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

“I’m here for professional reasons, Neely. My bad to think you could separate that from personal issues.”

My face heated. “What professional reasons? What do you want from me? The last time I saw you, you all but told me I was no longer a part of your investigation. Why should I help you this time?”

“Cosmo’s in the hospital.”

“What?” The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end.

“Someone attacked him this morning in his cell.”

“Where is he?”

“Lionel Jackson Memorial Hospital.”

My heart hammered in my chest, and I struggled to drag air into my lungs. Cosmo’s fearful face flashed through my mind, his timid smile. He’d told me he would be protected when he… Oh my god, if anything serious had happened to him.

“I thought you’d want to know. There’s more—Hunter!”

I rushed out of the office and smacked into Barney. “Hunt, can we talk?”

“Not right now. I’ll call you later, Barney.”

I sprinted to my car, a sense of déjà vu settling in my stomach of the day I’d received a handkerchief and had to hurry over to Nate’s school to make sure he was all right. He’d been fine, but hours later, my wife’s car had been found with blood spatter on the window and the car seat, her body missing from the scene but a handkerchief left behind.

Cosmo hadn’t lived yet. His whole life, that psychopath Virgil had controlled him, and instead of helping Cosmo to adjust to a free life, we’d caged him again.

I didn’t wait for Knight to catch up with me but peeled out of the parking lot. During the drive to the hospital, the tightness in my chest grew. I needed to see him, to make sure he was okay, but everything inside me screamed to leave it alone. That what had happened to him had nothing to do with me, but I pushed the little voice away. Cosmo’s laugh, his sadness, his timidness, his boldness in asking me to be his Daddy, played on a loop in my head.

I might not like it. It might not be ideal, but he had no one else. Could it be so wrong to be there for him?

His hospital room wasn’t hard to find. A correctional officer guarded his room. I showed the man my badge and took a deep breath, then entered. Cosmo shifted on the bed and turned. He had a bruise on his right cheek, and his neck bore the proof of fingers trying to strangle him.

“Cosmo,” I breathed his name, as much in greeting as in apology for not fulfilling my promise to protect him. I’d known this could happen, but I’d hoped it wouldn’t.

His eyes welled up, and tears spilled down his cheeks. Gone was the strength to resist him. I hurried over and sat by his side on the bed. He scooted over into my arms, careful of the IV in his hand. I tucked his head under my chin and rubbed his back. I wanted answers, but I was too afraid to ask the questions.

“I was so scared,” he said with a sob. “I was so scared, Hunter.”

“It’s over now, and I’m here.”

I held him until he fell asleep against me, and I still didn’t let him go. The door opened, and Knight entered, frowning when he saw me with Cosmo.

“We need to talk outside.” He didn’t give me a chance to respond but strode out of the room. I kissed Cosmo’s hair and eased him down onto the bed, but he clung to me before I could slip away.

“No, don’t go.”

“I’m not leaving, I promise. Let me talk to Agent Knight, and then I’ll be back.”

“You promise you’ll be back?”

My heart squeezed. Even after I’d let him down so many times, he still trusted me with more promises. At least this one I could fulfill. I kissed his forehead. “Pinky promise.”

I released his hand and got up, only to find Knight watching me through the glass portion of the door. Steeling my resolve, I stepped out of the room and pulled the door closed. Without a word, he walked off, and I followed him down the corridor. He turned left and pushed through a door that led to an emergency stairwell.

“You want to tell me what the hell’s going on, Neely?”

“I should tell you what’s going on? You’re the one who told me about the incident.”

“I’m not talking about the fucking incident. I’m talking about what the hell’s going on between you and him?”