Page 47 of Inked Daddies

“This wasn’t a mistake,” I say firmly.

I will never couch it as a mistake. What happened tonight…it’s a mark on my soul. I don’t know how exactly, but something in me changed tonight. Even still, Preacher has been there for each of us in good times and in bad. We owe him more loyalty than to disrupt his relationship with his daughter.

I continue, “But itwouldbe a problem if he found out and it ruined everything for him. He’s not just protective, Hugo. He’s…” I pause, searching for the right word. “He’s a dad. When it comes to Marie, he doesn’t just see her as an adult. He sees her as his little girl.”

“Sheisan adult,” Hugo says, his voice sharp. “And she made an adult decision. Why is that our problem?”

“Because we know better,” I snap, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

Hugo’s jaw tightens, his eyes narrowing. “You think you’re doing her a favor by treating her like a child?”

“I think I’m doing her a favor by not putting her in an impossible position,” I shoot back. “This isn’t just about Preacher. It’s abouther.”

Trick shifts uncomfortably, his eyes darting between me and Hugo. “What about her?”

“I won’t pretend that tonight was anything but amazing.” I exhale slowly, my chest tightening. “But what do you think people are going to say if they find out what happened?”

“They won’t find out,” Hugo says, his tone matter-of-fact. “This was between us.”

“This is Auclair. Everyone knows everyone, and peopletalk.You think they’re going to give her a pass? You think the church crowd or the library board is going to just shrug it off? They’ll eat her alive for this. And not just her—they’ll judge Preacher for it too.” I swallow. “I might as well have branded a big letter A on her chest instead of a tiny black cat tattoo on her calf…”

“Now you’re being dramatic,” Hugo says, eyes rolling.

“Maybe I am. But the point stands.” I pause, my throat tightening as I force the words out. “This is a small southern town. The folks here are traditional. Preacher…that’s who he is to his soul. He can’t start over just because his daughter had a good time one night. And Marie? She loves that job. It’s not just a paycheck for her—it’s who she is. All those books, helping people, doing…whatever else it is she does there. Do you thinkshe’ll want to stick around Auclair if people start whispering whenever she enters a room? If she loses her job at the only library in town, what’s she supposed to do with her skills and degree? Hall monitor?”

Trick snorts at the joke, but his laugh dies quickly, replaced by a quiet sigh. “You’re saying we’d ruin her life if we don’t back off.”

I nod, my stomach churning. “I’m saying we can’t be selfish about this. We can’t put whatwewant ahead of what’s best for her.”

Hugo’s smirk fades, replaced by something darker, sharper. He steps closer, his gaze locked on mine. “You don’t think we’re what’s best for her?”

“Do you?”

“Of course.” Fucking Hugo. Always so cocksure of himself. He never second-guesses what he does.

I love the guy, but I wish he’d act like a human sometimes. My throat tightens, and I have to force myself to hold his gaze. “Truth is, I don’t think it matters what I think. It matters whatshethinks.”

“And you think she doesn’t want this?”

“You saw how she bolted out of here whenno onetexted her,” Trick points out. “You think that didn’t mean something?”

Hugo pauses. “It’s her choice who she spends time with. No one else’s.”

I hesitate, because I don’t want to argue with them. I hate being at odds with Hugo and Trick. They’re my team. Have been for going on two decades, maybe more. When we disagree, it’s morethan uncomfortable. It doesn’t sit with me on some deeper level. Like going against my instincts.

“I think…” I sigh, trying to come up with the words to say. The ones I don’t want to say. “I think she doesn’t know what she wants yet. And that’s okay. But we need to give her the space to figure it out. Without us getting in the way.”

Hugo stares at me for a long moment, his expression again unreadable. “And if she comes calling, what then?”

That’s what I’m worried about. I know what led up to tonight for me and for the guys. But I don’t know how things are in her mind. What led up to it for her? Was it just a game for her? A wild night to get out of her system before she settles down with some asshole like Danny Brooker?

Might have been.

But what if it was more than that for her? When Trick asked about her intentions, she made it sound as if she wanted something more. And I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing right now.

The thought makes my blood go tepid. I shrug. “I don’t know.”

“Fine,” Hugo says, his voice clipped. “But don’t expect me to like it.”

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