Page 236 of Tempted By her Daddies

“Maybe we should take a breather for a moment,” Salem suggested.

She fumed until they got home . . . wait, she meant their home.

Did you?

Roman got out and opened her door, holding out his hand. She stared at him in surprise but took his hand. He squeezed her hand tight and leaned into her.

“Please don’t leave like that again, you had me so worried.”

And now, she felt terrible.

Salem drew her against him, hugging her tight. “I’m so sorry. This is my fault and I will rectify it. You are the very best part of us. If anyone isn’t worthy, it’s us. And I will do whatever it takes to make you believe that.”

Ohh.

And she felt even worse.

Then Alexei grabbed her, putting her on his hip at least. But his face was so cold and closed off that she swallowed heavily as he carried her inside. He had his coat wrapped around her, which he took off and gave to Salem.

Then he carried her upstairs to his bedroom, setting her down on the bed.

She waited for the lecture, the yelling, maybe a spanking.

But none of it came.

Instead, he paced back and forth. Back and forth.

“Alexei? What is it?” she whispered.

Nothing.

“I’m sorry. I won’t leave without texting you again.”

This time he stopped and pointed at her. “You will not leave at all. You go nowhere without me.”

“I’ll have to go somewhere at some stage.”

“No! And I will put a tracker on you to track you, so I will know.”

“I’m not wearing a tracker.” She couldn’t. Ifhefound a tracker on her . . . she swallowed heavily. “But I will do anything else. Text before I leave, when I get to where I’m going, when I’m leaving and get home.”

“I cannot lose you.”

The stark pain in his voice made her heart race.

“You’re not going to. I can look after myself, you know.”

He shook his head and tapped his chest. “I look after you.”

“Of course you do,” she said soothingly.

“I protect you. Keep you safe. Nothing will happen to you.” He kneeled on the floor, pushing himself between her legs. Then he wrapped his arms around her and bent over to press his face into her stomach. It was an awkward position and she leaned back to give him more room. She rubbed his head with one hand.

“Alexei? Papa? What is it?”

“I went to school one day when I was seven. I was just a normal kid. I lived in a middle-class house with my parents, grandparents and younger brother. That day, I came home and found them all dead.”

She sucked in a breath. She’d known that he’d ended up in an orphanage after his family had died. But she hadn’t known he’d found the bodies.

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