Daddy's Adorable Assassin (Daddy's Little Deviants)

I inhaled deeply, then let out the breath slowly. “That’s the difference between you and Daddy. He knows that he’s not taking advantage, despite my shortcomings. He knows I want it all.”

“Daddy? You’re still calling him that? You know he only took on that role to get information out of you, don’t you?”

“Yes.” I might have been brought up isolated, but that didn’t make me an idiot.

“I don’t get it. You know all this, and still you go along with it? What’s your game?”

“I have no—”

A bullet whizzed by Ellis’s head and smashed into the door.

“Get down! Cosmo, get down.”

Ellis grabbed his gun and turned, his body jolting as bullets slammed into his chest. My breath hitched, and my heart was pounding as if it wanted to slam out of my chest.

“Cosmo…” Ellis croaked. I grabbed the gun he was holding out to me, using his body as a shield as I located the shooter, isolated him from my surroundings, and fired one bullet through his skull. He jerked back and hit the ground.

Agent Ellis was wheezing, blood trickling from his lips.

“Call 911,” he moaned, then went still.

His weight was heavy on me. I shifted him to lie on the steps and circled his wrist. His pulse was faint but present. Oh shit. Oh shit. What was I supposed to do now?

I stared at the gun in my hand. On autopilot, I’d lifted it and fired off the shot, aiming for the head like Virgil had taught me. It had been a stupid thing to do. Who aimed for the head when the torso was easier to hit? If they found out I shot that man across the street…

I used the hem of Ellis’s shirt, which wasn’t soaked in blood, and rubbed down the gun, then pressed the weapon into his hand. His pulse grew weaker. I ran inside the house, grabbed my phone, and tapped on Hunter’s name.

“Hey, baby. I guess I should expect your calls by now, right?”

I sobbed into the phone. “Oh, Daddy, it’s horrible. It’s so horrible.”

“Cosmo? What’s wrong? Calm down, baby.”

“We were standing at the door when he came out of nowhere and fired at us. I was behind Agent Ellis, so he got all the bullets, and I think he’s d-d-dead. Oh, my god.”

“What the fuck. Cosmo, are you hurt?”

“N-n-no. Agent Ellis shielded me.”

“Did you call 911?”

“Was I supposed to? I-I couldn’t think. I just called you.”

“It’s okay, baby. I’m getting dispatch on the line right now. Are you in a safe place?”

“I’m heading back outside where Agent Ellis is.”

“Where’s the shooter?”

“Agent Ellis shot him.”

“Are you sure there’s no other active shooter?”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“I want you to stay inside the house, Cosmo. Do you hear me? Do not go outside and make yourself a target. I’m on my way.”

I sniffled into the phone. “Please hurry, Daddy. I’m scared.”