Chapter Ten
Davina and I don”t go to my office. We go to hers. I know if I go to mine, I”ll fucking murder her boss for what he did today. And since I just promised her that I wouldn”t do that, I”m not tempting fate.
But Stanley Maynard is finished. He”ll never work in this town again. In fact, he”ll be lucky if he ever works in this state again by the time I”m finished with him.
My grip tightens on the steering wheel as we pull into the parking lot at her office. The car purrs obediently as I park it, the engine going silent with a flick of my wrist.
”Stay close to Corey,” I tell Davina as we exit, my hand ghosting protectively over the small of her back. The sight of her in the dress she wore for me this morning sends a surge of possessiveness running through me. She”s mine. No one else”s. I”ll be damned if I let anyone else have her.
She nods silently, her eyes wide and trusting. My sweet, innocent Davina who never asked for any of this shit but is game enough to play anyway. Because she loves me. Because she”s fucking perfect.
Corey”s already waiting by her desk, thanks to the text she sent warning him that we were on the way. His eyes flit between the two of us, lips pressed into a thin line.
He doesn”t ask questions, but I know he”ll be hounding her for answers about what happened as soon as I”m out of here. What she tells him is up to her. He”s her best friend. She trusts him, which means I trust him, too.
”Keep an eye on her,” I growl. ”If Maynard shows up here, don”t let him anywhere near her.” The prick messed with something that isn”t his to touch—my little girl, my world—and now he”s going to pay.
I wait for Corey”s nod of understanding before I stride down the hallway, my footfalls heavy against the plush carpeting. My blood is boiling hot in my veins, a molten fury threatening to spill over.
Jude Despora”s office door is standing open, but I knock twice out of respect before entering.
He looks up from his desk, surprise fading to understanding real quick when he sees the look on my face. ”What happened?”
”Maynard,” I spit, the name sour on my tongue.
Jude nods slowly, as if he knows what”s coming.
”I want him gone.” No pleasantries, no beating around the bush—I don”t have the fucking patience for that shit right now. And frankly, Jude isn”t the kind of guy who needs smoke blown up his ass anyway. He does what”s right because it”s right, but he can be a grumpy fucker sometimes.
”What happened, Micah?” Jude asks.
”You hired a fucking prick, that”s what happened,” I growl. ”He”s been terrorizing his paralegals and God only knows who else for ages. He”s a fucking despot.”
Jude curses, scrubbing a hand through his hair. ”I warned his miserable ass that he was skating on thin ice. He”s turned into a world-class prick.”
”Yeah, well, your warning didn”t work. If his staff stopped complaining, it”s because he bullied them into it,” I snap. ”They”re fucking miserable. Davina knocked over a stack of files on Monday and he acted like she was a piece of shit on his shoe.”
”Jesus,” Jude rumbles, his blue eyes narrowed.
”That”s not the worst of it,” I warn him. ”He saw us going into the Sterling Rope last night. Today, he cornered her in the parking lot and threatened to tell everyone. He asked her if I beat her, told her that she lets me treat her like a whore, and then admitted that he listened to us through the fucking door on Monday after work. When she slapped him like he deserved, the motherfucker put his hands on her.”
”Oh, that stupid son of a bitch.” Jude leans back in his chair, eyeing me like he can”t believe the fucker has the audacity. But I guess he didn”t know that the man he works for has a certain kink of his own. He keeps it under wraps, but Jude and I go way back. He talks to me about shit because he knows he can trust me with his business.
Matter of fact, aside from his MC brothers, I may be one of the only people in Silver Spoon Falls who knows his business. He”s a Daddy, just like me. Stanley fucked up big time.
”He”s done,” Jude says, not even hesitating to drop the hammer. ”I”ll have him out by tomorrow.”
”You need to give his staff raises.” I pause. ”And just FYI, if he even thinks about pressing charges after the shit he pulled today, I”ll destroy his life one piece at a time.”
”Oh, he won”t be pressing charges,” Jude mutters, his tone dark. ”He”ll be lucky if he has a fucking law license when I get done with him.” His gaze flits across my face. ”I”m guessing Davina is yours.”
I nod.
”Thought so. Is she okay?”
”She will be.”
Jude sighs, shaking his head. ”I”m fucking sorry, Micah. I should have fired the motherfucker the when he started causing problems. It”s on me that I didn”t. I thought he”d get his shit together.”
”Well, he didn”t.”
Jude sighs again, looking regretful as hell. I”m not mad at him, though. He”s a good man—one of the best I know. If he”d known that Maynard was this fucking far off the deep end, he would have sent him packing long ago.
”We”re good,” I tell him, turning on me heel and striding toward the door.
”Don”t kill him!” he calls after me.
I grunt, not responding. I”m not going to kill him, but Stanley Maynard is finished—not just here, but anywhere. I won”t rest until he”s gone, vanished from our lives like the insignificant speck he is. He”ll never touch what”s mine again. He”ll never even dream of it.
Because Davina is mine—in ways she doesn”t even fully understand yet. And I”ll be damned if anyone ever makes her feel the way he made her feel today.
Islip out without telling Davina, heading back to my office. Stanley, the fucking idiot, is still there when I arrive.
”Get the fuck out,” I bark at everyone, eyeing him from across the room.
Everyone scatters as if they already know what”s coming. I”m guessing Gemma has been hard at work since I called, preparing everyone for the imminent eruption. She”s been waiting for it all week.
”Not you,” I growl at Stanley when he tries to file onto the elevator with everyone.
Sharon stabs the button to close the doors, a savage smile on her face. Jesus. I don”t think there”s a single person who likes the prick.
The doors shudder closed, the echoing click of their locking mechanism reverberating through the empty office.
Stanley freezes, his smug grin wavering as he realizes he”s alone with me. ”Micah,” he starts, trying to sound cocky and confident. It”s pathetic.
”Shut your fucking mouth.” My voice is ice-cold, as rigid as the steel of this building, as I stride forward, grabbing him by the throat.
His face pales, a desperate show of fear that I find satisfying. ”Micah, I don”t—”
”I don”t care what you have to say,” I interrupt him again, any patience I had for his bullshit gone the moment he cornered Davina today.
”You know what happens if you fuck with what belongs to me?” I ask, though it”s not really a question. My gaze pins him down like a bug under glass as I tighten my hand around his throat, not choking him, but pinning him in place.
His Adam”s apple bobs as he swallows hard, but he doesn”t answer.
”I fuck back, Stanley.”
Suddenly brave, or perhaps just fucking stupid, he tries to argue. ”Davina doesn”t—”
I cut him off abruptly, slamming him back against the wall. His head bounces off it with a thud. ”She”s mine,” I snap, the possessive growl of a predator. ”If you ever come near her again, I”ll rip your fucking throat out.”
”W-What are you talking about, Micah?”
”Don”t play dumb with me,” I seethe. ”You know exactly what the fuck I”m talking about. There are security cameras in the garage, Stanley. They caught everything.”
Terror flashes across his features as realization dawns. He fumbles for words, but they come out stuttering and weak. ”And you think…”
”I don”t think anything. I saw everything, heard every goddamn word.”
His face pales further. He looks like he might pass out. Good.
”You threatened my fiancée,” I growl. ”You called her a whore. You put your filthy fucking hands on her. You”re lucky you”re still breathing. If you ever even look in her direction or speak her name again, it”ll be the last thing you do.” I lean in close, putting my face right up against his. ”Hell itself won”t even be able to hide you from my wrath when I get my hands on you next time, you miserable piece of shit. Get the fuck out of my office and don”t ever come back.”
I shove him away from me, nearly sending him sprawling across the floor.
He hauls himself to his feet, stumbling toward the elevators.
”Oh, and one more thing,” I call, turning to look at him. ”I spoke to your boss. Davina still has a job. Your services, however, are no longer needed at his law firm.” I smirk. ”By the time he”s finished with you, you won”t be practicing law anywhere in this state.”
His eyes widen as realization of just how deeply he”s fucked up sets in.
I watch him go—shaken, defeated, terrified. But it”s a hollow victory; the taste of it is bitter on my tongue. He never should have been allowed to get as far as he did today.
I failed my baby girl.
Visions of her tear-stained face fill my mind. They make my blood boil, igniting a fierce determination to protect what”s mine at any cost. No one will hurt her again, not on my watch.
She”s mine—my baby girl. I”ll do whatever it takes to keep her that way. The fact that she was ready to sacrifice that part of herself today fucking kills me. She”s already sacrificed far too much.
I won”t ever allow her to give up a damn thing that she needs to be with me. Not a single fucking one.
By the time I get back to her office, the workday is nearly over. I find her at Corey”s desk, gossiping.
She has her head thrown back, laughing at something. She seems happy, content, as if this morning never happened at all. But it”s a show. There are cracks in her armor if you know where to look.
I know. I see them. She”s worried, anxious. Afraid.
I stride across the office to her, running my hand down her arm. ”Hey, baby girl.”
She tilts her head back, looking up at me. ”Hey. There you are.” Her expression softens, her gaze flitting across my face. ”I was worried.”
”What”d I tell you, little girl?” I ask quietly. ”I worry, not you.”
”I like him,” Corey says, making me smile.
Despite the turmoil of the day, his simple declaration sends a ripple of amusement through me. The man has no filter, but it”s hard to argue with his blunt honesty.
”Have you been having a good time, baby girl?”
Davina turns back to look at Corey, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter. ”Well… he did keep me entertained.”
”And well cared for.” Corey”s boyish grin is infectious, coaxing a smile from both Davina and me. But there”s something else lurking in her gaze as she turns her attention back to me.
”Where did you go?” she asks, unable to hide her concern.
”I had some business to take care of,” I respond vaguely.
Her eyes narrow slightly. Even though she tries to keep her composure, the slight tremor in her voice betrays her worry. ”Stanley?”
”Yes,” I confirm.
She opens her mouth as if to ask more but quickly shuts it, seeming to think better of it.
”He won”t be bothering you again,” I say.
”It”s about damn time,” Corey says.
Davina chews on her bottom lip, clearly worried about something. ”Is he…alive?” she finally whispers, her gaze darting around as if she”s afraid someone might overhear the question.
”Fuck, you”re adorable,” I groan.
”Who cares if he”s still alive?” Corey asks, staring at her like she”s lost her mind. ”I”ll defend him.”
I glance over at Corey, an eyebrow cocked. ”Who, Stanley?”
”No,” Davina says, giving me a reproving look. ”He means you.”
I chuckle at the look on her face. I knew he meant me. ”He”s still alive, baby girl. I didn”t kill him.”
Her shoulders sag in relief. I pull her against me, wrapping my arm around her waist.
Her hand finds my thigh, her soft fingers tracing patterns. My little girl is playing games, thinking she”s being sneaky.
I know what she wants, though. What she”s asking for—time alone. My baby girl needs her daddy right now. And fuck, I”m more than willing to give it to her.
”Are you ready to go?” I ask.
”Yes,” she whispers.
”Good. Let”s get out of here.”
I stand, pulling her up with me, and thank Corey for his help. I let her go long enough for them to hug.
”Don”t forget,” Corey tells her. ”Double date. I need your stamp of approval on my man.”
”Get her the details, and we”ll be there,” I murmur, meeting his gaze over her head, and then we”re moving, hand in hand, leaving the office behind.
Her fingers tremble slightly in mine, not from fear but anticipation.
My little girl is ready to play.
The elevator ride is a silent one. I see the blush on her cheeks, the way her denim eyes dart up to meet mine before she quickly looks away. She”s so shy, innocent. But she”s also eager, ready to explore.
”You did well today,” I tell her. ”Daddy”s very proud of you.”
She buries her face in my chest, clinging to me. ”Thank you, Daddy,” she murmurs.
I can”t help but grin. My filthy mouth can”t resist saying the words she loves hearing so much, either. ”That”s my good little girl.”
We don”t speak again until we”re inside my car. This time, she”s free. It feels surreal—no more hiding, no more secrets, no more Stanley Maynard stressing her the fuck out. Now, it”s just me and my baby girl, exactly the way it should be.
”Davina,” I say, glancing over at her. She turns to look at me, biting her lip nervously.
”Yes, Daddy?” Her voice is soft, full of anticipation.
”I want you to know something.” My throat is thick with emotion, but I force the words out anyway. ”No one is ever going to hurt you like you were hurt today ever again. I won”t allow it. No one will ever use who you are against you again. You”re perfect exactly the way you are. Every single thing about you is my favorite thing.”
She blinks quickly, tears welling in her eyes. ”Thank you, Daddy,” she whispers, her voice cracking on the last word. ”You make me feel perfect.”
”That”s because you are, baby girl. So fucking perfect it shouldn”t be possible.”
A tiny smile tips her lips up, a little of the confidence that fucker stole today returning to her eyes. Thank God.
”I love you.” I say it softly, but with a conviction that leaves no room for doubt.
Her smile grows. ”I love you too, Daddy.”
Those four words ignite something in me. Something powerful, primal. My little girl is ready to be claimed. And her daddy is more than ready to do the claiming. For a fucking lifetime.