Page 4 of German

Pipe pocketed his phone and turned to me.“He’s good for the money and he pays well.He just needs someone to watch over Maddy while he’s gone.Make sure she’s safe until he gets back from his conference.”

I didn’t believe that was it.With his kind of money, he could hire bodyguards from any number of private protection agencies.There had to be a specific reason he was turning to the Devil’s Riders to watch his precious baby girl.

“I can see by the look on your face, you know Framingham wants more than just protection out of the deal,” Reaper said, as though he could read my very mind.And, after all we’d been through, I was beginning to think he actually could.

Pipe steepled his hands together as he spoke.“Framingham wants a bodyguard and a detective all wrapped into one.”

“Meaning?”I pressed, having a good idea, but wanting to know the full extent of the shitstorm I was about to get myself into.

“He wants someone ruthless enough to protect his daughter, but intelligent enough to figure out who’s after her and why.And when you find them,” Pipe paused, cracking his knuckles before he finished, “the man has offered to pay a hefty sum to take the assholes responsible for a little ride in the trunk of an unmarked vehicle they’ll never return home from.”

There it was.Ain’t no one on the books in protective services that were willing to provide Framingham what the Devils could.I couldn’t say I blamed the man.If I had someone like Maddy in my life, I sure as fuck would do anything in my power to keep her safe and protected from harm.

“You up for a ride and a mission, Brother?”Reaper asked his fellow Marine and Club Brother.

“Semper Fi,” I agreed, the first real smile I’d worn in months crossing my lips.

Chapter3

Marietta,California

Maddy

This house arrest was starting to get on my nerves.I know my father was only trying to keep me safe, but my incarceration was beginning to feel like a personal punishment and not protection.

Even worse, I wasn’t allowed to visit Christine in the hospital.I needed to see her.Tell her how sorry I was that this had happened to her and that I’d do anything to make sure she got better, even if she was unconscious and couldn't understand me.I’d found out after the detectives had left that she had a fractured skull from how hard those animals had hit her.To correct it, she was going to require several surgeries as soon as the swelling in her brain went down.Though I knew she had a family, a husband and two sons of her own, I wanted to be there when she went into surgery and when she awoke.If she’d let me, I’d drive her to her doctor’s appointments afterwards, and pick up her prescriptions, as she’d done for me countless times whenever I was sick in my childhood.It was the least I could do.

Scrolling through my phone now, I decided I needed to put the damn thing away and do something active.Silencing it so no texts or calls could distract me from my purpose, I tossed it onto my bed.Standing, I stretched and considered what I should do next.Since I took online classes all year round, my schedule differed from those taking in-person classes.I’d technically be on break for the next three weeks until school started back up for me, so I didn’t even have my studies to keep me busy.

Perhaps if I asked my father nicely, he’d let me go to the gym so I could burn off some of this excess energy and be a part of the free world for a few hours.I knew the stubborn man would argue we had an entire gym at Coldwell, but it just wasn’t the same.Besides, I knew I’d be safe because one of those detectives would be following me from a distance.That’s what they’d been doing ever since the attack three days ago.What could one little outing hurt?And maybe, one small latte afterward?My mouth began to water at the delicious fantasy.

Entering my walk-in closet, I selected an adorable little yoga two-piece ensemble that I’d ordered from the boutique at the LaCross shops a few weeks back.Kicking off my sweatpants, which I’d practically been living in since my house arrest began, I pulled on the china blue and white lycra pants and matching bralette.It had a delicate floral pattern on the outside and the softest, most buttery texture on the inside.

I was admiring the color and fit in the mirror when there was a knock at my bedroom door.Our maid, Gretchen, was standing there looking nervous when I opened it.To be fair, Gretchen always looked nervous.Even though she’d worked for us over five years, she still seemed to be warming up to Coldwell Manor and its inhabitants.Right now, she looked more nervous than usual.

“Sorry to bother you, Ms.Framingham,” she began, wringing her hands together as she spoke.“Your father tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”

I’d told the woman she could call me Maddy a dozen times since she’d started working for us.It was hopeless trying to correct her overly formal use of my surname at this point, so I’d stopped trying years ago.

“Is something wrong?”I asked, concerned all over again that Christine’s health had taken a turn for the worse.

“No ma’am,” the maid stammered, seeing the panic she’d unintentionally inspired.“Mr.Framingham has a guest he’d like you to meet.”

A guest he’d like me to meet?It must be another one of the detectives who'd come to pump me for information about a list of potential suspects who meant me harm.Well, I wasn’t changing.In fact, my outfit might give the detective the message I was making this visit quick.

Besides, there was nothing to say.I had exactly three names on that list, and they were a stretch at best.Two were girls from my private school, who, while absolutely horrid bitches to me over my high school career, were not kidnapping psychopaths.The other was a former valet who tried to aggressively hit on me when my dad wasn’t around one night.And while what he’d done was sleazy and wrong, I didn’t get the impression he was there to hurt me in any way.More like he was just trying to get laid.

“Tell my father I’ll be right down,” I informed Gretchen before going back to my room to snag my gym bag from my closet.

Fluffing my thick, naturally curly hair in the mirror before I left, I decided I’d leave it down until I got to the gym.It was getting so long the ends were more than halfway down my back.If I straightened it, I knew it would be touching my butt.Putting up the heavy mass, while necessary at the gym, sometimes gave me headaches so I left it free-flowing for now.

Bounding downstairs, I headed directly for my father’s study.As soon as I approached the door, I could hear my father’s booming voice.

Knocking on the open door, I walked inside and said, “You wanted to see me, Daddy?”

Inside the room now, I spotted the guest my father had summoned me to meet.To say I was surprised by his appearance was the understatement of the year.

“Yes, Maddy, I wanted you to meet my friend, German,” my father explained.

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