Page 9 of Ruin Me, Daddy

It didn’t matter how many times he reminded himself of that fact. Every few minutes he found himself scanning the second floor, looking for any sign of her.

Which was how he caught sight of Braden heading down the stairs, and making a beeline straight for him.

Uh-oh.

To look at him, most people wouldn’t be able to tell anything was wrong. Braden’s easy, relaxed smile gave nothing away as he maneuvered himself to stand beside Ice. But there was a tension in his shoulders that told Ice something was up.

“I need you upstairs,” Braden murmured as he positioned himself beside Ice, looking up at the scene on the podium.

“Why?” Ice whispered back, reluctant to insert himself in anything that might have to do with a certain rainbow-haired brat.

“Lottie and Frankie made a new friend, and they’ve all had a little too much to drink.”

Ice sighed, letting the irritation pricking at his skull fill the sound. “She’s not my problem, Braden.”

“I understand. But she’s in my club which makes her my responsibility. So consider this a favor for a friend.”

Goddammit. It wasn’t often Braden asked anyone for a favor, and he’d done plenty for Ice during his time in Charleston. “Fine. I’ll help you get her in an Uber and then I’m going home.”

“Appreciate it.”

The crowd parted easily for them, though Ice couldn’t have said whether it was Braden’s influence or his own annoyance, which he was making absolutely no effort to hide.

That annoyance was mitigated somewhat when Lottie lit up at the sight of them. It was hard to be mad at someone when they were looking at you like you were holding an armful of puppies. Sometimes he wondered how Braden managed to discipline her at all when she smiled like that. “Daddy! Did you come to ask me to dance?”

Covering his mouth with his hand, Ice did his best to hide his laugh. Considering the closest thing to a dance floor Club BDE had was the pit, the question was as ridiculous as it was sweet.

“I’ll dance with you at home if you want, Lottie-bug,” Braden answered with an indulgent chuckle as he held out a hand for his sloshed babygirl. “Come on. Time to say goodnight to your friends.”

“Aw, but Daddy. I can’t leave my new bestie. Look how sad she is.”

Up until that point, Ice had been doing everything in his power to avoid looking at the woman still seated right where he’d left her nearly an hour ago. But now his gaze was drawn to Silver, and he nearly snorted. She didn’t look sad to him. If anything, she looked downright amused by her new friend’s drunken state.

“I’m fine, Lottie,” Silver assured her, sliding gracefully from the booth.

But her graceful state only lasted until she took her first step. Then she stumbled, straight into Braden, who just barely caught her, thanks to having his hands full with his own babygirl.

Ice had come upstairs with every intention of pouring Silver into a car and sending her on her merry way, perhaps with a very strongly worded suggestion that she take her ass back to California where she belonged. But one look at her unfocused eyes and sloppy smile and he knew he wasn’t going to do that.

“Come on, Silver.” Stepping forward with a sigh, he grabbed her wrist, looping her arm around his shoulder as he slid his other arm around her waist. “You’re coming with me.”

“Shhh,” Lottie admonished, the sound dissolving into a giggle at the end. “Nobody’s supposed to know your secret identities.”

Beside him, Silver gasped. “You knew?”

“Of course I knew, silly. Deviant Whispers is my favorite band of all time. I just didn’t want to fangirl all over you if you were trying to be in-incog-incognee—if it was ‘posed to be a secret.”

“You’re such a good friend. Isn’t she a good friend, Ice? A way better friend than me. I’m such a fucking bitch.”

Ice tightened his grip on her, ducking his head to whisper in her ear. “You may be too drunk for me to paddle your ass for that tonight, but keep talking shit and I will make sure you start your morning over my knee.”

She didn’t look the least bit fazed by his threat. In fact, she was grinning widely when her head fell back so she could look up at him. “You’re such a Daddy. Always have been. Guess this place suits you.”

There was probably some truth to that, but it wasn’t something he was keen on unpacking in the middle of a crowded club with her barely able to take two steps without tripping over her own feet.

Or with her at all, if he was being honest.

“I’m taking you home,” he said instead, earning him a vigorous shake of her head.

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