Page 59 of Maddox

MADDOX

Clare was perfect, utterly perfect, but I was determined my princess would have a Little day so when I recovered, I started by running the bath.

When I returned to the bedroom, she was sitting up in bed, her hair adorably tousled, looking thoroughly satisfied. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. I’d brought a damp cloth to clean between her legs and she watched me with adorably soft eyes.

"Bath time, princess," I announced, holding out my hand to her.

She took it without hesitation, allowing me to lead her to the bathroom. The bruise on her cheek was darkening, a stark reminder of what she'd been through, but the light in her eyes told me she was healing in the ways that mattered most.

I helped her into the tub, chuckling as she immediately scooped up a handful of bubbles and blew them into the air.

"Lots of bubbles today, Daddy," she observed happily.

"Only the best for my princess," I replied, kneeling beside the tub. I poured warm water over her shoulders, watching her eyes close in contentment.

"Can we have pancakes for breakfast?" she asked, playing with the bubbles.

"Pancakes it is," I agreed, reaching for the shampoo. I knew she didn’t need her hair washed again, but I loved doing it for her and she didn’t seem to mind. "With strawberries and whipped cream?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yes, please! And chocolate chips?" she asked hopefully, giving me that sweet, pleading look I could never resist.

I chuckled, gently massaging shampoo into her hair. "And chocolate chips for my princess."

After her bath, I helped her into a pair of soft pink leggings and an oversized sweater with a unicorn on the front. She'd mentioned once that she loved unicorns but had never had any unicorn-themed clothing. I'd immediately ordered several pieces.

"Pretty!" she exclaimed, twirling in front of the mirror. "Thank you, Daddy. I love unicorns." I grinned, already planning on ordering lots more.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." I brushed her hair carefully, then secured it in a loose braid. "Ready for those pancakes now?"

She nodded eagerly, slipping her hand into mine as we headed downstairs. The house was quiet and secure—I'd made sure of that. Extra security measures had been implemented overnight, though I hadn't mentioned this to Clare. I wanted her to feel safe without being reminded of why such precautions were necessary.

In the kitchen, I lifted her onto one of the counter stools and began gathering ingredients while she watched, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Can I help, Daddy?" she asked.

"Absolutely. How about you measure the flour for me?" I placed a measuring cup and the flour canister in front of her.

She concentrated intently on filling the cup exactly right, her tongue poking out slightly between her lips. The sight filled me with such overwhelming tenderness that I had to take a moment to compose myself. How had this remarkable woman come into my life? How had I gotten so lucky?

"Perfect," I praised as she handed me the carefully measured flour. Her face lit up at my approval, and I couldn't resist leaning over to kiss her forehead.

We worked together, making a bit of a mess but having fun. When the first pancake was ready, I placed it on her plate, decorating it with strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate chips to make a smiley face.

"It's too pretty to eat," she giggled, but proceeded to dig in anyway.

I watched her enjoy her breakfast, her happiness a balm to my soul after the terror of nearly losing her. When she looked up and caught me staring, she tilted her head. "What is it, Daddy?"

"Just thinking about how much I love you," I said honestly.

Her cheeks flushed pink. "I love you too, Daddy. Forever and ever."

Two days later, after Clare had woken up from her after-lunch nap, we were sitting in Gideon and Abby’s back yard. Gideon had spread a blanket on the grass and brought out some dolls for the girls to play with. Their dogs were all happily being fussed over, and Dion arrived with his two dogs, but they simply sat down and scanned the perimeter as if on guard duty.

The girls were busy enough that we felt we could safely talk. “How’s Emily?”

Dion sighed. “Checked out okay with the docs. She was lucky she’d only just been taken. Some of the others had been there a while.” I watched Dion as he looked at the girls and knew he was very interested in Emily, had been since we’d first heard about her, but we couldn’t let her know we’d been involved, so that kind of put a spanner in the works for him. I didn’t know how Dion was going to navigate that.

“What’s the plan for the women we got out?” I asked.

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