Her Daddy's Jewel (MC Daddies Book 5) Page 10

  Satisfaction filled his face. He gave her an arrogant nod. “I know.”

  He knew? That was all he had to say?

  “Well?” she prompted.

  “Well, what? Oh, you want me to tell you how important you are to me?”

  Yes.

  No, wait. That wasn’t where she was going with this.

  “I want you to tell me that you won’t do something stupid,” she begged him. “That you will walk away from him.”

  “No.”

  “I’m leaving. I’m going back to him.”

  “No.”

  “Just because you say no doesn’t mean that I’m going to do what you want.”

  “Yeah, it does.”

  She gave him an incredulous look. “I think they need to do further tests. You’re definitely insane.”

  “He fucking raped you. Drugged you. Terrified you. He’s going to pay.”

  The rawness in his voice nearly broke her. Nearly sent her down a dark, spiraling path. Then she felt something drip onto her shoulder.

  Slowly, she drew back and stared in shock as this big, bossy beast of a man cried. The tears dripped down his face unashamedly.

  “You’re crying,” she whispered.

  “I know men aren’t supposed to—”

  “Hush.” It was her turn to boss him around. “I don’t care who says that, it’s fucking ridiculous. Men can cry. Even big beasts who think they’re monsters.”

  “Your monster.”

  “My monster. You’re crying . . . for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Because . . . because you think I’m ruined, that I’m dirty, that—”

  “No!” His look was so fierce that it almost frightened her. “Never that. Fuck, is that what you think? That I’d believe this made you dirty? He did this. Not you.”

  “At least he didn’t touch me this time. I was sick the first few days. Then he wanted me examined, tests run to make sure I was pure.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “Yeah, the guy is fucked in the head. He wanted me to be perfect. Obedient and pretty. He wanted everyone to envy him. His head was a mess. So this doctor came in and did tests on me. When the results came back, he was going to do it. I know that. But he was called away. He only came back a few hours before your fight.”

  “Thank fuck.”

  “It’s my fault, you know. I got involved with him the first time. I thought he was handsome, smart, and charming. I mean, can it even be considered rape when it’s your boyfriend?”

  There weren’t enough words to express the rage he felt. “Listen to me, rape is rape. No matter who does it. Your boyfriend, your husband, a stranger it’s all the same. You don’t consent then it’s rape. Understand me? And under no circumstances is it all right. And it is definitely never your fault. I won’t have you think that it is.”

  She stared up at him. “Even though you say it, even though logically I know, I still feel . . .”

  “I know, baby girl. I know. Tell me what you need.”

  “For you to hold me.”

  He tightened his hold on her. “Always.” He just held her for the longest time, his hand rubbing up and down her back.

  His phone buzzed with a message and he picked it up. She settled into him as he read the message.

  Sting: Done.

  Jason: About time.

  Sting: Please, stop thanking me. It’s embarrassing how effusive you are.

  Jason: That on your word of the day calendar?

  Sting: Fuck you, asshole.

  Jason: It went okay?

  Sting: Few bumps. But we got everyone. Including the guards at the hotel where you and your girl are. You didn’t tell us about the girls.

  Jason: Didn’t know at the time. How many?

  Sting: Eight. Got them in a safe house. They were locked in a room together.

  Jason: Don’t let them see your faces. Not until we know they’re safe.

  Sting: Not born yesterday, brother. Your girl okay?

  Jason: She will be. Darrins?

  Sting: Ready and waiting for you. Will accept thanks in the form of scotch. The good stuff, not that shit you gave me five Christmases ago.

  His fucking life. What had he done to end up with a family like this?

  Just lucky, he guessed.

  “Everything okay?” she whispered as he set his phone down.

  “Better than okay. You’re safe now. You don’t have to worry about Maxwell anymore. Well, unless you want some input into how to make him pay.”

  She shook her head. “I know you think you can take him on, but you can’t.”

  He gave her a look of mock disappointment. “You should have more faith in your man, baby. I already have the asshole, locked up nice and tight.”

  She drew back, she’d gone so pale that he thought she was going to pass out. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Y-you can’t! Someone is watching him! What if they hurt him! No, no, no, no!”

  She jumped to her feet then swayed. He stepped after her as she looked around, seemingly lost. “I need clothes. Money. A car. I need to get to him. I have to make sure he’s okay. Oh God, what if whoever is watching him hurts him!”

  He gently grabbed her, untangling her fingers from her hair where she’d been trying to pull it straight out her scalp. Then he tangled his fingers with hers.

  “Jewel, calm down.”

  “You don’t know what you’ve done.”

  His stomach churned to think he’d caused this agitation in her. But right now, he knew that she needed him to be calm. And maybe a bit firm.

  “Jewel, you need to calm down.”

  “I can’t calm down! Don’t you know what could happen?”

  “No, I don’t,” he replied. “But you need to tell me so I can fix it. And I promise, I will fix whatever is wrong. However, I need you to calm down. Because whatever it is, it will wait until I’m sure you’re all right. Because you come first. Above everything else.”

  “Not above him.”

  “You’re my number one priority, Jewel.”

  “And he has to be mine.”

  Agony slashed through him. What the fuck! Who was she talking about?

  “Who is it?”

  “My son.”

  10

  Jewel braced herself for his reaction.

  For him to push her away. To look at her like he didn’t know who she was. He let go of her hands and took a half-step back. That was all she needed to know. To feel her heart shattering.

  This is what you got for hoping.

  In the end, she wimped out and closed her eyes, unable to see that tenderness in his eyes disappear. She hadn’t realized how amazing it would be to have a man look at her like she hung the moon.

  As though she was his everything.

  She’d never thought she would have that. But that was how Jason had looked at her. And now . . . now she knew that was all going to change.

  Because she had abandoned her son. Didn’t matter that it wasn’t her fault. That she’d been deceived. She’d lost her son.

  “Jewel, stop it. Stop it, damn it.”

  She opened her eyes, surprised as Jason drew her finger from her mouth. She hadn’t even felt the pain as she’d ripped into her nail.

  “Fuck, baby. Please stop. Please come back to me.” There was a desperate note in his voice. She took in how pale he was. How worried. For her?

  “S-sorry.”

  His gaze shot to hers. There was none of the anger or recrimination that she expected. Just heartfelt pain.

  For her.

  “Please talk to me.”

  “Do you think less of me?”

  His head rocked back, as though she’d punched him.

  “Less of you? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

  “Supposedly you know me really well, right? You’ve been stalking me—”

  “I wasn’t stalking. Just watching,” he interrupted with a grumble.

  “Am I the type to
joke around about shit like this?”

  “No,” he said quietly. His voice took in this low, deadly tone that just did shit for her.

  “But if you’re not joking then you’re thinking some really fucking ridiculous shit. Do you know what would make me think less of you?”

  “What?”

  “Absolutely fucking nothing.”

  She wasn’t sure that was true but those words, spoken in a tone that allowed no argument, soothed something inside her. Those raw, jagged rips through her heart that she didn’t think could mend.

  She let out a deep breath. “We have to make sure that he’s safe. He doesn’t even know he’s in danger.”

  “I’ll take care of it. Give me his details. I’ll send someone to watch over him.”

  He would?

  “You can do that? Wait, are you going to pay someone? Won’t that cost a lot of money?”

  “My family has plenty of security already on their payroll.” He walked away to grab a piece of pen and paper.

  That sounded odd. Were they famous or something? “If they keep track of the cost then perhaps I could pay . . .” she trailed off at the look on his face.

  He shook a finger at her. “Will put up with a lot, but I won’t hear any bullshit about owing my family or me anything, got it? They demand anything, it will come from me not you.”

  “But he’s my son.”

  “And you’re my woman. Write down the details here. Everything you can. Age, looks, where he goes to school. Is he old enough for school?”

  “Oh yeah, he’s a junior.”

  He stiffened then looked up at her. She swallowed hastily. Right, he’d probably thought he was a lot younger than that. She took the pen and paper without a word, writing down everything she could think of that would help.

  Jason stared down at the piece of paper in his hand.

  Callen Andrews.

  Age: 16.

  Weight: Probably a hundred and sixty pounds.

  Height: Tall, likely over six feet.

  Hair: Dark, almost black.

  Parents: June and Ben Andrews.

  The rest that followed was an address and the name of his school. His date of birth as well as a list of hobbies. Seemed the guy was big on sports.

  Fucking sixteen. She was thirty-two which meant she was sixteen when she had him. And what was with the parents? Had she adopted him out? That seemed likely since he didn’t live with her or share the same last name.

  He quickly took a photo of the piece of paper then sent a message to Sting.

  “Aren’t you going to ask?” she asked.

  The questions were burning a hole in his gut. But he didn’t like how stressed she was looking. His job was to take that stress away, not add to it.

  So most of his questions could wait. It didn’t make any difference to him what the answers were . . . although he had a feeling that he might be adding more names to his list of people who’d hurt his baby.

  Yes, there was an actual list.

  He didn’t want to forget about anyone.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not now. I just can’t . . .”

  “Then I’ll wait until you’re ready,” he told her.

  The relief on her face hurt him. As long as there was no threat to her, then he could give her time to tell him.

  “But do you want him or his parents to know there is a possible threat?”

  “We can’t tell his parents,” she said frantically. “And I’d rather not tell him anything. I don’t want to scare him if possible.”

  “Okay, whoever is watching him will be discreet.”

  The tension in her body eased. Then she started biting her thumbnail. Reaching over, he tugged her thumb free. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said he didn’t want her hurting herself. No matter how large or small that hurt was.

  “How did Maxwell find out about him? Did you tell him?”

  “No, of course not. After his guy spotted me at Reaper’s, he said he decided to look into what I’d been doing since his supposed death. He found out I’d been in therapy and he . . . I think he tortured my therapist for the details.”

  “Oh fuck, oh baby.”

  “He must have told Maxwell.”

  “It will be fine, baby. He will be all right.”

  “I hope so. I hate that I’ve put him in danger.”

  “You didn’t do anything. That asshole Maxwell is to blame for all of this.”

  Although she didn’t look very convinced, she did nod.

  After doing that, he moved over to the minibar and grabbed out a couple of beers. They were her favorite kind. She raised her eyebrows at him.

  “The butler stocked the fridge.”

  “And he knew what my favorite kind was?” she replied dryly.

  He shrugged. He wasn’t trying to hide that he had studied everything about her. He undid the top and handed the beer to her.

  “Sit,” he told her.

  She shook her head. She looked all amped up. Energy was flooding through her. But she was going to crash and burn, he could see it.

  “Jewel, baby, sit. For me, please.” The last word was a bit of an afterthought, but it seemed to work as she sat on the sofa. She twisted the bottle in her hands.

  “Who will go watch him?” she asked. “Will he be safe? What if Maxwell’s man tries to hurt him before they get there? What if he still attempts to harm him even though they’re there. What if—”

  Leaning over he placed his hand gently on her mouth. “Hush, baby. You’re going to give yourself an ulcer. I know you’re scared. But I’ll make sure your son is safe.”

  She frowned. “I should go there, watch over him myself.”

  “Baby, I reckon you’re lucky if you’ve got another hour in you before you completely crash. Those few short naps aren’t a drop in the bucket to what you need, not to mention that you’re burning through reserves of energy you don’t have.”

  “He’s my responsibility. If anything happens to him . . .”

  “I get it. I do. And I know trusting me with his safety isn’t something you can easily do. But my brother will get this done. It’s very unlikely whoever is watching him has heard from Maxwell or anyone else.” His phone buzzed. He picked it up and sighed with relief. “My brother is sending one of his best men. He’s also got a friend close by who’s going to watch him in the meantime.”

  She was wringing the neck of the beer bottle. “Maybe we should get you something stronger.” He grabbed the beer from her hands, putting it down.

  “It’s six in the morning,” she pointed out.

  “So? I’ll make you one of those drinks with the pink gin you like.”

  “You know how to make those?”

  He just shot her a look then started to pull everything out.

  He mixed her drink and then brought it over. He’d put in a heap of ice as well as some cut-up strawberries. “Here.”

  “Thanks.” She stared at it and shook her head. “I shouldn’t drink.”

  “Why not? After the hell you’ve been in, who cares if it’s six pm or six am. If it will help you relax and sleep then drink it.”

  “I won’t drink until I know he’s all right.”

  “Should hear from Sting’s friend soon.”

  “You trust him?”

  “As much as I trust anyone who’s not blood or in the Iron Shadows inner circle.”

  She nodded at that. “Okay. We’ll wait then. Your brother is called Sting?”

  “Hmm. My other brother is Jagger and my sister is Dusty.”

  “Sting, Pike, Jagger, and Dusty?”

  “Making fun of our names is a punishable offense.”

  “I’m suitably scared,” she replied dryly.

  “Brat.”

  “Isn’t yours the odd one out?” Considering the others were all famous singers.

  “I’m named after some jazz musician Ma liked. Pretty sure she was on drugs or something when she named us. Apparently, she’d
been set on calling me Peter. Then as soon as I was born, she changed her mind. Same as the others. Sting was meant to be Stephen. Jagger was supposed to be Jeremy. And Dusty, well I think she was always going to be Dusty.”

  Her face lost that smile. “I’m really safe from him?”

  “I promise, baby.”

  “How did you do it? I mean, how did you get to Maxwell? He had so many men at his compound.”

  “My family has criminal ties.” He grimaced. “I cut myself off from that part of their world. I love my family, but not necessarily what they do. However, in this instance, they could help me. They raided the compound a few hours ago. Everyone is taken care of.”

  “You asked for their help for me?”

  “I’d do anything I needed to for you.”

  “What about the girls?” she asked. “Are they all right?”

  “My brother took them somewhere safe. This isn’t for you to worry about.”

  “You can’t tell me what to worry about, Jason.”

  “Seventeen. And you have enough to worry about without taking on things that are my concern. Now drink,” he commanded, frowning as he saw her shiver. “You’re cold.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He sighed. “You need to learn to ask me for what you need.”

  She took a sip of her drink. “Wow, this is good. Did you ever work behind a bar mixing drinks?”

  “Nah, I taught myself how to make one when I saw how much you liked it.” He got up and walked into the wardrobe, where he’d stored some bags. “Here it is.”

  He drew out a big blanket. It was teal, which he knew was her favorite color and claimed to feel as light and fluffy as a cloud. He wasn’t sure about that, but it was soft. And Jewel liked soft things.

  Ripping off the price tag, he carried it to her, laying it over her. “What is . . . oh my God, this is so soft.”

  He tucked it around her. Maybe he wouldn’t get her off to sleep again before they learned that her son was all right, and he totally got that, but he hoped to at least get her to relax a bit. He turned on some soothing music. She loved sixties music but he didn’t want her up on the dance floor. The curtains were already pulled, so he left them but put the lighting down lower.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me.”