Page 1 of Break Me, Daddy

Prologue

HOLDEN

She wasn’t at home. She wasn’t, as far as anyone could tell, at school or anywhere nearby. From what his agent who’d gone to check out her dorm said, she’d left about three days ago.

Around the same time she’d ghosted everyone.

Including him.

Of course, it wasn’t the first time she’d pulled this act with him. Which was why he hadn’t worried too much when he hadn’t heard from her or seen her at the club for a few days, even though he’d thought they were making headway in their relationship. Slow, painfully slow headway, but headway nonetheless. But from what he could tell of her relationship with Lottie and the others, it was definitely the first time she’d gone dark on all of them.

And that worried him. A whole fucking lot.

“Where the hell are you, baby?”

The phone he’d kept clutched in his hand from the moment he’d left Club BDE buzzed and he looked down, his heart constricting in his chest.

Why the hell would he be getting a call from a hospital at nearly one in the morning?

“Holden,” he answered with a grunt.

A slight pause before a woman’s voice responded. “Mr. Prescott?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“My name’s Julie.” The woman’s voice had a soothing cadence, probably meant to keep whoever was on the other end of the phone call calm. But all it did was make his stomach twist with fear. “I’m a nurse over at MUSC University Hospital. We have Francesca Legare here and she listed you as her emergency contact.”

Already at the front door, he grabbed his keys and yanked the door open, racing down the front steps. “What the hell happened? Is she okay? Where is she?”

“She’s awake and alert, but I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you for now.”

“Fine. I’m on my way. Tell her…”Tell her Daddy’s coming. “Tell her I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Hanging up the call, he punched the address for the hospital into his GPS and backed out of his driveway as he hit the button to dial Braden’s number.

Not even two rings later, his friend’s worried voice filled the car. “Did you find her?”

“Yeah. Can Lottie hear me?”

“No. She’s upstairs. Cried herself to sleep. What’s wrong?”

“Hospital called. Frankie’s there. Nurse couldn’t tell me much, other than she’s awake and alert, but I’m on my way there now.”

“Fuck.” Braden blew out a breath, and Holden could picture him pacing the floor of his office, running a hand through his hair as he processed what he’d just heard. “Should I wake Lottie?”

“No. Let her sleep. I’ll call you back when I know more.” No point in getting Lottie up, making her worry before they had the full story.

“Thanks. I’m about to go up and check on Lottie, try and get some sleep myself. If I don’t answer, just text me. Lottie will lose her mind if I have to tell her Frankie’s in the hospital and I don’t have any other answers for her.”

“Will do.”

“Appreciate it. And Holden… take care of our girl.”

Like he would do anything less. “Always.”

The call ended, leaving him alone in the car with his thoughts. And his panic, though he was doing his damnedest to keep that tamped down. Whatever had happened tonight, Frankie would need him to be calm. Steady.

She would need her Daddy.

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