Page 34 of King

“Okay, spill,” Ivy demanded, plopping onto the ground and crossing her arms. “How was your date?”

Ella’s cheeks burned as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was… really nice,” she admitted, smiling to herself at the memory of the restaurant and drive-in.

Harper gasped. “Is he your Daddy yet?”

Ella shook her head quickly, though her stomach fluttered. “No… but hesaid he wants to be.”

That earned a chorus of squeals from the group.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Remi grinned, nudging her playfully.

Ella shrugged, biting her lip. “I don’t know. It’s just… a big step, you know?”

Ivy rolled her eyes, leaning back on the blanket dramatically. “Girl,please. We all knew he was gonna claim you the second he laid eyes on you.”

Ella giggled, unable to argue. King had made his intentions pretty obvious. And she loved that he was so vocal about it.

Her cheeks burned the entire time they ate as she thought about his words.

Iwantthis. I wantyou. And I want to be your Daddy. Not just that. I want to be your partner, too.

Everything he was offering seemed so amazing. She’d never thought she’d find a Daddy, let alone one who she liked so much.

“All right,” Carlee clapped her hands together once they’d finished their lunch. “What are we doing today?”

“Ooh! Let’s play hide-and-seek!” Harper suggested excitedly, bouncing on her toes.

A round of excited agreements followed, and within seconds, they were choosing someone to be “it.” When Remi volunteered, everyone scattered, squealing and giggling as they ran off to find hiding spots.

Harper grabbed Ella’s hand, and the two of them dashed across the compound until they spotted a thick bush near the side of one of the buildings. They ducked behind it, crouching low as they tried to stifle their laughter.

Ella pressed a finger to her lips, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Shh! She’lltotallyfind us if we keep giggling.”

Harper clamped her hands over her mouth, her whole body shaking with silent laughter. Ella giggled, too. She hadn’t played like this before. Mostly because she had never really had any friends in New York.

And in that moment, as Remi rounded the bush and found them, Ella knew she’d made the best decision of her life by moving to Shadowridge.

The game had gone on for hours, filled with giggles, whispered plans, and frantic scrambles to avoid being found. Ella had lost count of how many rounds they’d played, but she wasn’t ready to stop. Not when she was having so much fun.

Crouched behind an old stack of wooden crates with Remi and Harper, she tried to steady her breathing, listening as the Daddies started calling them.

“All right, Littles, the game’s over. Come get something to drink and take a break.” Doc’s voice rang out across the yard.

Ella glanced at the other two, biting her lip.

“We should go…” she whispered.

Remi snorted. “Or—hear me out—wedon’t.”

Harper gasped with delight. “Oh, we should totally make them find us.”

Ella’s stomach twisted with both excitement and nerves. “Won’t that… you know… make them mad?”

Remi waggled her brows. “No. They know we’re somewhere within the compound, so we’re safe. Besides, it’ll be fun to see what happens.”

Harper grinned. “They’re used to us being naughty. It gives them a reason to discipline us.”

Ella hesitated, but the idea intrigued her. Would King really discipline her if she pushed the boundary? She wasn’t sure, but her curiosity outweighed her nerves, so she stayed put.

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