Page 15 of Billionaire Daddy's Girl

As two cops handcuff my bleary, bleeding attacker, one of them approaches me. He’s tall and wearing a sympathetic expression, a notepad in his hands. Damien leads me over to sit on the low wall nearby, sticking beside me as the cop starts asking questions.

“Do you know who the man is or why he would attack you?” the cop asks, and I shake my head. Beside me, Damien stiffens and begins to talk.

“I do,” he growls, voice rough, his hands shaking with unreleased anger. “That’s Adrian Findlay.”

The cop’s brow raises. “You know him?”

Damien nods, and I look up at him, surprised. “We work in the same industry. He considers us rivals. Recently … fuck, recently he’s been calling and texting and emailing constantly, not leaving me alone.”

“Why’s that?” the cop prods.

“He wants a building I own, and I won’t sell it to him. Really, he hates the fact I’m more successful than him,” Damien explains. His hand is still in mine, and I squeeze, trying to silently show him that I’m here, I’m okay.

“Did he make any direct threats against you or Miss Graeme in any correspondence?”

“No … wait, shit!” Damien curses. “The last call, he told me I’d regret it if I didn’t give him what he wanted. I thought it was just an empty threat, him showing his true colors. I never imagined Delaney was in danger.”

I lean into him as he wraps his arm around me, kissing my forehead, looking anguished at the fact his rival has tried to hurt me. It’s not his fault; I’d never blame him for it. Adrian Findlay is clearly unstable and insane to go to this length over what seems like such a petty business disagreement.

The cop asks a few more questions, says he’ll contact us if needed, and then they haul Adrian Findlay away in handcuffs.

“You’re safe, pretty girl,” Damien repeats as we watch the police pull away. “Nothing will ever hurt you again. I’m so sorry, baby. So sorry.”

I shake my head. “It’s not your fault, Damien,” I say, reassuring him. “He’s the one who shoulders all the blame, not you.” Something occurs to me at that moment, and I crane my head to look up at him. “How did you get here in time?”

Anger flashes in Damien’s eyes again, but I know it’s aimed at Adrian, not me. “His business partner called my office this morning, actually,” he says gruffly. “Said he was worried about Adrian, that he’d never seen him like this. He’d gone off the rails, trashed his office, and sworn something about making me paybefore storming out. He was worried Adrian was going to hurt someone to get to me, and so obviously, my first concern was you.”

My heart melts a little at how fast he came to me, how much he’d needed to check on me and make sure I was okay. And thank God he had. I don’t want to think about what could have happened to me if Damien hadn’t shown up at that moment, what Adrain could have done.

Before we can talk about anything else in detail, my brother comes over to us, looking me over as though he needs to check I’m okay too.

“This isn’t how I wanted you to meet,” I say with a huff of laughter, looking between Damien and Gavin. “Damien, meet my brother, Gavin. Gav, this is Damien.”

They shake hands, giving each other a nod. “Good to meet you,” Damien says.

“You, too. Good to know my sister has someone willing to stick up for her and protect her,” Gavin says, approval in his words.

“I’d do anything for her,” Damien agrees, and I go all gooey inside. Sure, the circumstances are far from ideal, but it makes me so happy to know Gavin approves of Damien.

Over Gavin’s shoulder, I see someone coming out of the retirement home, confusion on their face. From the name tag and uniform she’s wearing, it’s obvious she’s a member of staff.

I wave at her and push to my feet. “Come on, let’s go explain to Gamma what’s just happened,” I say to my brother and Damien.

“She’s gonna love him for protecting you like that,” Gavin says with a chuckle. “Hell, she’s gonna be mad she didn’t get to see it.”

I shove his arm playfully, and Damien slips his hand into mine as the three of us walk across the parking lot to where my grandmother lives.

Predictably, she loves Damien, too.

9

DAMIEN

Delaney bats her eyelashes at me, sticking her plump bottom lip out in a pout as she gives me puppy dog eyes.

“Please, Daddy,” she whines, and fuck if that doesn’t make my heart pound and my cock hard.

“Delaney…”

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