Page 93 of Protector

“What happened today, Celia?”

Her eyes filled, and she turned away. I stood up and slowly walked over to her. “You went to the school again, didn’t you?”

“I just don’t understand how Manny stayed under the school’s radar,” she said softly. “The minute I get within a hundred feet of my daughter, I’ve got the superintendent in my face, demanding that I leave the grounds.”

“Darlin’, we been over this,” I said carefully. “Told you to talk to me first before you do shit like this. Your bitch of a mother took our kids, don’t think for a second she wouldn’t press charges and put you behind bars.”

“I know, but I had to try. Did you see Kate?”

I nodded, my jaw tightening. “Yeah, waited outside her dorm and saw the prick she’s been seein’. Shut that shit down—”

Her eyes widened. “You killed him?”

“He ran into one of his buddies in the parking lot; talked about wantin’ to fuck her. She’s only nineteen, for Chrissakes. Too fuckin’ young to be thinkin’ about that.”

“So, you killed him?” she asked again.

“Jesus, Celia. Didn’t kill him… just gave him a nice warnin’.”

Giving me a smirk, she threw in, “With your gun?”

I pulled her into the crook of my arm and walked us back toward the swing with a grin. “The hell is wrong with you?”

She waited for me to sit down before stretching out across the swing, letting the back of her head rest against my chest. “You said Kate’s too young to be thinking about sex. You do remember that I was seventeen, right?”

Several of her dark curls lifted in the breeze and landed against my lips. I brushed them back down before answering. “You were too fuckin’ young. If you’d been my daughter—”

“Oh,” she giggled. “Is this some role play thing you wanna try now? Want me to call you daddy?”

Jesus.

“Not unless you want me to bend you over my knee and tan your ass.”

She lifted her chin until she was looking up at me before tapping a finger against her lips as if considering it.

“Celia,” I warned. “Don’t fuckin’ call me daddy.”

She pushed her lips into a fake pout before asking, “Are you planning on chasing every one of Kate’s boyfriends off?”

“Maybe. I got a prospect keepin’ an eye on her for me—”

“Keeping an eye on her how?” she interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

“Not like that.” I reached out and swatted her bare thigh. “It’s Jeremy. Damn near got a hard-on when I told him we were sendin’ him to college. Asked if he could major in business or some shit like that. Told him as long as he kept my daughter safe, he could study to be a fuckin’ astronaut for all I cared.”

“What if—” she paused. “What if Mikey could keep an eye on her too? On both of them?”

I considered it. “And how would you suggest we talk him into it?”

“Who says you have to talk him into anything?” She gnawed on her lower lip. “You know I love Mikey like he’s my own, but the club covered up a murder for him. And if I remember correctly, you hold the evidence that’s keeping him out of prison.”

“Celia…” I brought my fist up to my forehead. “I swore I’d never make him choose this life.”

“You’re asking him to keep your men out of jail; not to patch in. You scratch his back by keeping what he did under wraps and in return, he does the same for you.”

As much as I hated to admit it, it was the best option we had.

“You know he always thought you hung the moon,” she said, watching me carefully. “Maybe this is your chance to get to know him again. He deserves to hear the truth, maybe not right away, but someday, when the timing is right. He’s a part of our family.”

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