Page 31 of Protecting Clove
“You are going to be in trouble,” the kid said from the backseat.
He glanced in the mirror, shooting her a smile. “I’m your dad and I can do whatever I want.”
“No.”
“I am your dad. Didn’t that bitch tell you who I was?” He turned in his seat and a car horn blasted. He spun back around to face the front and correct the wheel. He didn’t want to get in a wreck, not when he had to get Neo someplace safe.
“You’re not a nice person, are you?”
He met her gaze in the mirror. “You’re a smart mouth little shit, aren’t you?”
“Obviously I’m smarter than you.”
He wished he had time to beat some sense into the kid. What had Clove been doing for discipline? Obviously not enough.
Maybe before he handed her over, he would teach her a lesson about manners. Most kids learned to shut their mouths or pay. Whoever bought the brat would have to teach her how to behave. It didn’t really bother him what happened to her, as long as he got money.
Clove would get over it. She could just make another one. Maybe he could accomplish that task while he was here.Knocking her up the first time had been easy so this time would be easy, too.
Bud’s headbuzzed as he stared at his friends. He was totally fucked if they didn’t find Neo. The girl had become much more than just a neighbor, he loved her as if she were his own child.
“What happened?” Rider asked.
“Someone grabbed Neo. They attacked Clove and took her daughter.”
“Fuck,” Trip cursed.
“Thario put tracking into Neo’s shoes. I need to call him and figure out where she is.”
Trip pulled out his phone and called Thario. “Here. Use my phone to talk to him, and we’ll get the tracking on your phone.”
“Thanks.” Pain filled Bud. He couldn’t imagine what Neo was going through. The girl was smart, but she was a tiny child with no ability to fight back. He knew the person who took her was her father, but that didn’t guarantee her safety. The jerk could still kill or abuse her. That was something he couldn’t think about without wanting to destroy something.
“Hey, Bud, we’ll get her back,” Q said.
“Thanks.”
“We’re working with Thario now,” Trip said. “I have the application up tracking her. We’re leaving now. Thario shared the map with the police, and they are going to meet us there.”
Tears gathered in Bud’s eyes, and he angrily swept them away. His buddies were great. They were taking care of stuff he couldn’t handle because the fear he felt for Neo was too great.
He cleared his throat and pushed the pain away. “I’m good. Let’s go.”
Thinking about little Neo, scared and hurt, wasn’t helping him. He had to focus on something else. He would kill the bastard once he found him. No one would ever get away with abusing his family.
The drive to the location took about thirty minutes because of a crash blocking a lane of traffic. When they arrived at the location, they were initially stopped by the police, but Clove was already there, demanding the police let them in.
He saw Neo, and the dam he’d been propping up to hold back his emotions broke. He pulled her into his arms and held her, and he leaned his forehead against Clove’s head. Neo was safe, and so was Clove. Neither of them looked injured.
It took him a minute for the buzzing in his ears to stop. “Are you okay?” he asked Neo.
“I’m fine. He dumped me here once he heard the sirens. He got away. I tried to make him stay, but he pushed me down and ran off.”
He kissed Neo’s cheek, then kissed Clove, not caring that anyone else saw. His family was safe for now. He wanted to find the asshole and make sure he could never terrorize them again.
It took another thirty minutes for Clove and Neo to be released. He took them home, thankful it had turned out so well. The area where she’d been shopping was on the other side of town from their place and closer to the culinary school. So far, it didn’t seem like he knew where Clove lived. The police said they would be increasing their presence in their neighborhood, which might just keep Bud away if he found them.
Once home, he changed clothes and then was at Clove’s door. It was good to hear her turning off the alarm before she let him in. They were all shaken up, which meant they were quiet. Even Neo had little to say.
