Page 34 of Daddy's Claim

The dots did their little on again off again dance, and I crossed my fingers he would fold.

Okay, but I’m trusting you to be a good girl and behave yourself. In and out of the store and that is it. Or else. Got me?”

Yes, Daddy.

I rolled my eyes as I shot off my last reply, but I figured playing nice might buy me some extra time. Grabbing a long coat to cover my dress, I headed downstairs to the front door.

To freedom.

Twelve

Mikey

“What was all that about?”

Rolling my eyes, I stuck my phone back in my pocket and crossed the room to where Cole was watching me with open curiosity. “Apparently Nora needs, ah, lady supplies. Cesare is going to take her to pick some up.”

From her spot at the computer, Adele looked up and frowned. “We have plenty at the house.”

“I figured, but she said she only uses a specific type.” When Adele simply raised an eyebrow, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “You don’t believe her?”

“I am not saying that,” Adele said in that overly proper way she sometimes had when she thought one of us was being stupid. “But you should tell Cesare to be… what is the word? Vigilant.”

As annoying as Adele could be, she had a point. Figuring it couldn’t hurt, I shot Cesare a text to keep a close eye on my wife, along with some not-so-thinly veiled threats about what would happen if she slipped away and went back to work.

By the time my phone buzzed nearly an hour later, I’d gotten so lost in my frustration with trying to figure out how the hell these bastards had hacked my system I’d all but forgotten the conversation with Adele. But when I saw Cesare’s name on the screen, my stomach sank to my knees.

“What’s wrong?” I barked into the phone the second the call connected.

“I don’t fucking know, Mikey. She said she needed to use the bathroom at the store, and I figured yeah, that made sense, and I swear to god I was right here the whole fucking time. I have no idea how she got out, but she’s not here.”

“Goddammit. That girl isn’t going to sit right for a month by the time I’m done with her.”

“Is something wrong?” Adele asked when I ended the call, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

“Dangerous ground, sweetheart,” Cole muttered, giving her hair a quick tug.

“I have to go. Go ahead and put a couple men on the building tonight. I still haven’t figured out how the fuck they bypassed my system so we shouldn’t take any chances.”

“On it. You go get your girl.”

“I just have to figure out where she is, first.” No sooner had the words left my lips than a text came in. Luca. Snarling at my phone, I swiped open the message, fully intending to tell him I didn’t have time for his games.

Missing something?

The taunting question was accompanied by a picture of Nora, dressed in a curve-hugging, barely-there dress, her arms in the air as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Relief and anger both swamped me, leaving me feeling distinctly unsettled as I headed for my car, tapping out a message to my brother.Don’t fucking let her out of your sight.

His response came through just as the engine in my car came roaring to life.I always keep an eye on the beautiful women in my club.

Even though it was obviously intended to piss me off, I knew Luca would keep her safe until I got there. Unfortunately for my naughty little wife, there would be no one around to keep her safe from me.

I made it to the club in record time, tossing my keys to the valet without bothering to wait for a ticket. Everyone here knew all of the family, and nobody even tried to stop me as I stormed past the burly bouncers at the front door and into the pulsing music and flashing lights.

Almost as soon as I walked in, a hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to find another of Luca’s men behind me. Without bothering to try and speak over the blaring music, he jerked his head to the side, indicating I should follow him. Assuming Nora was with Luca, I followed the guard up to the second floor.

Several roped off sections overlooked the dance floor, but it was clear which section was reserved for the man himself. Encased in glass on all sides, the room would allow Luca to monitor pretty much every inch of his club without actually mingling with the masses. I could just imagine him, sitting up here every night, watching over them like some sort of hedonistic god surveying his worshipers.

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