Page 1 of Daddy's Claim

One

Mikey

“You’re staying here, Adele, and that’s final.”

“Dammit, Cole. You cannot keep hiding me away in your ivory fucking tower like some weak little princess who is incapable of defending herself.”

Sitting in one of the oversized wingback chairs my cousin Cole favored for his study, I kept my gaze pointedly fixed on a book on the shelf over the bickering couple’s head, doing my best to stay out of their current… dispute.

But it was hard to ignore Cole’s growled, “You will do as you’re told, little girl.”

And even harder to pretend I couldn’t hear the hitch in her voice when she replied, “That is not fair.”

“I’m not interested in fair, sweetheart,” Cole said, his voice softer but still firm. “I’m interested in keeping you safe.”

“I know. But you said you would support me working by your side once I was fully trained. And that means I have to make an appearance at meetings and negotiations, just like you.”

I just managed to hold back a snort of derision. Like Adele, former undercover Interpol agent who had helped Cole take down one of the most notorious criminals of the twenty-first century, had needed any additional training from us. Be that as it may, Cole had still put her through her paces, and I knew for a fact those paces had been a hell of a lot more strenuous than what any of us had gone through before we had taken our places in the family business.

But she’d passed every test he’d given her with flying colors, so it was time for Cole to hold up his end of the bargain. Which he was currently finding every reason not to do.

The air itself seemed to vibrate as the two stared each other down, until Cole finally sighed. “Fine. But if Romano so much as looks at you sideways, you’re gone.”

She sucked in a breath, clearly ready to continue arguing. “You cannot—”

“Those are the terms, Adele. Take it or leave it.”

With an annoyed huff, she crossed her arms and glared at him. “I shall take it. But I do not like it.”

“Duly noted. Now that we’ve settled that, you can go upstairs and wait for me. It seems my little girl has forgotten how to speak to her Daddy.”

The change in Adele was as radical as it was sudden. Her bottom lip pushed out, embarrassed color added a pinkish hue to her skin, and her gaze dropped to the floor. “I am sorry,” she mumbled, so softly I had to strain to hear her. “I did not mean to be rude.”

“Upstairs. Now.” As if he’d just remembered I was there, Cole glanced over at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Unless you’d prefer we handle this here?”

Eyes wide, Adele shook her head, the ponytail she often wore bouncing from side to side. “No, sir.”

“Then go before I decide a little extra humiliation might be good for you.”

Without so much as a glance at me, she hurried from the room. Disappointment flashed in my chest, making me feel like a child who’d just been denied a treat. Although she was my cousin’s wife, Adele had an ass perfect for spanking, and it was never a hardship to watch her bend over the large wooden desk with her skirt up around her waist.

It was almost enough to make me want a girl of my own.

Almost.

“Mikey.” Cole’s resigned tone pulled me from my daydreams. “You’re with Adele. I want you glued to her side. If it looks like things are going bad, I want you to get her out of there and home. I don’t care if you have to pick her up and carry her out.”

“You got it, boss.” Adele would be pissed if it came to that, but there was no helping it. Not only was I unwilling to risk my cousin’s wrath if anything happened to her, I’d never forgive myself. In the short time she’d been a part of her family, we’d all come to love her almost as much as Cole did.

“Thank you. There’s something brewing and I’m still not convinced Carlos isn’t part of it. I’m letting Adele join us against my better judgment, but I want to make sure she has an out.”

“You really think Romano will try something?”

“No. It seems unlikely he’ll bloody his own turf, but I want to be prepared. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Cole straightened the cuffs of his jacket and bared his teeth in a predatory smile. “I have a little girl’s attitude to take care of. We’ll be ready in an hour.”

True to his word, Cole and Adele were in the foyer exactly an hour later. Other than the slightest bit of red around her eyes, there was zero indication she’d just endured a painful, humiliating punishment. There wasn’t even a hint ofembarrassment in her smile when she greeted me at the front door.

I followed them out to the sleek black SUV waiting for us at the bottom of the steps. Climbing in first, I settled in the back, Cole and Adele occupied the middle, with a guard and driver in the front two seats.

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