Protector Daddy (MC Daddies 3)

Then he pounced.

The fact he was pacing, well, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with that.

“Just tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it,” he told her.

“Whatever what is?”

“Your connection to the Fox.” He stopped and stared down at her. She hadn’t seen such a cold look on his face since the first night she met him. And it stole her breath.

“Spike, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Whatever it was, it was something he felt deeply about. He was masking his feelings. She attempted to do the same. To push her hurt deep. But it wouldn’t go. It danced just below the surface, punching at her with a staccato beat.

“I don’t know any foxes. I told you it must have been one of those competitions that—”

“I know what you said.” He waved his hand dismissively. “But it has to be him. That’s not a coincidence. But if you know him you wouldn’t give me the name of the company so that means . . .”

“Who is it I’m meant to know? Obviously, you know something about this company that I don’t. Maybe you’d like to fill me in.”

He sat on the coffee table, slumped on it as though all his energy had left him in a rush.

What was going on here?

“You don’t know the Fox?”

“Spike, are you okay? I mean, I’m not sure if by Fox you’re meaning a person. . . is it a character on a show? Oh, on one of those marvel shows. Like Spiderman? Is it a superhero I’m not aware of? Except why are you so mad that I don’t know him? No, you’re upset because you think I do know him and

didn’t tell you, is that it?”

She was getting horribly confused.

“Okay, baby doll. I want you to listen to me carefully. Have you ever encountered a man who calls himself the Fox?”

“I can safely say that has never happened.”

He nodded. “The man who brought you the check, what did he look like?”

“Umm, he was tall. Probably your height but he had a big belly. And he was older.”

“Okay, doesn’t really mean anything, he can disguise himself. The way he looks, his voice, fuck. Why would he do that? Give you money?”

“You’re kind of starting to scare me.”

That was a lie. He was fully scaring her.

And instead of reassuring her, the way he normally would have, he just stared at her.

“Spike?”

He shook his head, closing his eyes. “Shit, baby doll. Sorry. I just . . . he’s got me messed up.”

“Who has?” She turned her legs around, trying to shuffle so she was fully facing him.

He must have sensed her moving because his eyes shot open and he leaned forward, grasping hold of her thighs. “Easy. What are you doing?”

“What’s going on? Tell me. I can help. I promise.”

He leaned forward and brushed her hair off her face. There was her Spike. “I need you to do something for me.”