Page 10 of Blade (Spartan Watchmen MC #5)

"Good," he said. "Still, don't push it too hard."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Daddy," she retorted without thinking.

The word hung in the air between them, charged and significant. Lily froze, mortified at the slip.

Blade's eyes darkened, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke.

Then, carefully, he set his fork down. "Is that what you want?" he asked, his voice low and controlled. "For me to be your Daddy?"

Heat rushed to her face. "I didn't mean…I was just…" She stumbled over her words, unable to form a coherent response.

"Rule three, baby girl," he reminded her. "Honesty."

She looked down at her plate, unable to meet his intense gaze. "I don't know what I want," she admitted finally. "Everything's so... complicated right now."

"Look at me," he commanded.

Reluctantly, she raised her eyes to his.

"It's okay not to know," he assured her. "You're right. Things are complicated. And this... dynamic between us... it's not something to rush into under the best circumstances, let alone in the middle of all this."

She nodded, relieved that he understood. "I just... I feel safe with you. In a way I haven't felt in a long time. And it's confusing."

"For me too," he admitted, surprising her.

"Feeling this way?" she asked, confused.

"Finding a woman, I wanted to Daddy again," he clarified. "I've dominated women before. I’ve had a little. But this is different. It feels different. More real."

The casual admission sent a jolt of heat through her core. The thought of Blade dominating someone, demanding submission, wielding his natural authority in the bedroom... it was a potent image.

"Different how?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He considered the question. "It's more..

. More responsibility. More commitment. I want you to be mine forever.

Not for a scene. When you dominate someone for a scene, there's a beginning and an end.

Not a temporary thing, like my previous relationship.

But being your Daddy..." He took a breath.

“It's about more than just sex or play. It's about care. Structure. Protection. With you, it’s forever. I don’t know if you are ready for that. "

Forever.

“I don’t know,” she said pushing a piece of egg around her plate. “I know these are extraordinary circumstances. Real life is different."

Real life.

The phrase was a stark reminder that none of this was permanent.

Eventually, the danger would pass. The Rejects would be dealt with.

And then what? Would he still want her? Was this really real or did it feel that way because of the danger and circumstances?

Would she still want this dynamic outside the pressure cooker of their current situation?

"We should table this discussion," she said. "Focus on staying alive first. Figure out... whatever this is... later. If there is a later."

Blade nodded. “You're right. But there will be a later.” They finished breakfast in silence, the easy camaraderie of earlier now strained by unspoken thoughts and desires.

As Lily cleared the dishes, trying to busy her hands to quiet her mind, Blade's phone buzzed again.

"Savage," he said, checking the message. His expression turned grim. "They've got movement. Hammer left the clubhouse an hour ago, headed toward Pedro's territory. He's got the tracker on him."

Lily's heart raced. "So, he is the mole."

"Looks that way," Blade confirmed, already moving to check his weapons. "Savage is tailing him at a distance. Wants to see who he meets with."

"And then what?" she asked, following him into the living room.

"And then we deal with the traitor," Blade said, his voice cold in a way she hadn't heard before. It sent a shiver down her spine, a reminder that beneath his protective demeanor lay a trained killer.

"How?" she pressed.

He glanced at her, as if debating how much to say. "Club justice," he said finally. "It won't be pretty."

She swallowed hard. "Will you... are you going to..."

"Execute him?" Blade supplied bluntly. "If it comes to that, yes. It really depends on him and how he responds when confronted. We always hope it doesn’t come to violence."

She should have been horrified. Should have been appalled at how casually he discussed taking a life. But all she felt was a grim sort of acceptance. This was the world she'd entered, a world of harsh justice and brutal consequences.

"You're not shocked," Blade observed, studying her reaction.

"Should I be?" she countered. "He betrayed your brotherhood. Put lives at risk. Put me at risk. Where I come from, there are consequences for that kind of betrayal."

Something flickered in his eyes—surprise, maybe, or respect. "Where you come from," he repeated. "You mean the military family?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "My dad was... strict about loyalty."

"Your dad," Blade echoed. "The one who killed a man to protect your mother. The Marine who taught you to field strip a weapon before you could drive." He studied her. "There's more to that story than you've told me."

It wasn't a question, but she answered anyway. "Yes."

"Rule three," he reminded her. "Honesty."

She sighed, knowing he was right. If they were going to trust each other, if he was going to put his life on the line for her then he deserved the full truth.

"My dad wasn't just a Marine," she admitted. "He was Force Recon. Special operations."

Blade's eyebrows rose slightly. "Go on."

"After he left the Corps, he... consulted. Private security, mostly. But sometimes other things. Things he didn't talk about, but that kept him away for weeks or months at a time."

"Contractor," Blade surmised. "Black ops."

She nodded. "I think so. He never said, but... there were signs. The training he gave me, and my mom was intense. Survival skills, weapons handling, threat assessment. He was preparing us for something."

"For the day someone might come after you to get to him," Blade guessed.

"Exactly," she confirmed. "And then one day, someone did."

"The man he killed," Blade said.

"Yes," she whispered. "I was sixteen. Home alone with mom when they broke in. Three men, armed. Professional. They... they hurt her. Were going to hurt me too. Dad came home in the middle of it."

Blade's expression hardened. "What happened?"

"What you'd expect," she said simply. "He killed them. All three. One of them was important. The son of some bigwig. That’s how Zeb was able to blackmail me. If it comes out it would cost my father everything. His reputation, his name, his life."

"I'm sorry," Blade said, his voice gentle.

She shrugged, trying to appear less affected than she was. "It was a long time ago."

"Not that long," he observed. "And trauma doesn't fade just because time passes."

"No," she agreed. "It doesn't."

"Is that why you seek out the little headspace?" he asked perceptively. "To escape those memories?"

She considered his question. "Partly, I think. When I'm little, I don't have to be strong all the time. I don't have to be vigilant. I can just... be."

"And your Daddy keeps the monsters away," he said softly.

Her eyes met his. "That's the idea. But Daddies can leave too."

"Like Greg," he recalled. "The fiancé who couldn't handle that you couldn't have children."

She nodded, the old hurt still stinging. "He said he wanted a Daddy/little dynamic. Said he loved taking care of me. Until he found out I couldn't give him biological children. Then suddenly, the only 'little girl' he wanted was one he could actually father."

"He's an idiot," Blade said flatly. "And he didn't deserve you."

The vehemence in his voice surprised her. "You don't even know me," she pointed out.

"I know enough," he replied. "I know the little you, I learned her when we played together at The Citadel. I truly believe you were being the real you, not an act. Am I right?” He waited for her to nod.

“I know you've survived things that would break most people.

I know you protected your parents even when it put you in danger.

I know you'd rather suffer yourself than see others hurt because of you.

" His eyes held hers. "I know you're strong and brave and loyal.

And any man who couldn't see your worth because of something you can't control is a fool. "

Her throat tightened with emotion. No one had ever seen her so clearly or spoken of her with such conviction.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded once, then checked his phone again as it buzzed with an incoming message. "Hammer is on the move again. Heading toward the mountains."

"Toward us?" she asked, alarm spiking.

"No," Blade reassured her. "Different direction. But Savage thinks he might be headed to a secondary Rejects property. A hunting cabin they use."

"To meet with Zeb," she guessed.

"Possibly," Blade agreed. "Savage is staying on him. We'll know more soon."

As if on cue, his phone rang. He answered immediately.

"Go," he said by way of greeting. He listened for a moment, his expression growing more intense. "You're sure? ... How many? ... Any sign of Zeb? ... Alright. Keep your distance. Wait for backup. I'm on my way."

He ended the call, already moving toward his weapons cache.

"What is it?" Lily asked, fear clutching at her heart.

"Hammer just arrived at the hunting cabin," Blade explained, checking a handgun before holstering it. "There are at least five Rejects there, heavily armed. And they've got someone inside. Savage thinks it's Tim."

"He's alive?" she gasped.

"For now," Blade confirmed grimly. "But from what Savage could see through his scope, not in good shape."

"You're going," she realized, watching him gather equipment.

"I have to," he said. "This might be our only chance to get Tim out alive. And to eliminate the immediate threat."

"But you'll be outnumbered," she protested. "At least five of them, maybe more inside that Savage couldn't see."

"Savage and Rampage will be with me," he told her. "And Lucky's sending Irish as backup. We've handled worse odds."

She wanted to argue, to beg him not to go, to remind him that he'd promised to stay with her. But she knew it would be selfish. Tim was suffering because he'd helped her. She couldn't stand in the way of his rescue.

"What about me?" she asked instead. "If you're going, what am I supposed to do?"

Blade approached her, taking her face in his hands. "You're going to stay in the safe room. Lock the door. Don't open it for anyone but me. The security system is active—if anyone approaches within a half-mile radius, you'll get an alert on the tablet inside."

"How long will you be gone?" she asked, her heart hammering.

"A few hours at most," he assured her. "The cabin is only about twenty miles from here."

She nodded, trying to be brave. "Okay. But you'd better come back in one piece."

A small smile curved his lips. "Is that concern I hear, baby girl?"

"Obviously," she retorted. "If you get yourself killed, who's going to protect me?"

His expression softened. "I'm coming back," he promised. "Count on it."

Before she could respond, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a brief, fierce kiss. It was over almost before she realized it had begun. It was a flash of heat, a promise of more.

"For luck," he murmured, pulling back.

She stared up at him, speechless, her lips tingling from the contact.

"Now," he said, his voice returning to its commanding tone, "get what you need. You're going in the safe room until I return."

Still dazed from the unexpected kiss, she nodded and moved to gather a few items. The first things she grabbed was Mr. Flopsy & Ms. Uni, the snacks from the box Savannah sent, the coloring book and pencils.

Comfort items, yes, but also distractions.

Anything to keep her mind occupied while Blade put himself in danger.

For her. For Tim. For his club.

As he led her to the safe room, explaining the security measures one last time, she found herself studying his face, memorizing every line and angle. The scar through his left eyebrow. The slight crook in his nose, broken at least once. The fullness of his lips that had so briefly claimed hers.

"You have everything you need?" he asked, doing a final check of the safe room.

Not everything, she thought. Not you, safe here with me.

But she nodded. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will," he said. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Lily."

"So are you," she replied. "But be careful anyway. Please."

He nodded once, then stepped back. "Remember, don't open the door for anyone but me. And if... if something goes wrong, if I don't come back by nightfall, call the Clubhouse on the satellite phone. Ask for Rampage or Savage, I trust them with my life.”

The thought of him not returning made her chest ache. "You'll come back," she insisted. "You promised."

A shadow of something—regret? fear? determination?—crossed his face. "I'll do my best," he amended. "That's all any of us can do."

A loud meow at his feet caught their attention. Both Macaroni and Cheese came into the room with her. “You won’t be alone after all,” he said. “Take care of my girl.”

With that, he closed the safe room door, leaving her alone with her thoughts and fears.

Through the small security monitor inside, she watched him move through the cabin, performing final checks before he left. His movements were precise, economical, almost like a predator preparing for the hunt.

And then he was gone, the cabin empty and silent.

Lily sank onto the small cot, the cats quickly joining her. She rubbed their heads as the ache of anticipation settled into her bones.

"Please come back," she whispered to the empty room. "Please come back to me."

Because somehow, in the span of less than three days, Blade had become essential to her in a way no one else had ever been. And the thought of losing him was more terrifying than any threat from Pedro's Rejects.

She just hoped she'd get the chance to tell him that.