Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Rex
I probably shouldn’t have held her tight all night long, but that’s exactly what I did.
That’s all I did, though.
Kira seemed a little disappointed. She’d been so tired, though, that she’d slept hard. By the time she awoke, the fear seemed to have subsided and her soul was settled.
“I’m going to talk to the Daddy Guard members at their place. They’re dropping their Littles off here then I’ll hitch a ride with them back to their mansion so we can get a gameplan together,” I told her after she’d emerged from readying for the day.
The diaper was off and she was in regular clothes, though I’d noticed she’d had another accident during the night. I didn’t mention that, though.
“Okay,” she said, seeming to want to say more. “You’ll be back here, right? I mean, I’ll see you again before I leave tomorrow?”
“Of course. Kira, despite… hey, I’m not going to ghost you.”
She seemed relieved, but I still saw worry in her eyes.
I wish I could have told her we were all good and we’d be together, but I truly didn’t know that. I’d yet to come to grips with how I actually felt.
“You’re safe here,” I reminded her. “But—well, I guess I can’t officially give you orders, but I think you should stay put. Don’t leave until this is all settled.”
Hurt registered in her eyes and I felt awful. I hadn’t said that to sting her. The truth, however, was that I didn’t know if I was her Daddy or not. I guess I wasn’t.
We’d used that name. Or rather, Lila and I had used that name.
Things were different now.
“Yeah. I should stay here,” she said.
We walked downstairs together and found Athena and Trevon in the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Athena said.
“Good morning,” we replied in unison.
Over at the table in the breakfast nook, Trevon looked up from his tablet and said, “You heading over to the Guard’s place?”
Taking a cup of coffee Athena handed me, I thanked her and then said to Trevon, “Yeah. You coming?”
His deep voice was as booming as always as he answered. “No. Gonna stay here and make sure no one tries to start shit.” Looking at Kira, he said, “Excuse my language, honey. I meant stuff. Going to make sure no one starts stuff.”
I nearly told him there was no need to apologize because she wasn’t a Little, but I kept that comment to myself.
The doorbell rang before we could continue the conversation any further.
Athena started to leave from behind the island, but Trevon was already up on his feet. “I’ll get that.”
When he was gone, Kira nervously asked, “Do you think someone will try something here? He seems kind of on edge.”
It was Athena who answered. “No. He’s just protective. He takes guarding this place—and anyone in it—very seriously.”
“Does he have a Little?”
Athena shook her head. “Not yet, honey. But he’s searching for one. Maybe soon.”
“What about you?” Kira looked apologetic as soon as the words left her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No need to be sorry. I’m an open book. And no, I don’t have a Little yet. But hopefully soon I’ll meet my special guy.”
It was obvious Kira was pondering it all. “You get more women through here, huh?”
“So far that’s the case. But every now and then a guy comes in.” Athena shrugged. “They’ve all had their own Mommies—or Daddies—so far. Soon, I bet. My little guy is out there. I’ll find him soon.”
I related to what Athena said. Just less than twenty-four hours before, I’d thought I had found my little girl. Now, I just wasn’t so sure.
The Daddy Guards’ Littles poured into the room, all chattering and laughing, clearly happy to see Trevon and happy to be at the Hollywood Haven.
“Auntie!” Iris said.
She led the way and the others followed her, all hugging Athena once they’d done the same to Trevon.
“What am I, chopped liver?” I asked.
“Uncle Rex!” they said in unison before swarming me while I chuckled.
The doorbell rang again.
“Be right back,” Trevon said.
“That’s probably Trish,” Athena called out to him. “She’s coming today.”
Athena was right, because a moment later, Trish walked in. She hugged everyone—including Kira.
I was glad to see it.
In fact, the other girls seemed happy to see Kira, too, with no one holding the dishonesty against her.
“I better get out of here. See you all in a bit.”
Athena followed me out of the kitchen. “No hug or kiss goodbye for Kira?”
I turned in the entryway to face her and shrugged. “Not sure we’re there yet. Not sure we will be again.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, though, something tells me she’s still the one.”
“Really? But I’m not even sure she’s a Little. And you know me. I’m a Daddy, through and through. I can’t be anything but that.”
“Oh, I know. And obviously it doesn’t matter what I think.
It has to be right for you and her. I wouldn’t be so sure she’s not a Little, though.
Sometimes we have to have an awakening—something in our lives that reveals a core part of ourselves.
” She smiled. “Sometimes it’s not an event but a person. ”
That made sense to me. There were still a few hangups, though. Well, one, at least.
“Can I trust her?”
“Only you can answer that. But I trust her.”
Smiling, I hugged Athena, thanked her, and then headed out to join the Daddy Guard.
I’d figure out all the stuff with Kira later. Right now, the first order of business was finding out who had come after her last night.
And stopping them.