Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Trixie wasn’t about to let John out of her sight.
They’d dropped Trevon back off at Auntie Athena’s and then went toward a different side of town, ending up at a big, brown-and-white Tudor-style mansion that was next to a giant, beautiful church called Saint Vincent de Paul.
“This place is amazing,” she said, holding John’s hand as they walked along the driveway and toward the house.
The black iron gate had rolled back for them upon their arrival. Someone was clearly expecting them.
“It’s a cool place,” John told her. “But most importantly, you’ll be safe here.”
“You’re staying with me. Right?”
Before he could answer, the back door bust open and two women rushed out.
“Iris! Lana!”
The three hugged.
“Our Daddies were enroute to you when Trevon called and said John had already handled things,” Iris said.
“I had some help from Trevon,” John pointed out.
“Trevon threw a guy!” Trixie said. “But you should have seen John! He punched two guys! It was like an action movie or something.”
The back door opened again and Ace and Jack came out, along with some other men that Trixie hadn’t met. More women trailed behind them.
“Welcome, guys,” Jack said. “Trixie, honey, are you okay?”
“Yes, Sir. Thanks to John! He saved my life.”
“Trevon helped,” John added again.
Trixie had the suspicion that he wasn’t comfortable with all the praise. But she truly appreciated what he’d done, and she wanted him to know it.
She didn’t know if she’d be able to stop showing her gratitude. Plus, she was starting to feel something for him. Something that went beyond simply thinking of him as the hot firefighter.
But what was it? It wasn’t as if they really knew one another. Why did she feel so safe and comfortable around him?
And why did she suddenly feel as if life could not go on without him?
She needed him.
Craved him.
It was unlike any attraction she’d ever experienced before.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Jack said, wearing a knowing grin. “Well, now’s a great time to introduce you to everyone. Looks like the gang’s all here.”
He stepped aside and pointed to each person as he spoke.
“Here we have Kendrick. And that’s Samantha. They belong together.”
Trixie waved at them and hoped she was keeping her face neutral.
She’d heard about Samantha’s story—how she’d pretended to be someone else…
someone who was really bratty. It was the talk of several Littles back at Auntie Athena’s nursery.
Everyone seemed to have forgiven her for the trouble she caused, but boy was it quite a story!
“Next is Isaiah and his Little, Cami.”
“Pleased to meet you,” the woman said.
Trixie giggled. “Right back at you.”
“And last but certainly not least,” Jack continued, “we have Matteo and Annika.”
“We’re so glad you’re here and safe,” Annika said. “And while our Daddies figure this thing out, you’ll have a lot of fun. Just wait until you see all the cool stuff we have here.”
“Thank you for letting me crash here,” Trixie said. “I don’t have any of my stuff. It’s back in the hotel.”
Jack nodded. “We’ll handle that. I’m not sure how. But don’t worry. The room is still registered to you.”
She wasn’t sure how they’d get her stuff since the bad guys were probably watching her hotel. Of course, they couldn’t just hide out in the hallway, staring at her room’s door forever without being noticed. Maybe it was safe to go back, just for a minute, after all.
If anyone could figure it out, it was the Daddy Guard.
Right now, Trixie had another concern.
“John, can I, uh, talk to you for a minute?” she asked him quietly.
Probably sensing that they needed privacy, Jack said, “Girls, let’s go on inside and get everything ready for our guest.”
“That’s a good idea,” Ace said. “And guys, maybe we can meet in the den in ten minutes for a meeting.”
Trixie wondered if that meeting was about her. She assumed it was, though it was possible they were working more than one case at a time.
“We’ll see you inside, Trixie,” Iris called out as she filed back into the mansion with the others.
Once they were alone, Trixie took a moment to gather her thoughts. “This isn’t your place, huh?”
John shook his head.
“Oh,” is all she could respond.
What else should she say? She didn’t know a lot about the setup they all had, but she’d pieced together enough to know that John wasn’t part of the Daddy Guard.
They were all former cops. He was a fireman.
This sort of thing—what she was facing—wasn’t really the type of problem he usually solved.
He had experience pulling people from burning buildings or overturned cars.
He rushed into infernos and battled fires.
He didn’t fight the mob.
Asking anything of him would be asking a lot. Too much. Yet she wanted to be with him. She trusted the Guard, but around John was where she felt safest.
It would be wrong to put that on him, though. Protecting her wasn’t his job.
But…
It was John who had come for her. He and Trevon were the ones who’d rescued her back there on Hollywood Boulevard.
Why?
He seemed to know all these questions—and her feelings—when he said, “I’m staying with you, Trixie. Right here.”
“You are?”
“There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight.”
“Why, Sir?”
He chuckled. “Well, the first time I met you was when you were stuck on the side of a mountain, in danger of falling off. And don’t forget about the wildfire that was coming toward you.
“The second time you’d managed to get stuck on Athena’s roof. And then just a few minutes ago, you had a pair of thugs chasing you over the Walk of Fame.” He grinned. “I think you might need some supervision.”
She laughed. “Fair enough.” Silence followed as she thought it all over. “But you aren’t part of the Daddy Guard. Right?”
“Not officially. But I’m friends with all those guys.
Besides, they won’t mind the assist on this case.
” Trixie could feel the heat from his body as he stepped closer, as if there was an energy radiating off him.
And when his fingers gently stroked her cheek, his touch was electric.
“I’m not leaving you, Trixie. Not now. Not ever. ”
She gulped. Was she understanding him correctly?
“Never?” she asked.
“Never, honey.”
“Why, Sir?”
Trixie knew the answer in her soul before John ever voiced it. Still, it was nice to hear him confirm it.
“Because,” he said, “I’m…” He stopped himself with a curt smile, as if he was only now realizing the words that were spilling from his mouth. “Well, we’ll talk about all that another time. Right now, let’s get inside. I bet you’re ready to be all cleaned up. And you need to eat something.”
It wasn’t lost on Trixie that John was acting like a Daddy.
Like her Daddy.
Was that what he’d been about to say? That he was her Daddy? She wished he was ready to finish that conversation. Hopefully he would be soon.
Right now, she was safe and with her friends. And John.
That was all that mattered.