Page 10 of Her Hero Daddy

Rats.

He chuckled. The deep sound vibrated through her, warming her insides and easing her tummy slightly. She liked that sound from him. She didn’t suspect she’d get to hear it much. But then again, it hadn’t exactly been a laughing kind of day.

“Okay. I will try. Thank you,” she whispered softly, opening the pizza box again.

“You’re welcome. Maybe try sipping some of the chocolate milk to see if that helps settle your tummy first. If you eat an entire piece of pizza, you can have some of the chocolate bar. Maybe a little dessert before bed will cheer you up. I will arrive at the hotel in the middle of the night. My room is right next door to yours. When I get there, I’m going to sleep for a few hours. I’ll come to your room around eight so we can head back.”

She nodded silently as she picked at a slice of pizza. “Okay. I can drive in the morning so you can sleep more than a few hours.”

Silence. Ugh. He was a man of very few words.

“No. You will not drive. You will let me take care of everything. Understood?”

She wasn’t used to someone taking care of everything for her. At least not without an ulterior motive or a massive guilt trip. But she really didn’t feel like she could argue.

“Oh… uh… okay.”

“Good girl. Okay, eat some pizza, take some medicine, and try to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning. Make sure you lock the dead bolt on your door before you go to sleep.”

“Okay… um, Kane? Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, little one. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

6

KANE

The drive gave him too much time for his mind to wander. He couldn’t stop thinking about Haylee. When he spoke with her on the phone, she sounded so small and scared, and it infuriated him that he couldn’t be there with her to give her the coddling that she deserved. Not that he even knew if she wanted to be coddled. But something in his gut told him that she would thrive off it. He was pleased to hear her lightly chewing before they hung up the phone. He didn’t want her taking the medication on an empty stomach.

It had felt like a lifetime since the last time his heartstrings pulled so hard for a Little. Not that she was a Little for sure. Her voice alone screamed at him that she was, though, and it put his Daddy instincts into overdrive. But Luke had warned him that he needed to be careful not to scare her. He knew that. She was likely already terrified after what had just happened to her. He also knew he was overbearing, strict, and ridiculously overprotective. Luke often joked that a Little couldn’t even take a step without him reminding her to be careful and then still watching her like a hawk so he could save her from falling if necessary. Not that Luke had any room to talk; he was just as protective.

He knew these things about himself and knew it was quite possibly the reason he was still single. He didn’t know how to be anything less, though. He had a need to protect people, especially women. He’d seen too much and known too much in his life to be able to just turn his head from a woman in danger. Especially one that sounded as sweet and scared as Haylee.

As he drove the interstate, traffic was light. He thanked his years in the military for learning how to survive for days without sleep when needed. He would be able to sleep for a few hours when he got to the hotel, though it would be difficult not to wake Haylee up as soon as he got there so he could check over her injuries to make sure she didn’t need to see a doctor. She needed to get her rest, though. She would most likely be completely exhausted for several days after what she had been through with that coward of a man. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice when they spoke on the phone.

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Kane told himself to calm down. He would deal with that bastard when the time came, but for the moment, he just needed to get to Haylee and take care of her. She would be safe with him, and he would take care of her every need. He would show her how she should truly be treated by a man.

He’d already contacted one of his employees who was based in California to get eyes on Tim Parker until they were able to have Haylee make a statement so an arrest warrant could be issued. Personally, Kane would have really rather handled it without having the guy arrested. Preferably in a long, painful way that had him floating down at the bottom of a river somewhere. He knew Luke felt the same way, but they were lawmen, and despite their dark feelings about how it should be handled, they both knew that going the legal route was the smartest choice. It still didn’t make him want to kill the guy any less.

By the time he got into his room, it was after four in the morning. He lay on the bed, fully clothed with his boots still laced, and closed his eyes to sleep. It was a fitful rest as his mind wandered to the room next door. He hoped she was sleeping peacefully, though after what she’d been through, he doubted it. She was likely sore and scared, and that pissed him off. She should never feel either of those things, unless the soreness was caused by pleasure. Fuck. He shouldn’t think those thoughts. He didn’t even know her.

His phone vibrated with a text from Haylee.

Are you here yet?

He frowned. It wasn’t even five thirty.

I’m here. I’m right next door. Are you okay?

He hit Send, but before he realized it, he was at his feet, exiting his room and knocking on her door.

“Haylee, it’s Kane. Open up, little one.”

He waited a brief moment before the door opened, and a set of pale blue eyes stared up at him. He winced inside as he looked past the eyes and noticed the bruises on her face and chest.

“God dammit, shit.”

Her eyes widened as she stepped back slightly.