The Protectors 2 (The Protectors #8)

Chapter 1

Dauterive

It looked like Asylum was about to blow a gasket.

His eye twitched and mouth hung open. He was frozen in his chair, seemingly looking right through True.

I had an idea that her question would knock him off his square, but not to this extent.

This was the first time in all the years I’d known him that I’d seen anything make my husband speechless.

Leave it to his princess, . . . his baby girl.

Clearing my throat, I tried to hide my simper as I rubbed Asylum’s thigh. When that didn’t make him move, I called his name softly and sweetly while rubbing his neck.

“Asylum?” I gripped his chin and forced him to look at me. Finally, his eyes blinked.

“Hmm?”

“True just told you she likes a boy in her class and wants to know if they can go to the movies. You haven’t answered her.”

My smirk spread into a grin when he scowled.

“That actually just happened?”

His question caused my laughter to finally erupt.

Meanwhile, True was looking from me to her father as if she was waiting for God to smite her.

She’d come to me first and asked for help on how to soften Asylum to the idea of her dating.

Sierra had already told her she was okay with her dating now, but Asylum wanted her to wait until she was fifteen.

I felt like if he tried to keep her from dating, she’d do it behind our backs.

I was honored that she’d come to me for advice. She called me Mama Doe, and we still had a strong bond even though Sierra had come back. More than anything, I wanted to make sure she knew I was here to give her extra love and support above all else.

“Yes, baby. That actually happened.”

Asylum shifted to face True again. His head hung as he huffed, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his dramatics.

“Princess, are you trying to give your daddy a heart attack?”

“No, sir.”

“I don’t think I want you dating now. You just turned fourteen. I thought we agreed you’d start dating at fifteen?”

“Well, yes, but I really like him, Daddy. He’s nice and we have a lot of fun in class and gym. He asked me to go to the movies with him and that’s it. We’re just gonna hang out.”

“That’s never it when it comes to little boys. First you’ll be asking me if you can go to the movies to hang out, and then he’ll be kissing you and tryna fu—”

“Sy!” I yelled, shoving his shoulder.

“Aight, aight. If I let you go to the movies with him, there will be a hell of a lot of rules. No touching. No kissing. No body parts joining in any way. I’ma go with you. It can be a double date.”

“Ugh,” True groaned. “Just forget it. I can’t go on a double date with y’all.”

“Why not?” I asked. “We’re cool.”

“No one wants to go on a date with their parents, Mama Doe.”

“Okay, how about this,” I started, taking Asylum’s hand into mine. “We will go, but you two can do your own thing. We won’t sit with you or talk to you. Or, your daddy will likely put a guard on you, and I’m sure that’s not what you want.”

She released a dramatic sigh, and for her and Asylum to not have been related by blood, they sure acted a hell of a lot alike. I chuckled as she considered the offer.

“Fine. I guess I have no choice,” True agreed. “But Daddy can’t talk to him or threaten him or embarrass me.”

“Helllo,” Asylum stretched. “Y’all talking about me like I’m not even here.”

“Deal,” I said, extending my hand across the table for True to shake.

“Deal!” She squealed as she stood and walked over to our side of the table. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she added, “Thanks, Mama Doe.” True kissed Asylum’s cheek. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“Mhm,” he grumbled, making me laugh again. He waited until she was out of the dining room to say, “Judas. How could you betray me?”

Cackling, I couldn’t even respond immediately. “Asylum, I did not betray you.”

“Yes, you did. You were supposed to be on my side and tell her no.”

“Look, I love you, but if I agreed with you, fifteen would have turned into twenty-five. You will never want your baby girl to date.”

“You got that right.” Asylum sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I’m not ready for this shit, baby. At all.”

“I know, but you have to get ready. She’s growing up, babe. I know you wish she could stay your little girl forever but—”

“She will always be my little girl, Doe. That’ll never change.”

“Okay,” I enunciated carefully, “but can you acknowledge that your little girl is a teenager and she’s growing up?

” He nodded. “If you want to keep an open relationship with her, she has to believe you will hear her out and consider her desires, thoughts, and feelings. And I need her to know she can come to me if she ever believes she can’t go to you or Sierra.

So I know you might hate the thought of her dating and me advocating for her, but it’s only because I love you both. ”

“Okay, okay, you’re right.” Asylum leaned forward and gave me a sweet and tender yet quick kiss before resting his forehead against mine.

“Thank you for being a safe space for her, and thank you for helping me stay leveled. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this shit, but I know I can with you by my side. ”

“Of course I’m going to be by your side.”

“I can’t wait to see how you act when it’s time for Shiloh to start dating and shit. Then it’s going to be your turn to be ready to flip tables.”

I laughed as we separated and turned our attention to the files on the table. I was in the process of selecting an operating manager for my staffing company. As much time apart as Asylum and I had because of Sierra, I wanted to spend all my free time with him and our family.

“Hey, I know it might be difficult for me, but that’s why I’ll have you. You’ll calm me down just like I calmed you down with True.”

A beat of silence passed before Asylum asked, “You want another baby, Doe?”

My tongue rolled across my cheek as I looked over at him. “Do you?”

“I got my queen, my prince, and my princess. Sometimes I feel like it would be greedy to ask God for anything more.”

That made me smile as I cupped his cheek. “And the other times?”

“And the other times . . . I want all He has for us. I feel like we stood in His way the first time around and lost time because of it. I don’t want to do that again.”

“I agree. I know we said we weren’t going to be in a rush to have another baby, but I also can’t deny I want another one or two. I love True like she’s my own, and Shiloh looks and acts literally like you. I want to see if we can have a girl that looks like and acts like me.”

Asylum smiled before licking his lips. “From the sound of it, you’re going to get off your birth control, and we’re going to have another baby,” he declared softly with that deep, sexy voice I couldn’t get enough of.

“Sounds like it.” I agreed before meeting him halfway for a kiss.

When we pulled away, we forced ourselves to focus on going over the candidates’ files one last time. The sooner I chose a manager, the sooner I’d be able to retire from the role and spend more time with my family—and . . . work on expanding it with my fine ass husband.