Page 89 of Her Protector Daddies

“Hey,” Bailey said.

“Hi. The Captain gave me this. I wasn’t sure what was happening?” I was praying desperately for good news.

“We located the car seen fleeing Jay’s house and tracked it to an abandoned structure downtown. Bailey finished a scout and spotted Dae inside, so we’re waiting for SWAT to give the go-ahead before we head in,” Tyler explained quickly. “How’s Jay?”

“He’s okay.” I lifted my head and turned in my chair to glance through the glass-paneled double doors. Jay was pale and visibly tense, but his hands were flat against the wood, and he appeared to be speaking calmly. “He’s holding it together. They asked a lot about his life with his partner and now they’re talking about the money found in the bag. I don’t know how much longer this can go on, though. Andrés’ lawyer is barking objection at every little thing.”

“Of course he is,” Tyler grumbled. He glanced off camera and nodded, then fixed the camera back to his chest. “Show time.”

It was oddly disorientating seeing Tyler climb out of the car from the viewpoint of his chest. Tarmac gave way to Bailey snapping back the safety on an assault rifle, his face grim. Behind him stood a rough-looking house with a wild, unkempt garden and a wire gate hanging off its hinges. Around him swarmed several other people with SWAT stamped on their chests.

“You making entrance?” Tyler asked, his voice slightly distant from this angle.

“You bet I am,” Bailey replied.

As they approached the building, my heart raced so fast it became a blur of sensation within my chest and I could scarcely breathe. My grip tightened on the tablet, causing the edges to blur around my thumb.

Bailey approached the door and knocked twice.

“Go away!” demanded a distant voice.

“But sir,” said Bailey in a squeaker voice that would have been amusing in any other circumstance. “I’m just tryna—tryna raise some money for my bike repair.

“I said,” demanded the voice again, “go the fuck away—!” In his anger, the man wrenched the door open and stalked out onto the top step but his words died as Bailey delivered a swift, violent punch to his throat. It rendered him silent and unable to speak, unable to warn anyone inside and as one SWAT member dragged that man out of view, Bailey led the way into the building.

Things blurred as smoke poured, yells filled the air and a cacophony of gunfire rippled through the screen. The angle of Tyler’s camera made it difficult to see anything clearly, given how he was running and ducking. Through it all, one cry cut me right to the bone.

Dae.

I’d recognize his little voice anywhere.

“Please,” I whispered, on the edge of my seat with one leg bouncing. “Please, please…”

We had all been through so much. So much pain, so much death. It couldn’t end this way. We couldn’t lose Dae. We just couldn’t.

I was utterly transfixed, and then the smoke began to clear.

Bailey appeared on screen with a tear-stained Dae in his arms, smoothing him in a million kisses.

“Yes!” I yelled, bolting up in excitement and a dizzying wave of relief crashed over me.

“Shh!” A nearby security guard hushed me but I didn’t care. Dae was safe. The relief was so euphoric that my stance wobbled, and tears stung at the corner of my eyes. They did it.

They fucking did it!

“You’re okay, buddy,” came Bailey’s voice. “You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

I muted the tablet and slipped into the courtroom, locking eyes with Jay. If my smile didn’t give away the good news then my thumbs up certainly did. The relief on Jay’s face was immense and his words trembled, then he ducked his head and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment. “Can you repeat the question?”

“Mr. Whan. I asked if you killed your partner,” the District Attorney asked.

Jay’s shoulders lifted with a deep breath, and then he glanced across to Andrés.

“No,” Jay said firmly. “I did not kill my partner. But I know who did.”

“In your statement from the time of your partner’s death, you said you witnessed the shooting. Is that correct?”

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