Chapter 5
“No! No! Stop!”
Angel’s shouts woke Vex from his light sleep.
After he’d tucked her in her borrowed T-shirt back into his bed, bad dreams had tormented her throughout the night.
Even his presence wrapped around Angel hadn’t kept the nightmares away.
Each time, he spoke softly to pull Angel from her nightmares.
“Baby girl. You’re here with me. Can you wake up for Daddy? ”
“Make them stop, Daddy!” she cried out, thrashing with her eyes firmly closed. Her voice sounded so hopeless, as if no one would come to her rescue.
His heart lurched at the despair in her tone. After dodging a flailing arm, Vex talked to her again. “Angel. Open those pretty green eyes right now. You are safe. I’ve got you.”
“Daddy?” Angel sat up quickly and scanned the room, peering through the darkness as if she didn’t trust her own eyes.
“Yes, Angel. I’m with you. Come lie against the pillows.” When she followed his directions, Vex brushed her hair away from her face. “There are no bad guys in my cabin. Just you, me, and a demanding seal.”
“A seal? Sammie?”
“Exactly. Check your nightstand.”
“Sammie!” Angel shouted and happily grabbed her stuffie, holding the soft, worn plushie close to her chest. “You’re here!”
The sight of her joy in holding her stuffie thrilled him. Thank goodness he’d painted those animals in her nursery so he could reunite Sammie with Angel.
“Sammie has reported for guard duty. She’s ready to slap anyone who dares to bother you with her flippers.” Vex playfully swatted at the air with his hands, pleased that none of his MC brothers were around to rib him about his antics later.
“Dah-ddy!” Angel accentuated the syllables with pretend exasperation. “Sammie is a lover. Not a fighter.”
“She’s turned over a new leaf. Sammie’s ready to go all ravaging on any Ravager who dares to look at you.”
Angel hugged the plush seal closer. “When did you get here, Sammie?”
“Street dropped her off along with some of your things about twenty minutes ago.”
“Did he have any trouble getting inside?”
“No, Baby girl. No one even knew he was there.” Vex didn’t tell her Street had taken out two Ravagers before entering the apartment building.
He schooled his expression to avoid the anger he’d battled since Street had shared that information.
He didn’t want the trash to have any effect on his Little girl.
“I’d like to thank Street.”
“I’ll ask him to stop by tomorrow.”
Angel flopped onto the pillow behind her with a big smile. “Thanks.”
Vex pulled the covers up to her chin as he settled in place next to her. “Go to sleep, Baby girl. Sammie needs her beauty sleep.”
“Arf, arf!” Angel said, bouncing Sammie up a bit.
“See, Sammie agrees with me. Come here. I want to hug both of you.” Vex gathered Angel to his chest and held her in his arms. Grateful he’d had the foresight to pull on a pair of pajama pants after tucking her in bed earlier, Vex mentally squashed his cock’s response to snuggling Angel.
His body enjoyed having her close. Her wide yawn told him she could sleep again.
Within minutes, Angel snoozed against him. As his Little girl wiggled in what appeared to be happy dreams now, her stuffie boinked him in the head, but Vex didn’t care. She was comfortable and resting.
Hours later, Vex sat in the rocker as Angel sat at a small table, putting together a puzzle in her nursery.
She wore a pair of leggings and a T-shirt that Street had brought from her apartment, along with everything she had asked for.
Her fuzzy slippers swung adorably an inch above the carpet as she fit pieces together.
He’d already hung her clothing up in the closet and decided the garments would stay there.
Every few minutes, Angel would reach her hand out to stroke her stuffie’s soft plush.
Sammie sat on a chair next to her, doing a great job at reassuring Angel that all was well.
Angel checked in with him often as well.
Vex had a million things to do, including his work at the warehouse, but Angel needed him to be close.
He would stay at her side until she’d regained her confidence.
His brothers in the Devil Daddies would step up to fill any gap he left at the warehouse. Their schedule of shipments and the arrival of goods was timed for efficiency. Vex would be missed. He hated to let down the motorcycle club, but Angel came first.
His phone buzzed with a message from Razor.
I’m at the door with Honey. Can we come in to visit with Angel?
The kitchen door is unlocked. We’re in the nursery.
“Razor is coming to check on you. Do you remember seeing him yesterday?”
Angel turned in her seat to look at him directly. “He was the one they were holding, right?”
“Yes. Honey’s with him.”
“Who’s Honey?”
“She’s his Little girl. I’m sure she doesn’t want to let her Daddy out of her sight.” Vex was confident Razor had brought Honey with him to reassure Angel.
“Oh!” The simple word held so much information. Wait until she discovered Honey wasn’t the only Little and the Devil Daddies were all Daddies.
“I’ll text him to come on in,” Vex told her.
A short time later, a knock sounded on the nursery door as two people appeared.
Angel leapt to her feet and raced over to Vex’s side.
He immediately picked her up and sat her on his lap.
He kissed her temple to reassure her. “It’s okay, Angel.
Hey, Razor. Thanks for stopping by. Angel, this is Honey. ”
Razor steadied Honey as they walked closer. Honey had good and bad days. This must be a challenging one for her. She had some difficulty walking on the carpet. Angel tapped his arm as if asking if he noticed, and Vex patted her thigh to let her know everything was fine.
“Hi, Angel. Sorry, I’m walking like a zombie today. I wanted to meet you. I hope you’re okay with a visitor.”
“We’re glad you’re here, Honey. Angel’s feeling a bit leery of new people, but I know she’s glad to meet you,” Vex assured her, earning a slight nod from Razor. Their MC doctor was protective of his Little girl—as he should be.
Razor lowered himself to one knee in front of Angel and guided Honey to sit down on his bent thigh. “Hey, Angel. You look better than you did yesterday. Did you get some sleep?”
She nodded as she leaned against Vex. “Nightmares,” she whispered.
“I hate bad dreams,” Honey declared. “Daddy needs to invent a medicine that keeps them from terrorizing me.”
“I’d be a millionaire if I could. Unfortunately, dreams are often your brain’s need to process something that you saw or experienced.
Usually they get better with time, but sometimes you need to talk them over with someone who can work with you to lessen their impact,” Razor told her gently.
“How about if your Daddy clues me in if they continue?”
Angel nodded slowly.
Razor glanced meaningfully at Vex. “Let me know. Talk therapy does help. You can be involved as well.”
“Thank you, Razor. We’ll send up a smoke signal,” Vex said. He’d never act without Angel’s permission. The Littles must have imagined him wafting material over a fire to send a coded message because they both burst into giggles.
“I think I’d like to see that too. Angel, how do you feel?” Razor asked.
“Scared,” she admitted.
“Scared of Vex?” Razor asked softly.
Angel laughed and sat up, appearing more confident. “No, he’s like the only thing I’m not afraid of.” Razor smiled at her answer.
Encouraged, she continued, “I can count on him to be on my side.”
Vex liked being her rock as she recovered. He vowed to always be the one she could always on.
His Little girl continued, “Thank you for sending him to help me. They might not have remembered to get me out of the fire.”
“The Devil Daddies don’t leave innocents in jeopardy. I’m glad Vex found you,” Razor said easily. “He did the hard work. Are you happy here?”
Angel nodded and shrank against Vex again as if afraid Razor would force her to leave. “Yes,” she whispered.
“She’s staying with me,” Vex said firmly. “We’ve let her family know she’s safe. I’ve alerted Lucien in case someone contacts him.”
“Who’s Lucien?” Angel asked, looking back and forth between the two men.
“He’s the president of our motorcycle club,” Vex told her.
“My father can be pretty pushy,” Angel admitted.
Honey giggled with delight. “No one messes with Lucien. He’s scary. But nice, if that makes sense.”
“He would never hurt you or Angel,” Razor reassured Honey.
“Never,” Honey agreed. She glanced at Angel. “Are you working on a puzzle?” When Angel nodded, she asked, “Can I help? I adore puzzles.”
“I’d love that. I’ve been looking for the last piece of the edge, and I can’t find it,” Angel said. “My stuffie, Sammie, and I have looked for it, but it’s hiding.”
The two women rushed over to the table to search for it.
Vex loved seeing the two of them chatting happily.
His Little girl fit in well here. Vex noticed that Angel checked in with him frequently.
Normally, he would have waved Razor out of the nursery so the men could talk freely, but his Little girl needed him close.
“Razor, take the rocker. I’ll grab a chair,” Vex said, standing.
He stopped by the puzzle table to confiscate the empty seat and dropped a kiss on Angel’s hair. “Oh! Is this the one you’ve searched for?” he asked, picking up a piece from under Sammie’s chair.
“Sammie!” the two girls protested and burst into giggles together.
Vex returned to Razor’s side. He noticed the doctor grimace as he settled in the rocker. “How are you?”
“I’m great. I’m home with Honey at my side.”
“Everything’s okay?”
“We’re good. Better than good,” Razor assured him. He glanced at Angel and back at Vex.
“She’s mine,” Vex told him.
“She agrees with that?”
“She does.” Vex lowered his voice and said, “We talked to her father and ex-fiancé last night. Neither would have rescued her. Thank God you found out she was there.”
“The Ravagers aren’t a group to mess with,” Razor reminded him.
“Would you leave Honey there?”
“Never. I’m part of a MC. What’s her background?” Razor asked.
“I don’t know for sure. I know she’s not from a blue-collar family. Her father had the money for the ransom but didn’t pay it. Street said her apartment was in an excellent area with high-quality furnishings. I’m not grilling her for information. None of that matters to me.”
“You’ve got it bad,” Razor said.
“I do. And I’m okay with that.”
Angel yawned, drawing their attention. Razor looked back at Vex. “Sleep is the best medicine for her body and mind. I’m a call away if anything new happens or if her trauma keeps showing up in her dreams.”
“Thanks, Razor.”
“Honey, we need to let Angel rest,” Razor called.
“Oh! We’re having fun,” Honey protested.
“I think your Daddy needs to take a nap as well,” Razor told her, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “You’ll tuck me in, won’t you?”
Honey almost upset her chair in her haste. “I could be sleepy,” she said before turning to Angel. “I’m glad to meet you. If you’d like company, let me know. I’d love to come play with you again.”
“I’d enjoy that, Honey. I’m glad Razor’s back too.” Her answer rang with honesty.
The Littles were already on their way to becoming great friends. Vex liked Honey even more now for welcoming Angel.
With a goodbye wave, Honey eagerly rejoined Razor and allowed him to help her out of the nursery.
“Come here, Baby girl.” Vex opened his arms to beckon her toward him.
Angel walked quickly into his embrace. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hi, Angel. It’s time for your nap. Do you want to rest in here or in Daddy’s bed?”
“Are you going to nap?”
“I will stretch out with you if you’d like.”
“I’d like,” she answered with a nod before turning to consider the crib. “Are we too big to fit in the crib?”
“Let’s try it. Potty first.”
When she’d finished in the bathroom, Vex scooped his blushing Angel up in his arms and carried her to the nursery.
He stopped for her to collect Sammie from the table.
At the crib, he set her feet on the ground as he flipped back the comforter.
When Angel climbed onto the mattress eagerly, he guided her up with a helpful boost to her bottom and squeezed himself in next to her.
“We fit, Daddy,” Angel said happily, settling against his chest. Her jaw popped as a wide yawn stretched her mouth open.
“Sleep, Baby girl.”