Chapter 3
Marietta, California
Maddy
This house arrest was starting to get on my nerves. I know my father was only trying to keep me safe, but my incarceration was beginning to feel like a personal punishment and not protection.
Even worse, I wasn’t allowed to visit Christine in the hospital. I needed to see her. Tell her how sorry I was that this had happened to her and that I’d do anything to make sure she got better, even if she was unconscious and couldn't understand me. I’d found out after the detectives had left that she had a fractured skull from how hard those animals had hit her. To correct it, she was going to require several surgeries as soon as the swelling in her brain went down. Though I knew she had a family, a husband and two sons of her own, I wanted to be there when she went into surgery and when she awoke. If she’d let me, I’d drive her to her doctor’s appointments afterwards, and pick up her prescriptions, as she’d done for me countless times whenever I was sick in my childhood. It was the least I could do.
Scrolling through my phone now, I decided I needed to put the damn thing away and do something active. Silencing it so no texts or calls could distract me from my purpose, I tossed it onto my bed. Standing, I stretched and considered what I should do next. Since I took online classes all year round, my schedule differed from those taking in-person classes. I’d technically be on break for the next three weeks until school started back up for me, so I didn’t even have my studies to keep me busy.
Perhaps if I asked my father nicely, he’d let me go to the gym so I could burn off some of this excess energy and be a part of the free world for a few hours. I knew the stubborn man would argue we had an entire gym at Coldwell, but it just wasn’t the same. Besides, I knew I’d be safe because one of those detectives would be following me from a distance. That’s what they’d been doing ever since the attack three days ago. What could one little outing hurt? And maybe, one small latte afterward? My mouth began to water at the delicious fantasy.
Entering my walk-in closet, I selected an adorable little yoga two-piece ensemble that I’d ordered from the boutique at the LaCross shops a few weeks back. Kicking off my sweatpants, which I’d practically been living in since my house arrest began, I pulled on the china blue and white lycra pants and matching bralette. It had a delicate floral pattern on the outside and the softest, most buttery texture on the inside.
I was admiring the color and fit in the mirror when there was a knock at my bedroom door. Our maid, Gretchen, was standing there looking nervous when I opened it. To be fair, Gretchen always looked nervous. Even though she’d worked for us over five years, she still seemed to be warming up to Coldwell Manor and its inhabitants. Right now, she looked more nervous than usual.
“Sorry to bother you, Ms. Framingham,” she began, wringing her hands together as she spoke. “Your father tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”
I’d told the woman she could call me Maddy a dozen times since she’d started working for us. It was hopeless trying to correct her overly formal use of my surname at this point, so I’d stopped trying years ago.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, concerned all over again that Christine’s health had taken a turn for the worse.
“No ma’am,” the maid stammered, seeing the panic she’d unintentionally inspired. “Mr. Framingham has a guest he’d like you to meet.”
A guest he’d like me to meet? It must be another one of the detectives who'd come to pump me for information about a list of potential suspects who meant me harm. Well, I wasn’t changing. In fact, my outfit might give the detective the message I was making this visit quick.
Besides, there was nothing to say. I had exactly three names on that list, and they were a stretch at best. Two were girls from my private school, who, while absolutely horrid bitches to me over my high school career, were not kidnapping psychopaths. The other was a former valet who tried to aggressively hit on me when my dad wasn’t around one night. And while what he’d done was sleazy and wrong, I didn’t get the impression he was there to hurt me in any way. More like he was just trying to get laid.
“Tell my father I’ll be right down,” I informed Gretchen before going back to my room to snag my gym bag from my closet.
Fluffing my thick, naturally curly hair in the mirror before I left, I decided I’d leave it down until I got to the gym. It was getting so long the ends were more than halfway down my back. If I straightened it, I knew it would be touching my butt. Putting up the heavy mass, while necessary at the gym, sometimes gave me headaches so I left it free-flowing for now.
Bounding downstairs, I headed directly for my father’s study. As soon as I approached the door, I could hear my father’s booming voice.
Knocking on the open door, I walked inside and said, “You wanted to see me, Daddy?”
Inside the room now, I spotted the guest my father had summoned me to meet. To say I was surprised by his appearance was the understatement of the year.
“Yes, Maddy, I wanted you to meet my friend, German,” my father explained.
Very few things in life rendered me speechless. This man was one of them. Dark-haired, tall, muscular, and covered in tattoos, he was the vision of masculinity in every adult fantasy I’d never had, but now knew I should have. Outside of a TV show, I’d never seen anyone like him before. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. I creamed my nice new panties on the spot drinking in his perfectly toned, beautiful male physique.
When I realized I was just standing there gawking, I blushed and shot out my hand to shake his. “Nice to meet you, German,” I awkwardly replied. “I’m Maddy.”
German’s intense brown gaze speared mine. Those whiskey-toned orbs slowly moved up and down my body, as he took in every inch of what I was wearing. With each curve and mound he passed over, I felt like he’d left licking flames in their wake. Now it wasn’t just my face that was flushed. It was my entire body.
Accepting my hand into his much larger one, he pumped it firmly. “Nice to meet you, Maddy.”
Was it my imagination, or was there a sort of sexual innuendo to his words? Before I could process the hot biker’s words, my father interrupted my thoughts.
“German’s an old friend, and he’s going to be staying here with you while I’m in San Francisco,” my father nonchalantly explained, as if this bizarre statement made any sense at all.
Snapping my head in his direction, my mouth gaped open. “What? I thought I was going to San Francisco with you?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible after what happened with Christine,” my father said. “Everyone knows you go with me to these types of conferences, Maddy. In an open space like that, I’d never be able to keep you safe.”
“But I’ve been really looking forward to going with you for months, Daddy. You can’t leave me behind.” The sadness in my voice made me sound like a little girl again, but I didn’t care. I wanted to go to San Francisco with my father like we always did.
“I know, baby,” he said gently, but I could see he wouldn’t be dissuaded. Not about this. “There’ll be other conferences though. I promise.”
With my father being so busy, we rarely spent a lot of time together. These annual conferences were the exception to that rule. When we traveled together, my father ate every meal with me and introduced me to each one of his friends and colleagues. It was something I looked forward to all year long and now it would be another year before I had a chance to do it again. I was heartbroken by this unexpected news.
“Please, Daddy!” I pleaded one more time, getting close and taking his hand in mine. “You said you were going to let me run some of the meetings with you this year. I promise to stay close and do whatever you say. I won’t be a problem.”
Looking as though he might break under my endearing pleas, my father finally hardened his expression and shook his head. “No. It’s just too dangerous and I can’t risk it. I can’t risk you, Maddy. Don’t ask me to.”
I glanced over at German then. His sharp gaze was taking our whole exchange in like an eagle surveys the land around him while hunting. Suddenly, I felt very exposed and angry that this interloper should be in our home. Who was he and why did my father feel he was integral to my safety? I’d had personal protection details before. But none that looked like him. And, if I were being honest, there were none who made my body respond like his did, either.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” I uttered defiantly, dropping my father’s hand and stepping back. “I already have the detectives watching over me. I’ll be fine on my own while you’re gone.”
“I’m sure you will,” my father placated. “However, I’m not taking any chances. German stays.”
I knew my father better than anyone. Once his mind was made up about something, there was very little that could change it. “Fine. Unless you need anything else from me, I’m leaving for the gym now.”
My father frowned at how cold I was being. However, I noticed he didn’t deny me my gym visit. Which, given how I’d thought he’d react, I could at least be happy about that.
“Why don’t you show German around first? Let him drop off his stuff before he drives you to the gym.” My father used the tone of voice that said he was telling me, not asking me, to comply.
“You can’t have Gretchen show him the guest house?” I asked petulantly. Just the thought of the meek maid showing this hardened man around the estate almost made me smile.
“He’s not staying in the guest house,” my father patiently explained.
Rudely ignoring our “guest” I asked, “Where’s he staying then?”
“In the room next to yours,” my father answered, as though even an idiot should have guessed that. “He can’t exactly keep you safe if he isn’t in the same residence as you, Maddy.”
No way! I wasn’t having this Sons of Anarchy reject sleep next door to me. That was preposterous. The pinched expression on my face caused my father’s to do the same. I guess I now knew which parent I’d inherited that little trait from.
“Fine,” I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest. “I’d love to show you around, German.”
My father smiled. “I’ll see you two at dinner. Enjoy your gym time, Maddy.”
* * *
German
I watched Alec walk out of his office with a raised eyebrow. The man had never raised his voice, but he obviously knew how to handle his strong-willed daughter better than anyone. That was a good thing, as I could see how much his love for her had allowed the girl to direct his day-to-day decision-making.
Thankfully, as worried as he was, Framingham was able to put his foot down when it mattered. And given this current situation and how much danger she was in, he couldn’t afford to budge on her protection.
When Maddy had walked into the man’s office, my jeans had instantly grown tight. Jesus Christ! What was she wearing? She was practically naked in some skimpy yoga outfit that was clearly manufactured to hug every sweet little curve the woman had to offer. And Maddy had a body made for lycra. Breasts that were heavy and full. A trim waist I could practically span my hands around. And a tight rounded ass made for spanking.
If I’d been attracted to the picture of the girl, the real-life version of the woman was a thousand times more of a turn-on than the facsimile. If I didn’t get a hold of myself, I was going to have blue balls the whole time I stayed in this house and need to jerk off three times a day just so I didn’t go around constantly sporting wood!
We walked in uncomfortable silence as Maddy led me upstairs to her bedroom. Fuck me! Watching that tight, round ass bounce up and down the steps as she climbed upward, made me imagine other scenarios in which she bounced up and down. The thought of her riding my cock made it harden to the consistency of a lead pipe and I had to stifle a groan. These next few weeks were going to be hell.
Adjusting my engorged dick discreetly to a less obvious position, I tried to force my gaze away from that juicy ass hovering like a peach within plucking distance. The problem was, it was practically impossible to ignore. It was so perfect and it only got better up close and personal. And, as an ass man, I was a fucking expert on the subject. This assignment was going to be absolute torture if she kept dressing like this.
Leading me down the hall to her bedroom, I tried to tell my dick this wasn’t a prelude to sex. But he wasn’t convinced. Like me, he was a stubborn asshole.
When we got to the end of the hall, Maddy opened the door to a guest bedroom. “This is yours,” she announced, clearly still stewing from her conversation with her father. “The bathroom is fully stocked with amenities. If you’re missing anything that you need, let Gretchen know and she’ll add it to her shopping list for the day.”
Taking a long look around the room, I absorbed the space like a sponge. I’m not talking about paint color and furniture placement. I’m talking about points of entry and exit, like windows and doors. Places where an asshole kidnapper could move through in the middle of the night to snatch anyone living in the house.
“All right then, if you don’t have any questions,” Maddy spoke exasperatedly, not bothering to even ask if I did, “I’ll be heading to the gym now.”
Following her out of the bedroom, I said, “I’m going to need to see your room before we head out.”
That “we” bit of my statement made her dark blue eyes flash with anger. “Why?”
I leveled the full weight of my heavy stare onto her for several seconds until she started to squirm. “Because I’m not visiting a hotel, Maddy. I’m here to keep you safe. I can’t do that if I’m unfamiliar with the layout of this house.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, reluctantly leading me into her room next door.
While the guest bedroom was all beige tones and had zero warmth, this room was the complete opposite. There weren’t any posters on the pale pink walls, but there was a shit-ton of personality scattered all about the organized space. Multiple bookshelves lined the walls, telling me she was a voracious reader. And not just of romance novels, though there were many of that variety there, but of science, art, and history books as well.
An impressive seventy-five gallon, custom-built freshwater fish tank was arranged catty-cornered against the wall. Inside the tank was a plethora of colorful, peaceful community fish and live plants. And the greenery didn’t stop there. The room was filled with live, tropical plants as well, in addition to the odd cactus here or there for a little drama. And the pièce de résistance was a fat orange feline that nested on her pillow. The mangy old thing eyed me suspiciously with an arrogance and entitlement that only cats can manage to exude. Maddy was a person who lived in her space, and every detail of her passions showed.
“That’s Mr. Jingles,” she informed me when she saw me staring at the orange fur ball. “I don’t suspect him of any crimes, so I didn’t have my father run a background check on him.”
“Good to know,” I replied, fighting the urge to stare down the arrogant animal until he capitulated. It didn’t work.
“Can I go to the gym now?” Maddy pressed, hands on the swell of her hips, her magnificent red hair flowing over her shoulder and down her back.
Ignoring her, I stepped into the bathroom and scoped out the layout there. As expected, feminine products of every variety and need were neatly displayed on shelves and along the counter.
After testing the locks on the bathroom window and deciding they were sufficient, I exited the spa-like space. Without preamble, I said, “I need your phone,” knowing she was definitely going to kick up a fuss over the loss of her technological lifeline.
“What? Why?” She looked more confused than angry, which pleased me. But, as soon as I provided my reasoning, I knew her attitude was going to drastically change.
Extracting a simple burner phone out of my back pocket, I handed it to her. “Because this is the phone you’re going to be using until we figure out who’s trying to kidnap you.”
You’d have thought I’d offered the girl chewed bubble gum off the sole of my boot by the way she regarded the inexpensive device in my hand.
“I’m not giving you my phone,” she returned stubbornly, an imperious look in her eye telling me she was seconds away from rebelling.
“Yes, you are,” I shot back, my tone imbued with steel. “Based on what we know about the attack on your father’s secretary, it looks like her phone might have been remotely traced so they could follow her to the parking garage. Since your father pays for both plans, the men who traced her cell might also have similar tracers on yours if they’ve hacked into his account. Removing your old phone from the equation is step one in keeping you safe.”
Biting her bottom lip, Maddy looked like she was experiencing some serious internal struggle. “I need it for the gym. I listen to my music and audiobooks on there.”
I shook my head. “Not today, you don’t. My Brother Pipe made sure this new phone was uncorrupted. Lucky for you, it also has the internet on it. You can listen to a podcast or something while you work out. Your old phone’s not coming with us.”
Walking over to an oversized armoire, Maddy opened the smallest drawer. Given the color and texture of the materials poking out, I could tell it was her panty drawer. My cock bucked at the thought of what was inside and I had to remind myself I wasn’t a Goddamned teenager who got hard over a soft scrap of cloth in a pretty girl’s room. But it would seem, where this woman was concerned, I’d definitely become one again.
“There! Now it won’t be a problem,” she proudly proclaimed, feeling like she’d bested me.
That’s okay. I’d let her think she’d won. Later on, when she was taking a shower, I’d snag it from that drawer and send it over to my Brother Pipe to be thoroughly inspected for any electronic anomalies. The thought of getting one over on the stubborn brat, along with rifling through her panties, made me smile.
Maddy turned to leave and I stepped in front of her. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Looking up at me, she folded her arms across her chest. Her tits squeezed through the tight material of her bra top and my dick gave an involuntary jerk as it got ideas of smothering itself between the delicious divide.
Maddy furrowed her brow at my query. “What? I already left my phone here. What else could you possibly want from me? A kidney?”
If she wasn’t careful, I’d stick something else in that sassy mouth of hers that would keep her quiet. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
She looked down at herself before replying, “I don’t know what you’re referring to. I have everything I need in my gym bag.”
“What about a shirt?” I countered. “Isn’t it customary for people to wear one when they leave the house?”
Maddy narrowed her eyes. “I’m wearing a shirt already.”
My dark gaze slowly passed up and down her ripe body, purposely making her lovely, pale skin blush.
“What are you, my dad?” she said defiantly. “Everyone below the age of fifty wears this kind of thing at the gym!”
Stepping closer, I looked her dead in the eye. “It’s my job to watch over you while he’s gone, Maddy. So until he gets back, wherever you’re concerned,” I said, my voice ripe with meaning, “I’m your daddy now!”