Page 145 of Little Bits of Daddy (Montana Daddies)

“You don’t know that!” he roared, making her startle and settle deeper into her chair. “He’s the one putting you in danger! What the hell does he think is going to happen? Why do you need an emergency button and a safe house?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

Duke put his hand over his face and took some deep, slow breaths. Getting up, she moved over to him, sliding her arms around his waist.

“I know you think I probably should have told you straight away?—”

“As soon as he stepped into the room!”

“But that would have been a disaster. It was our wedding day. And he wasn’t there to hurt anyone.”

He dropped his hand, staring down at her. “You promised that you would be careful.”

“I didn’t let him in. I didn’t contact him. I swear.”

“That fucking sneaky bastard. If I see him, he’s fucking dead. Christ. You were in our bedroom with an assassin and I was outside, chasing down a damn bunny.”

“Duke, I think there’s more going on here than we know.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “He kidnapped Dahlia.”

“Yes, I know. But I’m sure he had a good reason.”

“Sunny,” he groaned. “I know that you want to see the best in everyone, but the truth is that the Fox is an assassin for hire. He kills people. And he isn’t who you think he is. You should have told me that he was there straight away.”

“But by the time I found you, he would have been gone anyway, and what would have been achieved other than for our wedding to be ruined? I just wanted to marry you.” She sniffled.

“Baby girl.” He sighed, wrapping his arms around her. “Telling me wouldn’t have ruined the wedding.”

It was her turn to give him a skeptical look.

“I know that I have a bit of a thing about the Fox. And maybe you’re right. I would have fixated on him if you’d told me before the wedding. But I still don’t like that you kept this from me, Sunny. At. All.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Are you really mad?”

“I’m upset, not mad.”

Sugar. She thought that might be worse.

“I meant to tell you right after the wedding, but there was the reception and then we were so tired last night. Then this morning . . . I didn’t want to sit on a hot ass the whole way here.”

“You’re going to be sitting on a sore ass for the rest of the day,” he warned.

“I figured that would be the case.”

“You’re getting twenty with your hairbrush.”

“Um, well, I might have forgotten my hairbrush.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Deliberately?”

“I’d like to plead the fifth on that.”

“You know, there’s a whole forest here. I’m sure I could go cut some branches to use on your bottom.”

Sunny gasped and covered her bottom with her hands. “You wouldn’t!”

“Well, what do you expect me to do when you leave your hairbrush at home? I suppose I could use my belt.”

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