Page 13 of Protected By Her Daddy

My heart twinges at the worried little crease between her brows. “I couldn’t leave you there in that alley to die,” I say, my voice filled with a conviction I haven’t felt in years. “You needed help, and I couldn’t walk away.”

“People don’t do things... just to be kind,” she says, her voice cracking with the weight of past betrayals. “They always... want something.” She looks away, tears pooling in her eyes. “I don’t know you. How do I know you won’t... hurt me?”

Fuck. I want to kill whoever taught her to fear others so deeply. Unable to resist, I move closer, smoothing her disheveled hair from her face. My fingers barely brush her smooth cheek, but it’s enough to send electricity surging up my arm to spread through my chest, sending every nerve in my body on alert. Her expression is guarded, but she doesn’t move away. I’ll take that as a win.

“Why would I hurt you?” I ask softly. “You saved my life.”

“Yeah, well, it was my fault you were in danger in the first place,” she points out wearily.

I don’t like seeing her so defeated. The information I’ve learned about her tells me this woman is a fighter and has had to battle for everything.

“Do you know the man who attacked you?”

Wren shakes her head, sinking back against the pillows, her face pale. “No. I was on my way to St. Mary’s when he jumped me. I stay at the shelter as often as I can.” She shivers. “It’s safer than spending the night on the streets.”

“I’ll contact Bass, the owner. See if he knows anything about the guy. He’ll pay for what he did, Wren,” I promise.

She looks at me suspiciously. “You know Bass?”

I nod. “Sebastian Jameson. He set up shelters all over the city after he lost his sister.”

Wren nods sadly. “Bass is a good man. He patched up my knee when…” She trails off, biting her lip.

I frown. “When what?”

Wren sighs, looking utterly exhausted. “I got in with a bad crowd. They told me there was safety in numbers on the streets and that we’d look out for each other. They lied. Roughed me up a little and took the last of my belongings.” Her laugh is bitter. “Not that it amounted to much.”

Jesus. How is she here, still fighting after all the betrayals? Still unselfish enough to throw herself in front of a knife to save a stranger?

“Bass told me about his sister,” she continues, unaware of the anger vibrating through me. “Losing a loved one is tough. You never get over it.”

“You know that better than most, don’t you, Wren?” I ask softly. “After losing your father so young.”

Her eyes flare with panic. “How do you know about my father?”

I smile. “Oh, I know everything about you, Wren Roberts.”

Chapter 5

Wren

My stomach lurches at Gabriel’s words. I open my mouth, then snap it shut, at a loss for words.

“I know you were six when you lost your father. You’re studying for an associate business degree at Clark Community College, and you work at the Hungry Fork diner in Petwood. Your mother is an addict, and your stepfather is a worthless piece of shit.” His eyes narrow, his voice dangerously soft as he asks, “Is he the one who hurt you? Broke your ribs? Left those scars on your body?”

My eyes widen in horror. “Y-you saw them?”

Gabriel shakes his head as he settles on the side of the bed. “I’m not depraved enough to ogle an injured woman, Wren.” His mouth quirks. “Or how did you put it? Cop a feel of half-conscious females?”

My cheeks blaze. God, did I really say that to a stranger who’d just saved my ass? A gorgeous stranger, at that. Because there’s no denying that Gabriel Burns is the handsomest man I’ve ever seen.

Tall and solidly built, with broad shoulders. High cheekbones, a strong jaw with a neatly trimmed beard, and deep, velvet-brown eyes I could happily lose myself in. His precise cut of his suit pants and white shirt showcase his muscular body. The top two buttons of his shirt are undone, revealing tanned flesh and a hint of dark chest hair.

When I opened my eyes in that alley, I was sure I was looking at a raven-haired messenger of God.

Angel Gabriel.

Is he truly an angel? Or the devil in disguise?

---