Page 107 of Daddies' Captive

Nothing more.

She’d been reading way too many ménage and reverse harem romances. That sort of thing just didn’t happen in real life and she knew it.

“Effie? Stay with me, sweetheart.”

“I know you wouldn’t hurt me,” she blurted out. God, why couldn’t she stay focused? “Sorry. I just . . . had my mind on other things.”

She waved a hand over at the computer screen.

Frowning, he glanced at the screen. “Christ, why are you reading that?”

“It’s news.”

“So?”

“So . . . I should read the news, right? I need to know what’s going on in the world.”

“You need to know that some poor woman was murdered in Wyoming?”

“I have a friend in Wyoming. She’s slight and has dark hair.”

“Sweetheart,” he murmured in a soft voice.

Damn. That soft voice could be her undoing. She felt it deep inside her. She wanted to keep listening to it. Wanted to hear him use her name in that voice.

But she had to guard herself against getting hurt. It happened to her a lot. She trusted the wrong people. She just wanted people to be nice. Was that such a terrible thing to hope for?

“Is she on her own?” he asked.

“No. She has a husband.”

“He’s a good man?”

“Yeah, he’s the best,” she replied, not understanding the sudden scowl that filled his face.

“Then, if he’s any sort of man, he’ll take care of her. So there’s no reason to think that she’s in danger, is there?”

“No. I just got freaked. I’m just being stupid. Right?”

“Effie,” he growled. “You know better than to talk about yourself like that.”

Right. She did.

“Are you worried for your safety?” he asked.

“No, I’m not scared for me. This murder happened in another state.”

But he was still frowning. “You don’t live in a good neighborhood.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my neighborhood.”

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

He shot her a dark look. “No lying. That’s a rule.”

Right. Those rules.

She still didn’t quite understand why she had them.

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