smart. The kind of smart a kid gets from growing up in a shitty situation. I wonder if her mom was decent enough or if she wasn’t around. Tank is a decent enough kind of guy but I don’t know shit about being a dad.
My own was a fucking lost cause.
I let myself think about Odie and a baby we could have together for about a half second before I lock that shit down tight.
I’m not my fucking father and I’ll keep her and my kid safe from this shit. Safe and loved and fed well at all times.
Fuck, I’ve got to stop thinking about kids.
“I’m just here for a coffee, no trouble.” I say, holding my hands out like I’m not a threat.
She doesn’t buy it. “Oh yeah? Why pull out the piece then?”
I grin at her, laying on the charm to distract her suspicions. “The waitress kept shoving her tits in my face. I’m a family man, I’ve got no interest in banging some server when I have a bombshell waiting back home for me.”
Her eyes narrow at me, like she’s not at all sure I’m telling the truth. Doesn’t matter, I get up and throw a couple of hundreds on the table. Her eyes follow me out of the diner and I walk out to sit and wait for her in my car. Now I know she’s on shift I can just wait her out. I send a message to Odie, breathing easy when she messages back our safe word, then one that makes me sure she’s safe and happy in our apartment.
She has a six hour lunchtime shift.
It’s boring as fuck to wait around but when she finally clocks off I’m ready for her. There’s a rush of people coming out of the diner as she does and it takes a minute to find her through the bodies. I keep my weapons holstered because this isn't my usual turf and I don't need to deal with pigs today.
I know the minute this girl figures out I’m following her. Instead of taking the direct path to her motorcycle, which I know thanks to Tank's spies, she starts weaving through the crowd, up and down streets to attempt to lose me.
I'm too good for that shit though I'm oddly proud that she knows how to do it. I've seen too many girls getting grabbed, hurt, and fucking sold lately. It's good to see one that's going to fight back.
When she finally takes the alleyway to get to a car she's still darting around people and I spot the keys that are in her hand. There’s a bottle of pepper spray on it, fuck’s sake, and the keys are pushed tight between her fingers so she can jab my eyes out if I get close enough.
Like I said, smart girl.
Too bad for her I’m smarter, bigger, and made for killing. If I wanted to, I could take her down and kill her in under a minute with no one on the street any wiser.
Good thing for her I don’t want to.
When we take the last turn into the parking lot she turns on me, pepper spray can in her hand raised to aim right at my eyes. That shit wouldn't save her but I don't have the patience to deal with that shit today. I grab her wrist and pull her hand down, ducking so the first stream of the fiery liquid doesn't hit my face. She doesn't scream or panic, just shifts straight into a defensive stance.
I know it's coming so when her foot aims for my dick I trap it with my thighs and take her down with a quick kick to the back of her knee. She scrapes down her arm on the brick wall of the building we're next to as she goes down to her knees but she barely grunts at the sound.
"I'm not here to hurt you, so knock that shit off so we can talk."
She doesn't take that advice at all, scrambling back up to her feet and moving to run.
Fine.
Guess I gotta be the asshole.
I shoot forwards and get her around the waist before she has time to bolt, the other hand clamping tight over her mouth as her body struggles against me.
"I was trying to be nice. You won't like it if I start being a real asshole, so quit your shit."
"Your father sent me."
We're sitting in my car, her wrists and her ankles cable tied and no chance of