Page 56 of Daddy's Protection
“Thanks. But I’m all good. My friends and I are having a good time. We’re even going to have a Halloween party later!”
Aunt Camille sounded happy for her when she said, “Well, sounds like you’re having fun. I’m glad. Call if you need me. Don’t drink and drive. And let’s chat soon. Bye, honey.”
“Goodbye. Thanks for checking in.”
After the call ended, Cami went back inside where the party was going strong.
“Everything okay?” Iris asked.
“Yeah. Just my Aunt Camille checking on me. You guys ready to have some fun?”
“Yes!” the other two Littles cheered.
Stryker and Harrison noticed Cami and her friends and cut through the crowd.
“Hey, Dracula,” Cami said to Harrison.
“Hey, you knew! Specifically, I’m the Christopher Lee version when he’s getting his face melted off by the sun.” He grinned and touched the ghastly makeup he wore.
“It looks great!” Cami told him.
“Thanks,” he said.
“And hello to you, Professor Van Helsing,” Lana said to Stryker.
He took a bow befitting of a Victorian gentleman, looking appropriate in his outfit. “Vampire hunter extraordinaire, atyour service.” He grinned. “We’re still on for the scary party back at y’all’s place, right?”
“Uh, yes!” Iris said.
“Going to hang out here for a while then go there,” Cami told them.
“Sounds good,” Stryker said. “Just wait until you see what I have in store tonight. I’m going to rig up some special surprises to really get people scared. Some ghosts might make an appearance.”
The group laughed gleefully.
“Come on,” Cami said. “Let’s have some fun!”
Cami, Lana, and Iris left Auntie Athena’s after about an hour and took advantage of the fact they weren’t wearing “Little” outfits—and the fact that they weren’t driving—and stopped by El Coyote for margaritas.
The iconic white building with its red awnings had stood on Beverly Boulevard for over seventy-five years. After walking past the small lobby with its waiting bench, host station, and framed pictures of celebrities who’d eaten there over the decades covering the walls, the girls settled into a cozy round booth toward the back of one of the eatery’s multiple rooms.
Once they had their drinks and a huge plate of nachos, Cami raised her glass.
“Here’s to Halloween, good friends, hot Daddies, and ‘ritas!”
“I’ll drink to that!” Lana said.
“Amen,” Iris agreed as she clinked her giant glass against theirs.
An hour later, they were back at the Daddy Guard headquarters, ready for some scary fun.
None of them knew just how scary their night was going to be.
Chapter 26
At the Hall of Records, in a small room in the basement, Isaiah sat the file he’d been engrossed in for the better part of ten minutes on top of an old box.
A musty scent—along with a small plume of dust—floated up as the manilla folder slapped the cardboard.
