Page 22 of Daddy's Little Sunshine

“Okay, Daddy.”

As much as he hated to ruin the moment, he still needed to talk to her. “Sit up, sunshine.” When she raised herself up, his gut twisted again at the shimmer of tears on her lashes. “I’m leaving in a few minutes, and I need you to stay here.”

Her response was immediate and exactly what he’d expected. “I want to come.”

“I know you do. But you can’t.” Pausing, he searched for a way to explain the situation without revealing too much. “These aren’t the type of people to talk to just anybody and they don’t know you.”

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “But they know you. How?”

Shrugging, he deliberately kept his voice light when he responded. “I’ve been around, seen some things. I’ve managed to stay under Rose Corp’s radar, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been noticed.”

“What the hell does that even mean? Who noticed you?”

He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy to put her off. “People.”

Rolling her eyes, she shifted so she was sitting up straighter, putting a distance between them he couldn’t help but notice. “I figured it was people and not fucking elephants,” she spat. “What kind of people?”

“That’s all I can tell you for now, sunshine.”

The corner of her lip curled up. “So, I’m stuck hanging out here in the apartment while you go talk to ‘people’ I’ve never met and make decisions about the rest of my life? That’s bullshit.”

The sorrow from earlier had vanished, replaced by righteous fury. He was going to get whiplash trying to keep up with her changing moods. “Yeah, it is. But that’s how it has to be if I’m going to keep you safe. I want you to promise me you’ll stay in the apartment and you won’t open the door for a single soul. Got it?”

“I don’t have much of a choice, now do I?”

His patience finally snapped. “Sure, you do. You could walk out the door now and figure this all out on your own. You’re smart, so maybe you’d get a good twenty-four hours in before Rose Corp finds you.”

Her face paled, making him feel like an asshole. But if scaring the shit out of her helped keep her safe, then so be it. Shoulders slumped, she muttered, “Or I stay here and let you make all the decisions.”

“Yeah. It sucks, but that’s just how it is, sunshine.”

“Fine. I’ll stay.” She lifted hopeful eyes to his. “Are you at least going to ask about the church?”

This shit again. He didn’t want to have anything to do with this so-called church, but he had promised. “Yeah. I’ll ask.”

She smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Daddy.”

His cock twitched in response. He needed to go but dammit if he wouldn’t rather just stay locked up in his apartment with her, fucking her senseless. Depending on how his meet-up went, maybe that would be on the table when he got home. With more than a little reluctance, he nudged her off his lap. “All right, sunshine. I have to get going. Don’t forget the rules.”

“I know, I know. I’ll be good,” she promised, with her eyes rolled up toward the ceiling.

“I’ll believe it when I see it. There’s plenty of food, so make yourself something other than ice cream for dinner, would ya?”

Her grin was full of mischief. “But I like ice cream.”

“You can have some ice cream when I get home.Ifyou’re a good girl while I’m gone.”

“You’re bossy.”

“Because I’m the Daddy. I shouldn’t be gone too long.” Drawing her into his arms, he brushed his lips against hers in a kiss far too light and chaste for his taste. “Be good.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Sitting in the dirty,dimly lit bar, Donovan knew he’d made the right call leaving Lainey behind. She’d have stood out like a sore thumb in a place like this, and the last thing he needed was extra attention. He was on his second glass of whiskey when a tall, perfectly groomed man in a suit that likely cost twice Donovan’s monthly rent slid into the booth across from him. “Donovan.”

“Rico. Been a minute.”

Rico Moretti, head of the infamous Moretti crime family and Donovan’s previous employer, inclined his head. “It has. How have you been?”

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