Page 56 of Her Protector Daddies

I took a step back. “What?”

“Get in the car.” He shifted in his seat and his wild eyes locked onto me. “It’s like I said before. This money, this stuff? It’ll keep us safe. Look at me, I’m safe. Come with me, we can have that new life we talked about. We just drive, drive until we’re new people in a new place. A new life!”

I couldn’t deny the temptation. It pulled at the deep, yearning part of me that still ached for my father and couldn’t make peace with how nothing was really going to change.

As soon as that thought flashed through my mind, it was replaced by Bailey, Jay, and Tyler. They had supported and cared for me more than I ever would have expected, and more than I ever felt I could ask for. I couldn’t leave them.

I love them.

I was in love with them.

“No. Dad. Running away isn’t an option here. You have to hand yourself in?—!”

Suddenly, tires screeched and more cars poured into the parking lot bearing the telltale insignia of the Dorame. As gunfire erupted – the cars aiming at my father and my men aiming at the cars – I threw myself forward toward my father and grabbed the door.

“Come on you son of a bitch!” I screamed as inspiration struck me. “You left me, you fucking left me and for what? For a handful of cash and trinkets that you stole? I’m your daughter, your only daughter, and you care more about that shit than me? Get out of the car, Dad. You have to face what you did. You can’t keep running. You keep running and leave me and I’ll hate you for it, you hear me? I’ll hate you for it!”

The door handle tore painfully from my grasp as my father slammed on the accelerator and screeched out of the parking lot, leaving me in his dust. I stood, panting with tears streaming down my face, staring after him until a solid body collided with me and threw me to the ground.

My cry of pain was softened by Jay’s voice in my ear.

“Stay down, Selena, stay down!”

Seconds after the gunfire started, the SWAT that Bailey had organized poured into the parking lot and made quick work of Andrés’ men. Those who weren’t smart enough to run were quickly arrested and loaded into the back of SWAT vehicles while I was escorted into the back of a police car.

I remained there, even after I was driven to the station until my men appeared and released me.

“Are you alright?” Bailey’s firm fingers gripped my jaw, turning my head to the side as he looked me over.

“Are you hurt?” Tyler asked, his eyes flooded with worry.

“Did I tackle you too hard?” Jay asked, pained.

“No, no I’m okay. I’m fine,” I assured them all quickly as the tension and panic in my heart slowly drained in their presence. “I just hope that the fight with my father will make it back to the right ears.”

“That was good work, quick thinking,” Jay praised softly.

“Oh, Andrés is listening,” Bailey muttered grimly. “And we’ve got no choice now. That party is our last shot.”

21

JAY

“You’re sure you’re okay?” A week had passed since the meeting with Marcus, but I couldn’t shake the concern I had for Selena.

She seemed gifted in taking everything in her stride but that didn’t mean she should have to. The poor woman had had more stuff thrown at her in the past two months than most faced in their entire lifetime.

Selena, swinging her arm back and forth with Dae laughing and giggling beside her, nodded and when she faced me, her smile was bright.

“I am. I promise.”

Before I could ask more, she darted away from me with Dae in tow toward the swings and their conjoined laughter filled the air. I settled back down onto the wooden bench and watched from afar, periodically checking my phone. Bailey and Tyler were down at the station so rather than sit at home waiting for updates, I’d decided to bring Dae to the park.

The fresh air would do both of them good.

Watching them run around together, my heart soared. Dae was shy by nature, and it concerned me from time to time how well he was doing in daycare and how well he coped with strangers. Seeing how quickly he’d grown attached to Selena had silenced that worry.

He was shy, yes, but he was a very good judge of character.

---