Page 113 of When He Protects

“He’s dead. Absolutely fucking dead.”Tyler paced in the hospital. He wasn’t talking about Clay. Clay would live. The docs were working on him now. Thaddeus hadn’t survived the ambulance ride, and Tyler couldn’t give a shit about that traitorous SOB.

All of his focus was on Esme. And on the man who’d taken her.

A man that Tyler knew. Too well.

What game are you playing? Why are you screwing with my Esme?

And where the hell was Gray? He’d tried to make contact, but Gray appeared to have disappeared.What did Thaddeus do to him?

Kane stood at his side, a solid, immovable object. Kane had gotten help at the motel. Contacted authorities who weren’t freaking as dirty as they came.

But he hadn’t gotten Esme. She is gone.

And all Tyler could do was wait on the phone call that had damn well better come.

“Where is my daughter?”

His head whipped to the right. Three men marched toward him. Two of the guys he instantly pegged as security. They had that tough-as-nails, I’ll-break-you-in-a-flash look about them. Tyler ignored them because it was the third man that mattered.

The man with Esme’s eyes. Etienne Laurent.

He’d figured her father would show up, sooner or later. Turned out, it was sooner.

Etienne strode straight to Tyler. His goons covered his left and right sides. The light hit her father’s dark hair, with silver gleaming near his temples. His face was hard with intent, and rage shone in the darkness of his eyes as he squared off with Tyler. Only darkness. No faint traces of gold. His eyes weren’texactlylike Esme’s.

“You had one job, Marshal Barrett. Just one.”

“He’s had a really long day, buddy,” Kane began angrily.

Tyler waved him away. He could handle this. Besides, Etienne deserved his rage. “I’m getting her back.”

Etienne swept him with a judging glare. “Why would she choose someone like you? All you will do is disappoint her.”

“I’m getting her back,” he said again. It was a vow.

“But will you get her back alive? Or will my Esme come home in pieces?”

Tyler could have sworn his heart stopped.

“You have no clue how to find her, do you? She was taken while you watched.”

While she screamed for me.

Pain nearly blinded him.

“You looked at her and saw a villain. You never knew her.” Disgust tightened Etienne’s face. “Iwill get my daughter back, and I will make sure she never sees you again.” He whirled from Tyler.

“She starts each day trying to do something good.” The words were pulled from him.

Etienne had begun to storm away, but he stilled.

“She wakes up so happy—the brightest morning person you have ever seen—and she tries to do good.”

Etienne glanced back. Tyler could have sworn the other man’s lower lip trembled. “Esme’s mother taught her that. Her mother…” He swiped a hand over his face. “She wanted Esme to be different than she was. Better than us both.” His hand fell. “Esme was always the best thing in our world.” His head turned away. He started to march away once more.

“She’s the best thing in my world,” Tyler said. He made sure his voice carried. Esme had thought this man was a killer, but it hadn’t been him. “You tried to protect her,didn’t you? Because you knew Esme was in danger. All the way back in Paris, you knew.”

Etienne whirled and was back in front of Tyler in a blink. “That bastard Louis was using her! Lying to her about me. He was working with Thaddeus, and that piece of scum was always trying to blackmail his way into my life. I was not going to let them use my Esme. I told her to stay away from Louis. Not to meet him anymore because the game was too dangerous. IsawLouis with Thaddeus that day in the café. I knew trouble was coming.” He straightened. “I just didn’t realize how close it was. Not until my daughter was pulled from the rubble.”

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