Page 178 of Broken Daddy
He couldn’t believe that she was coming home with him. He was going to be taking care of her all the time.
Strangely, he didn’t feel any sort of guilt over that.
You shouldn’t.
He shook his head at the voice in his head. Part of him still thought he was insane.
Another part was kind of glad. If May had been in his head calling him an asshole for taking home another woman, he didn’t think he could have done this. Could bring Devi home with him.
Even though he knew it was only his own subconscious talking to him.
Devi started making noises in her sleep. “No, no . . . Derick! No!”
Shit. Another nightmare.
“Baby, baby, wake up,” he said, reaching over to gently shake her. “Devi, wake up for Daddy.”
She opened her eyes with a gasp, looking around frantically. “Daddy! Daddy!”
“I’m here, baby.” God, his heart hurt for her. She sounded so scared. “I’m here.”
He wished he could take her into his arms, to hug her tight. Instead, he placed a hand on the back of her neck and squeezed.
“It’s all right. Daddy is here. I’m going to find a place to pull over so I can hug you. Just hold on.”
“I’m . . . I’m all right, Daddy,” she told him.
“No, you’re not.”
“I don’t want to be a b-bother.”
Fuck. Screw it.
He used the Bluetooth to call Donovan.
“Hello, Boss Hog, you’ve reached Sexy Panther,” Donovan said.
God save him. Why did they need ridiculous codenames? He wasn’t going to ask, though. Attention was what Donovan wanted.
But really? Sexy Panther?
“We’re pulling over.”
“Here?” Donovan asked. “Why?”
“Devi just had a nightmare and she needs a minute.”
“Roger that, Boss Hog.”
God. He was ridiculous. But when Hayes saw the tightness in Devi’s face ease, he decided that he wouldn’t murder the other man in his sleep.
Not yet, anyway.
It felt like ages since he’d seen Devi properly smile. One that reached her eyes. Part of the reason he’d bought her all that junk food was to see if he could get her to smile.
It hadn’t worked, unfortunately.
Yet Donovan’s silliness got her closer than anything he’d done.
