Page 86 of Ruin Me, Daddy

Shit shit shit. “But, Daddy?—”

“Now, Amanda Louise.”

“Okay, okay, I’m doing it. Hold your horses,” she muttered as she guided the car into the parking lot of a gas station near her exit. “I’m parked.”

“Good girl. Now, text me the address.”

“This really isn’t necessary.” But she picked up the phone anyway and copied the address over to his text. “It’s not like I’m walking into a hostage situation or something. Ace isn’t dangerous.”

Except maybe to himself. But if she told Ice that, he really would insist on coming with her.

“That’s the only reason I’m not making you turn the car around.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I understand you and Ace have your own shit to work out. If you’d told me you wanted to go talk to him alone, I would have let you. But you chose to be sneaky instead, and you’re going to be paying a hefty price for that later.”

A familiar pressure she recognized as guilt tightened around her chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d let me come if I told you he wanted to talk alone.”

“Why not? Like you said, he’s not actually dangerous. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.”

“No,” she lied, cringing inside at how easily the lie rolled off her tongue. Once Ice found out about the texts Ace had sent, calling her a bitch and a whore and all manner of nasty things, she really was going to be in a world of trouble. “I just… sort of assumed you wouldn’t trust him with me.” That, at least, wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

Silence stretched between them, and she squirmed in her seat despite the fact he wasn’t actually there to stare her down the way it felt like he was staring her down. “Or do you still think I don’t trust you?”

“Maybe a bit of both,” she admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I don’t know. I didn’t really stop to think about it, if I’m being honest. Seemed easier to just do it and beg forgiveness later.”

“Oh, my naughty little goddess.” His laugh, low and full of wicked promise, filled the car. “It seems you’ve forgotten exactly who I am. But trust me when I tell you that by the time I’m finished with you that you will never make the mistake of thinking forgiveness is easier than permission when it comes to me.”

Need pulsed between her thighs, drawing a whimper from her lips before she could stop it. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Now, go on and meet Ace. Beckett is sending a car for me since someone took mine without asking. Again. I’ll be about fifteen minutes behind you, which should give you and Ace plenty of time for whatever it is he has to say.”

“Yes, Daddy. Um. Thanks, for trusting me to take care of this myself.”

“You’re welcome, baby. But you better get back on the road. You’re losing your head start.”

Laughing, she put the car in drive and eased back out onto the main road. “See you when I see you, Daddy.”

Ice

Staring down at his phone, Ice tapped the address Silver had sent him and pulled it up on the map. Despite his assurances, something about the whole situation wasn’t sitting right with him. He’d feel much better if he was at least able to wait in the car while she went in to talk to him.

Which made no sense. Ace may have been an asshole, but to the best of Ice’s knowledge, he’d never been violent. Even during their worst breakups, Silver had never seemed concerned for her safety.

So why couldn’t he shake the feeling that this time was different?

Going with his gut, he pulled up Holden’s number. “Hey. I need a favor. How quickly can you have a couple of guys to this address?”

“Just a sec,” Holden grunted.

Seconds ticked by in silence, and Ice paced the floor of his kitchen, fighting back the urge to ask what was taking so fucking long.

“That’s an apartment building right around the corner from me,” Holden said after what felt like an eternity. “I can be there in two shakes. What’s up?”

“Silver’s meeting Ace there. He said he wanted to talk to her alone.”

“Did he make any threats? Tell her to come alone or he’d hurt you, that kind of thing?”

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