Page 42 of Protected By Her Daddy

“I know you won’t. I trust you with my life, Gabe. It’s just hard sometimes to trust that all this”—she waves a hand around us—“is real. That you’re real. Seems too good to be true for a girl like me.”

I kiss her forehead, lingering there for a moment, letting her absorb my presence, my promise. “It’s real. I’m real. And I’m here. To protect you, to stand by you, no matter what. We’re in this together, remember?”

She takes a deep breath, her body finally relaxing into mine. “Together. I like the sound of that.”

“Good. Now, let’s eat before these pancakes get cold.” I grin, trying to lighten the mood a little. “I still can’t believe you were up before me. I think you’re secretly turning into a morning person.”

She laughs, and the sound is like music, easing some of the tension. “Maybe. But don’t worry, I won’t push it too hard. Lack of sleep makes for a grumpy wife.”

“I happen to like your grumpy morning face.”

She feigns offense, but a playful glint lights her eyes. “I’ll have you know this face is charming at all hours.”

“It sure is, Mrs. Burns.” I sit at the table, savoring the moment as I watch her serve breakfast. “And as long as I have you beside me, I sleep just fine.”

She blushes slightly, handing me my plate. “You always know the right thing to say.”

I wink at her, pouring syrup over my pancakes and taking a bite. “Must be your influence.”

She settles into her chair, the warmth of the moment wrapping around us like a blanket. “I think we make a pretty good team.”

I nod, my tone more serious now. “We do. And that’s how I know we’re going to get through this. As a team.”

She smiles, her heart in her eyes. “Love you, Gabe.”

“Love you, little bird.”

A knock sounds at my office door, and Ed pokes his head inside. “You wanted to see me?”

I nod. “Come in. Close the door.”

Ed sits in the chair opposite my desk, resting his ankle on the opposite knee. “What’s up? The wife giving you hell already?”

I shake my head, chuckling. “More like heaven, since you ask.”

My friend nods approvingly. “It’s good to see you happy. You knew what you wanted and weren’t prepared to settle for anything less. Wren is special.”

“That she is. And her safety is paramount. Which is why it’s beyond frustrating and damned embarrassing that we cannot find the two lowlifes who molested her or the crazy bat guy from the alley who stabbed her. This is a fucking security company, for Christ’s sake!” I smash my hand on the desk, toppling the pen holder. “Keeping people safe is what we do.”

Ed leans forward, his expression grim. “We’ve checked everything, Gabe. Every contact, every hideout, every underground network we have ties to. These guys are ghosts, or they’ve gone deep underground. But I’m not giving up. We’ve still got a few angles to explore.”

I drum my fingers on the desk, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “I don’t like it, Ed. I don’t like that they’re out there. They need to be held accountable for their actions. Gregory and Jerry sold her, for fuck’s sake. She would’ve disappeared, suffered God knows what fate if she hadn’t—” I grit my teeth, not wanting to contemplate the full horror of what could’ve happened. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm the fury bubbling in my bloodstream. “It still weighs heavily on Wren,” I continue, recalling her pale face and the terror in her eyes earlier. “And if she’s scared, I’m not doing my job.”

Ed nods slowly, understanding the weight of my words. “I get it, Gabe. I do. The thought of them hurting Wren makes me want to rip their fucking heads off. I want to find them as much as you do. I’ve got every man we trust working on this, but these guys aren’t the amateurs we first thought. They know how to stay hidden. As for the guy from the alley, I spoke to Bass at the shelter, and he told me there are people who’ve gone missing. He’s filed reports with the cops, but they’re not interested in the homeless.”

“Shit. This goes deeper than we thought. Offer Bass whatever resources he needs to track him.” I rub my temples, trying to think clearly. “As for Gregory and Jerry, where could they have gone? What the fuck are we missing?”

Ed sighs, running a hand through his hair. “We’ve already exhausted the obvious—checked known associates, old stomping grounds, even their financials. But if they’re staying off the radar, they could’ve tapped into resources we don’t usually consider.”

I narrow my eyes. “Such as?”

“Gregory has connections to the drug trade, right? He might’ve used those ties to disappear. It’s possible he’s gone south—Mexico, maybe, or somewhere in Central America where he could blend in. Jerry, on the other hand, seems like the type who’d stick close to home, but he’d lie low. We’re looking into abandoned properties, places that don’t show up on the grid.”

I scrub a hand over my face. “Okay, keep looking. Let me know the second you find anything.”

As Ed leaves, I sit back in my chair, staring out the window at the city below. Wren’s face flashes in my mind, her smile, the way she looks at me with trust and love.

One way or another, I’ll ensure Gregory and Jerry are no longer a threat. And if that means going to war, then so be it.

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