had nearly forgotten the guy was still in the room. “I didn’t call him as the sheriff. I called as a personal courtesy—as a friend to a friend—to let him know you and Daisy needed help.”
Scarlet was shaking her head before Quinn finished speaking. “Oh, Quinn, that’s not really necess?—”
“Do you have a place to stay tonight?” Quinn asked, pinning her with a look that had her squirming.
“Um . . .”
“Exactly.” Quinn slapped Matt on the back. “I’m going to see what Chase has found. Check in with me before you take off.”
“Thanks, man,” he said, nodding at his friend.
Once they were alone, Matt turned to Scarlet. She hadn’t moved from the center of the living room, and he could see her mind scrambling. His entire being filled with sadness. He desperately wanted to fix this for her, to make it at least a little bit better.
“You and Daisy can stay with me until your place gets fixed.” She opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her a chance to protest. “My place has a couple extra rooms, so you two would have your own space. Besides, I was going to call you tomorrow, anyway. To meet up and take Daisy to visit the cats.”
Scarlet studied her destroyed living room, and her shoulders slumped. “I don’t want us to be an imposition,” she said in a small voice.
He shook his head. “You two are the furthest things from that. I know you and I are more like friends of friends... but, Scarlet, that still makes us friends. And it’s not safe for you two to be here tonight. If you’re not comfortable staying with me, I get that.” He was a big guy who’d been nothing but a moody asshole to her, a guy whom she didn’t know all that well. “I’m more than happy to crash at Cade’s place while you and Daisy stay at my place. Or vice versa. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
For a moment, she mulled over his words. Coming to a decision, her shoulders straightened. “If it’s truly not an imposition, I’d like to stay with you. I, um...” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she blinked them back. “I’m nervous to... Um, I don’t really want us to be alone right now.”
It took everything Matt had to keep from pulling her into his arms and reassuring her that they would be fine, that he’d take care of them. Instead, he met her gaze and nodded. “That’s absolutely understandable. I’m sure tonight was a lot. Why don’t you go pack up some stuff for you and Daisy?”
She let out a breath, then gestured to the sofa. “I need to put her down. Could you...?”
Matt took in the upended cushions and pillows, then hustled to the couch and put them back in place. “There you go,” he said, grabbing a large throw blanket from the floor and shaking it out.
Scarlet laid Daisy down on the couch, but the instant she let go of her daughter, the little girl’s arms flailed. “Mama,” she cried out, her big blue eyes filling with tears. “Don’t go!”
Matt’s chest squeezed tight.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m right here,” Scarlet soothed, scooping Daisy up and placing her on her lap.
After a few seconds, Daisy glanced up. Her blue eyes locked with his, and her head tilted to the side in a gesture so much like her mother’s. “Mr. Matty?”
A smile pulled at his lips at her sweet squeaky voice. “Hey, Otter Pop.”
Daisy’s eyes widened, and she glanced around frantically. “Mr. Slothy is still in Mama’s room!”
“You sit tight, and I’ll go get him, okay?” he said, happy to do this kid’s bidding.
She snuggled into her mom’s arms. “Okay.”
Entering Scarlet’s room, he came to an abrupt halt. The pulled-out drawers, the strewn clothes, the shattered sliding glass door... Anger surged through him, but he tamped it down. The last thing Scarlet and Daisy needed was for him to lose his cool. But swear to Christ, if they ever figured out who the hell had done this, who’d broken into Scarlet’s home—with her and Daisy in it—Matt would make sure they paid.
Mr. Slothy sat in the middle of the rumpled queen-size bed. Seeing the blue makeshift cast still on its arm went a long way toward calming him down.
“Here you go, Otter Pop,” he said, returning to the living room and handing Mr. Slothy over to Daisy.
“Thank you,” she murmured, squishing the fuzzy sloth in a massive hug.
“Sweetie,” Scarlet said, running a hand over the top of her daughter’s head, “can you sit here with Mr. Matt and Mr. Slothy while I pack us a bag?” At Daisy’s nod, she turned to him. “Sorry, do you mind watching her? I’ll be fast.”
“It’s not a problem. Take your time.”
“Thank you,” she said, setting her daughter onto the couch with Mr. Slothy and Daisy’s small fuzzy blanket before hustling to her room.
Matt grabbed the larger blanket he’d shaken out earlier. “How about another one so you don’t get cold?” he asked Daisy, holding it up to her.
She shrugged, then perked up. “Mr. Matty?”
“Yes, ma’am?” He draped the blanket over her tiny legs and sat at the opposite end of the couch, giving her plenty of space.
“When we were hiding, Mama said we could get Otter Pops because Mr. Slothy was so brave. He was all by himself in the bedroom.”
“I’m sure you were brave, too.” The idea of them hiding on the balcony, terrified out of their minds, fucking killed him. “I’ll be sure to pick some up at the store when it opens. Then you can eat as many as you like.” He’d buy this sweet girl a fucking truckload of Otter Pops if that’s what she wanted.
Daisy’s mouth fell open, and she shook her head, hair flying around her face. “But, Mr. Matty, I’m only allowed one a day.”
He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. This kid was too damn cute. “Tell you what? How about I talk to your mama? Because I think tonight was a very special case of extra bravery, and I’m pretty sure she’s gonna let you have five.”
“Five?” Scarlet snorted. “Yeah, right.”
He and Daisy turned their heads. Scarlet was leaning against the doorway to her bedroom with a large duffle bag at her feet. There was a smile on her face that was part sweet, part shy, and it had every inch of his body buzzing. He’d do whatever he could to keep that smile on her beautiful face.
“How about four?” he asked.
Scarlet shook her head. She pressed her lips together, but they quirked up at the edges.
“Okay, fine. Three Otter Pops it is,” he said, shooting a wink to Daisy. “One for the brave Mr. Slothy and two for the brave Miss Daisy. What do you say, Mama?” He flashed Scarlet his most charming grin.
Just as he’d hoped, she laughed. “Fine. Three.” Daisy cheered, and Scarlet approached to drop a kiss on top of her daughter’s head. “But only after you have a good sleep and finish all your breakfast.”
“Maybe one after breakfast, one after lunch, and one after dinner?” Matt knew he was pushing his luck, but that seemed like a fair and responsible-ish negotiation.
Scarlet rolled her eyes and smirked. “We’ll see.”
He nodded. Message received. No more pushing.
“I’m gonna have two blues and a red,” Daisy declared. Her smile was blinding, and she was positively glowing. “But one of the blues is for Mr. Slothy.”
“Of course,” he said, holding out his fist to her. When she simply stared at him, he slowly reached out and took her left hand in his. Guiding hers into a little fist, he bumped their knuckles together. Daisy let out a small giggle, and he couldn’t stop his grin from growing even if he’d tried. Catching Scarlet’s eye, he nodded to the duffle. “That everything?”
“No, not yet. I got sidetracked by your unlimited–Otter Pop conversation.”
“It’s for bravery.” He winked at Daisy. “Right, kid?”
She beamed at him. “Right, Mr. Matty.”
Scarlet shook her head and waved down the hall. “I still have to pack some stuff for Daisy.” She caught her daughter’s eye. “We’re having a slumber party at Mr. Matt’s place for the next day or two.”
“We are?” Daisy’s excited gaze swung to meet his. “I’ve never had a slumber party before!”
His lips twitched. “Maybe later tonight, after the Otter Pops, we’ll have popcorn.”
She looked at her mom. “Mama, can we? And can Baby Unicorn come, too?”
Scarlet chuckled. “We’ll see on the popcorn, sweetie. But yes on Baby Unicorn. I’ll make sure she gets in your bag. Now be good for Mr. Matt while I pack, okay?”
As Scarlet disappeared into Daisy’s room, he asked, “Do you want to lie down and get some rest while your mom gets your stuff together?”
“Okay,” she replied.
His eyebrows damn near hit his hairline when she scooted over to his end of the couch and tucked herself right next to him. She placed the smaller blanket over her lap with Mr. Slothy on top. Then she spread the larger throw blanket over the three of them, leaned into his side, and closed her eyes. “So you and Mr. Slothy don’t get cold.”
Matt resisted the urge to rub the warmth growing in his chest. “Thanks, Otter Pop.”
For a moment, he could only stare at the little girl in wonder. He had no clue what the hell he’d done to earn her trust, but he was going to do everything in his power to not fuck things up. He’d also do everything he could to earn Scarlet’s trust. In a friendly way, of course. Because facts were facts, and he was too old for her. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t look out for her. For them. It’s what friends did.
Careful not to disturb Daisy, he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick text to Gavin, informing him about what had gone down. He knew his friend—and now boss—liked to keep a finger on the pulse of what was happening on Hudson Island. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if Gavin already knew.
Before he could return his phone to his pocket, it began vibrating with incoming texts.
Gavin
I’m looping in the ladies. I let them know what you told me.
Bean
I’ll look into what’s going on and get back to you.
Esme
Let me know if I can assist, B.
Matt
Holy crap. Why are all of you awake?
Bean
If it’s any consolation, I’m in my pjs. Pretty sure Gavin doesn’t sleep and $100 says Esme’s working out.
Esme
Yup. Morning PT. Need any supplies or groceries for your houseguests, Matt?
Matt
Considering I know nothing about kids, yeah. But I can hit the store in the morning and find some kid-friendly stuff.
Esme
Tell me.
Riiight . Matt chuckled and typed out a list of groceries.
Esme
Great. You’ll have it all in the morning. But most likely not until 9. 10 at the very latest.
His eyebrows rose. Before he could ask how that was even possible, his phone dinged again.
Bean
Esme’s like magic. Logistical magic at its finest. lol
Bean
I’ll let you know what I find out about the break-in at Scarlet’s. Later.
Matt
Wow, thanks. Appreciate both your help.
Gavin
Welcome to the team, brother.
A smile tugged at his lips as he reread the messages. Any lingering doubts he’d had about joining Hudson Security evaporated. He wasn’t sure how Bean and Esme were able to get things done so quickly—and frankly, he knew better than to ask—but he was glad they were on his side.
Pocketing his phone, he made sure to not jostle Daisy, whose warm, tiny body remained snuggled against his side.
“Okay, I think I’m ready,” Scarlet said from the hallway. Returning to the living room, she came to an abrupt halt. Her lips parted in obvious surprise.
Matt glanced down at Daisy and shrugged. “Pretty sure she’s out cold.”
He shifted Daisy off him and laid her fully on the couch, making sure to keep her tucked in the soft blankets. When he straightened, he faced Scarlet. “Lots of excitement, I guess.”
Scarlet nodded, and he took her in. Standing there in casual clothes and half asleep, she looked unbearably beautiful. She’d changed from her shorts and tank into black leggings and an oversized T-shirt. Her hair was in a bun on top of her head, and her feet were clad in a pair of pink Converse sneakers. Her stress and exhaustion were apparent. Not that he could blame her. But there was something else in her expression, something he couldn’t quite read.
Every fiber of his being wanted to make everything better for her, fix every damn thing. Scarlet was extraordinary—strong and vulnerable, sweet and spunky. And so damn pretty. But she was so damn young. And that was something he needed to remember, to actively remind himself of. But regardless of her age, he hoped like hell the woman knew that he’d never do anything to hurt her or Daisy.
Clearing his throat, he gestured to the door. “Let me find Quinn and make sure he has everything secured. It should only take a few minutes. Then we can get out of here.” He strode from the apartment before she could respond.
Cowardly? Sure. But Scarlet stirred up something in him he wasn’t sure he wanted to feel. Something protective and... possessive. He had no business feeling either way.
God knew he wasn’t a good bet. History spoke for itself.