Daddy's Angel (Montana Daddies 7)

She burst into tears. Bain picked her up, hugging her tight. She wrapped her legs around his waist as she sobbed into his neck.

“I was so scared. I thought he was going to kill you. Oh God.”

“Shh, angel. Calm down. I’m fine. I’m fine. Take more than that idiot to do me in. Hush, now. You’re going to make yourself ill.”

“Bain, you’re alive then,” Caleb said.

“Looks like it,” Bain replied.

“Bain. Fuck. Where were you?” Dominic demanded. Where had he come from? Oh, who cared. She didn’t care about anything except that Bain was all right.

“I was fucking tied up in the basement of the apartment building,” Bain snapped. “Where the fuck were you and why weren’t you guarding Arianna? Who the hell let her leave the apartment?”

There was silence except for muffled screaming coming from Jerome. She guessed someone had gagged him. She wasn’t moving from her perch in Bain’s arms to check.

“Well? She should never have been out here. She should never have been in reach of this fuckwit. He was going to drug her and fucking kidnap her so does someone want to explain whose stupid idea it was to let her come out here to meet up with this fucked-up asshole?”

“T-that would be mine,” she sobbed out, trying to lean away from him. He held her tight. “D-don’t be angry with Dominic and the others. It was all me.”

Bain just growled.

She rubbed his back then leaned up to whisper in his ear. “And I’d do it all over again to save you. I love you.”

“I love you too. But you’re going to pay for this stunt. Remember my warning about what would happen if you ever placed yourself in danger? You aren’t going to sit properly for a week.”

She tightened her hold on him. She would take whatever he’d dish out, if it meant that he was here and hers.

Bain didn’t want to let her go. Not even when the cops arrived. Someone must have seen or heard something and called them. The princes had quietly left with Aleki when they heard sirens. It was best if they weren’t involved in this, being visitors to the states and royalty. He still didn’t know what Dominic, Caleb and the others had been thinking, letting Arianna do this.

That asshole could have hurt her.

Arianna had put a call into her lawyer when the cops threatened to take them all downtown for questioning. Finally, the detective they’d dealt with over the letters was called. They were all escorted back to her apartment while the cops took Jerome to the police station. Bain had remembered to send someone down to the basement to get Rob. Surprisingly, he’d still been alive.

Now it was hours later, and he just wanted them all gone so he could take care of his girl. She was pale and shaky and completely exhausted.

Any scolding or punishment would have to wait.

Nobody had mentioned the princes or Aleki being there. If there were any cameras around that might be a bit trickier to explain away. Although only Tavi had gotten close to Jerome.

Finally, with warnings not to go anywhere in case they had more questions, the cops left. As soon as they were escorted out by Dominic, Bain pulled Arianna onto his lap on the sofa. He ran his hand up and down her back.

“Can’t believe it was that asshole, Jerry, stalking you,” Caleb said in shock, running his hand over his shaved head. Only he and Wolfe were left. “And he set Mr. Longley’s house on fire. Wonder if his mother had any idea?”

She shook her head. “I can’t believe I never told anyone. That I totally suppressed that memory.”

“Baby, you were four. You were terrified. He threatened you. Of course you didn’t say anything,” Bain told her soothingly. He wasn’t having her blame herself. “You weren’t to blame, angel.”

She snuggled in closer and he held her tight. He knew she was feeling guilty and he hated it. Dominic returned to the room, giving him a nod. Cops were gone at least.

“That bastard wasn’t right in the head. Everything he did was his fault, not yours. He and Rob were in on it together. They sent you those letters to scare you. They had some stupid plan where Jerome would swoop in to rescue you from your stalker. Rob was just in it for the money.”

“They. . .they were going to kill you.”

“Don’t think they would have gone through with it. Rob was too nervous. I wasn’t worried about me. Was worried about you.”

“Must have been Jerome delivering the letters, which is why there was no prints from Rob on the letters,” Dominic said. “I checked and he has the same tattoo on his hand that the person on the camera had. But Rob must have given him access. Don’t know how he got into your dressing room at the concert without being caught on camera.”

“He was likely getting on and off via the basement, not the main entrance so no one saw him, and Rob likely wiped the cameras,” Caleb added.