Page 7 of Daddies' Little Assassin

The laughter and snickers from onlookers didn't help my rapidly plummeting mood as I dragged myself up, trying to look anywhere but at the smirking faces. I cursed under my breath, shaking my head to clear the dizziness. I couldn't believe this was happening. The succubus was right there, and I was too busy being a newborn foal to do anything about it.

Why in the heck didn't this happen right after I broke the curse?

I didn't have any time to think about it right then, I needed to focus on my target.

I forced myself to move, hobbling toward the dance floor where Sapphire had disappeared. But as I did, my body seemed to betray me again. My foot caught on something—probably a loose shoe, or maybe nothing at all—and I stumbled forward, colliding headfirst into a tall figure.

I barely had time to register the shock before powerful hands caught me, steadying me on my feet.

"Whoa there," a deep voice rumbled. I looked up—way up—into the face of a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, his lips curved into an amused grin.

"You okay, darling?" Another voice chimed in, and I turned to see a second man, this one with dark hair and piercing eyes. He stood just behind the first guy, watching me with an intense expression that made my skin tingle.

Before I could answer, a third man stepped in, his eyes trailing over me with concern. His tattooed arms flexed as he crossedthem. "You took a nasty fall there," he said, his voice softer than the others but no less commanding.

My heart pounded as I took them in. Three men, all standing so close, I could feel the warmth radiating from their bodies. My mind raced. Had the spell done this?

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, a flash of movement caught my eye. Sapphire was slipping away, disappearing into the crowd. I swore under my breath. "I... I have to go," I stammered, pulling away from the man who still held my arm.

"Wait," the blonde guy said, his grip loosening just enough for me to slip free. "At least tell us your name."

But there was no time. The succubus was getting away, and I couldn't afford to lose her. Not my first hit for the Guild.

Still wobbly and fighting off the clumsiness that now plagued me, I pushed through the crowd, my eyes locked on the door Sapphire had just exited. I could feel their gazes on me, those three men watching as I bolted after the succubus, but I had no choice. I'd lost the first round, but I would not lose the battle.

I burst through the doors, into the night, barely seeing Sapphire's pitch-black hair as she slipped into a cab with her escort for the night.

I needed to catch up, find a cab of my own, and get on their trail. Not only did I need to take out Sapphire, but I needed to save the life of the woman with her too.

But as I made it to the curb, the cab I was heading for sped away before I could get my hand on the darn car's handle.

What the fluff now?

Chapter five

The Daddies

Istared down the street as the cab carrying Sapphire sped off into the night. My heart pounded, a mix of panic and frustration swirling in my chest. I couldn't believe I'd lost her—my first mark for the Guild, and now she was slipping right through my fingers.

"Darn it," I muttered under my breath, clenching my fists at my sides.

Behind me, the door to the club burst open with a thud, and I turned to see the three men from inside barreling out after me. Their eyes scanned the street until they landed on me, standing helplessly on the curb.

"Do you need to go somewhere, Little one?" the blonde one asked, his deep voice cutting through the chaos in my mind. He stepped forward, his intense blue eyes locked on mine, while the other two flanked him, each watching me with equal curiosity.

I blinked, my thoughts racing. I had no time to deal with this, but they were the only chance I had right now. Stuck between arock and a hard place, I did the only thing that made sense at the moment. "I need to chase that cab."

The blonde guy raised an eyebrow, but without missing a beat, he pulled out a sleek key fob from his pocket. With a press of a button, a fancy black car parked a few feet away beeped open. The lights flashed, and I nearly screamed in relief.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed, not questioning what was happening. My brain was too scrambled to process the details right now. I rushed past them and jumped into the back passenger seat, my heart racing.

The three men exchanged amused glances before piling in after me. The blonde guy slid into the driver's seat, while the one with the intense gaze sat next to me, his shoulder brushing mine. The third, with the tattooed arms, settled in on the other side.

As the engine roared to life, I cast a quick glance at the men, realizing I didn't even know their names... well I suppose they did try to exchange names before I ran off. This whole situation was insane, but then again, my life had been a series of strange events lately.

"I'm Karel," the blonde guy said, throwing me a sideways grin in the rearview mirror as he slammed his foot on the gas pedal. "And these are my friends, Lang and Henry."

I nodded, trying to focus on the road ahead. The car weaved through traffic with impressive ease, Karel having no trouble keeping up with the cab in front of us. I stole a glance at the other two. Lang, the one with the dark hair and a brooding look, had his eyes fixed on me, his expression unreadable. Henry, the one with the tattoos, leaned back casually, his gaze softer but no less intense.

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