Page 74 of Naughty Santa Daddy

“Massimo. I was supposed to be watching him.” I try to dig my heels into the ground.

“And you did. Unlike those imbeciles who are supposed to be hyperaware of any and all threats and protecting him with their lives. The only one who did their job today was you.”

“What’s going to happen to them?”

“What could’ve been the fate of my son.”

Chapter 7

D. Vessa

D. Vessa

Massimo

“Why don’t you head on upstairs and take a hot shower to get extra warmed up,” I tell Hadley once we’re back inside the safe, confined walls of the cabin. If so much as even a window opens, the alarms are going to notify me.

Hadley’s eyes linger on a still shivering Amos before she slowly nods her head and makes her way upstairs. My eyes follow her until she’s out of sight.

I know what just happened freaked her out. Hell, it freaked me out even more. My son almost fucking died. He could have been taken right before my eyes, and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it. Any guilt Hadley carries from thinking this was her fault because she wasn’t watching him will be fucked out of her tonight. It’s not on her. It’s on the men who I made an example of today.

She may be my captive but I’m forever in her debt whether she knows it or not. And that’s… unsettling. I vowed to never let a woman have any sort of hold on me after Amos’ mom passed. I don’t think you truly ever move on from the pain, just forward.

“I’m sorry,” Amos mumbles through chattering teeth, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Hey,” I rest my hand on his wet shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You do need to work on listening, though. Come on, let’s get you warmed up too.”

“She won’t get in trouble, right?” Amos asks as he turns back to look at me, one foot resting on the bottom step of the stairs and one hand on the railing.

“No,” I say, tone final. “Go shower.” Amos is old enough to know that he can get away with murder but not with questioning what I am and am not doing.

Heading over to the small bar cart in the living room, I pour myself a stiff drink. I’m going to fucking need it if I’m stuck inside with Hadley the rest of the day. I’m not letting either of them out of my sight. I welcome the burn the first sip of whiskey always brings. It’s enough to clear all of my senses, acting as a reset. It’s been a while since I’ve been this on edge. Usually, my men and I have no issues locating the threat and taking it out. But this? This is taking a while and that’s not sitting right with me.

“I needed that,” Hadley sighs as she comes into the living room.

She looks like she was taken right out of one of my fantasies. Her long dark hair is loose down her back, still damp from her shower. Her face is clear of any makeup, somehow making her gorgeous brown eyes pop even more. I recognize one of my T-shirts that I keep here in just in case and a pair of my old sweats. She’s fucking stunning.

My gut clenches at seeing her in my clothes. She’s not mine but she sure as hell looks like it right now.

“How is Amos doing? A scare like that doesn’t just leave your mind.” Hadley’s voice is laced with concern. The type of concern that you only have if you personally understand what it’s like to make it out on the other side after coming face to face with death—concern I should have but my stone-cold heart doesn’t allow.

“He’s fine. Worried about you, but he’s getting cleaned up.” I bring the rocks glass to my lips, taking another long sip. “We’re going to lay low and stay in tonight. You can try to run, but I’ll know. You won’t like the consequences if I have to hunt you down and bring you back.”

It takes everything in me to contain my smirk as I watch her eyebrows lower.

“If I wanted to leave, I would walk out of here, not run. I think I’ve more than proved that I can drive a car,” she snaps.

An unwelcoming sense of pride starts to fill my chest as I let the smirk I was holding back take over my face. The fact that she could have died right alongside Amos not even an hour ago and be back to throwing attitude like nothing happened is admirable. The ability to bounce back and be unfazed is a necessity in this life. I shouldn’t be proud of it; I haven’t asked for that claim. She seems to be slowly worming her way under my skin in a way I don’t know if I’ll be able to remove her.

“If you knew how to drive, you wouldn’t have spun out,Tesoro,” I say, downing the last of my drink. “Do you want anything? Greta is around here somewhere.”

“No,” Hadley rolls her eyes. “Even if I wanted something, I would just get it myself.”

“I want cookies.” Amos announces, emerging in his pajamas.

“Cookies?” I ask. He usually isn’t one for sweets.

Hadley gasps loudly as she claps her hands together. “Let’s make Christmas cookies!”

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