Page 16 of Daddy Enforcer
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Max answers, a hint of gentle teasing in his voice. “You’re very strong.”
Back inside the cabin, I’m still buzzing from that moment outside, my skin tingling where Max’s hands gripped my waist during those pull-ups. His strength, the way he lifted me like I weighed nothing, and that look in his captivatingly blue eyes—it’s all stuck in my head, making my heart do stupid flips.
I’m trying to play it cool, flopping onto the cozy couch in the corner, but my eyes keep drifting to him.
Max’s at the kitchen table now, all business, his broad shoulders hunched as he studies a tablet and a laptop at the same time. His face is serious, those chiseled features set in a focused frown, his fingers tapping away like he’s decoding the secrets of the universe.
Whatever he’s doing, it’s intense, and it’s making me curious—and a little annoyed. He’s shutting me out, acting like I’m just some kid who doesn’t need to know what’s going on. But I’vebeen in showbiz for long enough to know that the world isn’t all flowers and fun times. The world can be a dark place, and I’m more than capable of handling that, despite what my so-called protector might think.
It only took him a moment, barely a minute, but Max got the fire going real nice. It crackles in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the cabin, but it does nothing to calm the restlessness building inside me…
I’m Billie B, global pop sensation, used to being the center of attention, not some bystander in my own life. Max’s been all cryptic since we got here, talking about threats and rules but never giving me the full story.
That message he got yesterday—I saw the way his jaw tightened, the way he glanced at me like he was hiding something. And now he’s buried in his tech, ignoring me, like I’m not even here.
It’s driving me nuts.
“Hey, Max, what’s so interesting?” I ask, my tone somewhere between inquisitive and demanding.
“It’s all good,” Max replies, distant and barely interested. “Nothing to worry about.”
I shift on the couch, tucking my legs under me, and try to focus on the snow falling outside. But my mind keeps wandering back to the pull-ups, to the way Max’s hands felt, steady and strong, and how I blushed like some teenage fanboy when he helped me with that last rep.
I’m still mad about the timeout earlier, about how he called me a spoiled brat and made me stand in the corner like a kid. Butthere was something about it, something grounding, like his control was a rope I could hold onto...
It’s confusing as hell, and I hate how it makes me wonder what it’d be like to let him take charge—really take charge, all the way. Not just rules and timeouts, but something…more.
My cheeks heat up, and I shake my head, trying to push the thought away.
I’m not that boy.
I’m Billie B, independent, my own driving force. Right?
But I can’t sit still. Max’s focus on his screens is like a challenge, a wall he’s put up between us. If he won’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll find out myself.
This is crazy.
He doesn’t hold all the cards.
Max doesn’t know who he’s dealing with…
I glance at him—he’s still engrossed, his eyes flicking between the tablet and laptop, oblivious to me.
Perfect.
I slide off the couch, quiet as I can, and tiptoe down the hall toward his bedroom. My heart’s pounding, but I’m not backing down. If there’s something he’s hiding, I deserve to know. This ismylife we’re talking about.
Max’s room is sparse, just a bed, a nightstand, and a duffel bag in the corner. The bag’s half-open, and I kneel beside it, my fingers trembling as I push the zipper wider.
There’s not much—clothes, a flashlight, some kind of tactical gear I don’t recognize.
But then I see it: a slim, black folder tucked into a side pocket, almost invisible.
I pull it out, my breath catching. It’s not labeled, but it feels important, heavy with secrets.
I flip it open, scanning the pages.
It’s all cryptic—codes, numbers, a grainy photo of a man I don’t recognize, and a single line that makes my stomach drop:investigate financials, team under suspicion, not considered hostile yet.
