Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
“I was terrified tonight,” Nova told the group.
Xavier listened, his heart breaking. He wished he could scoop her into his arms and hold her tight.
Maybe he could.
They’d almost shared a kiss before the concert. He’d promised to make good on it tonight. But a lot had happened since then. Perhaps now wasn’t the time.
In the seating area of the Guard’s main room, Trixie, Stephanie, Kelsey, and all the Daddy Guard members listened as Nova processed everything she’d been through.
“What if some of my dancers or the stagehands had been killed? All because someone is targeting me. I couldn’t live with that. And it’s not fair to them. No one else should be in the crosshairs just because some crazy stalker is obsessed with me.”
“It’s fucked up,” Stephanie said. Looking at Breaker, she said, “I mean messed up. Sorry, Daddy.”
Even with the heavy atmosphere of the room, Xavier tried hard not to crack a smile. Breaker swore like a damn sailor.
“The good thing is,” John said, “that no one was hurt. And we have a plan. These next few days you have off will ensure you’re safe and give us time to put everything in motion.”
This clearly made Nova happy, and Xavier was glad to see it.
“I can’t thank y’all enough for helping! I would ask the details of this plan, but I think I’m too tired.”
“Don’t worry,” John told her. “We’ll go over it when the time comes. Right now, you need rest.”
“And tomorrow,” Trixie said, standing with her Daddy, “we can have some fun. That is, if you’re up for it.”
Nova stood, too, and everyone else took the cue that the night was over, so Xavier joined them.
“I’d love that,” Nova said. “I think some Little time is just what I need.”
The women all hugged, a sight that warmed Xavier’s heart.
Nova was fitting in nicely—though he knew there was no chance of her joining them permanently.
She was one of the most popular people on the planet.
There were a lot of demands on her time.
Not to mention the fact that she was a businesswoman.
Nova managed a global brand. She had people who handled a lot of that stuff, sure, but from what he’d read, she was very hands on.
Long story short, he told himself, she didn’t have time to just sit around the Daddy Guard compound and play in the ball pit or pine away for him while he was out on missions.
As everyone said goodnight and then disbanded to their various rooms, Nova lingered back.
“You all good?” Xavier asked her.
“Yeah. But, well… I’m sort of shaken up. Would you care if I… stayed with you?”
He could tell this wasn’t an act. Of course, she didn’t need an excuse to come to his bed that night or any other. “Whatever you’re comfortable with,” he replied. “I can sleep on your floor, if you’d like. Or you’re more than welcome to take my bed and I can crash beside it.”
Nova shook her head. “I need you close.”
The next word she spoke was barely a whisper, but it still reached Xavier’s ears, the soft sound strong enough to nearly mow him over.
“Daddy.”