Page 3 of Daddy Protector (Night Ops Daddies #1)

Cole

The boy’s got attitude. I should have figured. His old man is the kind of guy who you love to have fighting on your side but he’s as stubborn as a mule and kicks twice as hard. By the looks of things, the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree with Richie.

And that’s something I guess I’m going to have to get used to.

The plan is to get us to the safehouse, lay low, and wait for an update from Hunter.

And as much as I’m hoping that this will be a few days, maybe a week, and then we’ll wrap the whole thing up…

well, let’s just say I’ve got a funny feeling that there’s more to this situation than Hunter was letting on.

I’ve known Hunter for too long. We’ve been through way too much shit together. When he’s holding something back, I can tell. Maybe he didn’t want to spook me, or maybe he just didn’t want to admit it to himself, but I think the man is worried. Like, seriously worried.

I might not have my own kids, but I’m no fool.

When your children’s lives are under threat, then that has to make things seem ten times worse.

I’ve been in the darkest, most brutal places with Hunter and never seen him give an inch.

So, if he wants me to look after his damn son then that’s what I’ll do – even if that means he’s holding back on some of the finer details.

Anyway, right now I’m thinking that the least of my troubles is what’s going on with Hunter. I’ve got a bored, bratty, sassy young man in the passenger seat – and by the sounds of it, this could be a long few hours together…

“You know, I could have just as easily stayed at my friend’s house in the suburbs,” Richie says, rolling his eyes and staring out of the passenger window. “I don’t know why Pop is making such a big freakin’ deal of this.”

“He’s a smart guy, you need to trust him,” I reply, trying to keep things as vague as I can. “If he was happy for you to crash at a buddy’s house, then he would have said that. He didn’t. End of story.”

“End of story?” Richie snaps. “Cole, I’m an adult. Don’t talk down to me. You do know that I run security for my father’s business? It’s not like I’m some dumb kid.”

“I’m not talking down to you,” I reply, flicking the windscreen wipers on as the rain begins to fall.

“Richie, I’m following orders. And part of those orders includes ensuring that you’re safe.

I’m not being disrespectful. But there is a hierarchy here in this car.

And I’m at the top. That’s not up for discussion. ”

“Unbelievable,” Richie says, a smirk on his face as he puts his feet up on the dash.

I know the boy is trying to get a rise out of me. He wants to push me, to see how much he can get away with. Unfortunately for him, Richie doesn’t know that I’ve dealt with far trickier customers than him before.

Richie wants me to lose my cool. He wants to make me snap. No gonna happen…

“I’m thinking we drive for another hour and then find a diner for some coffee and pie,” I say, looking into my rearview mirror to check that no one is tailing us. “Sound good?”

I scan across to Richie and see a slight hint of a smile creep onto his face. But a split second later, the smile is gone and he’s pouting again. Whatever. I saw the smile. And that’s enough for me to know that making Richie fall into line is more a matter of when, rather than if.

“Now, how about some music,” I say, my voice firm but friendly as I twiddle with the radio and find a country rock station. “Feel free to have a nap. It’s late. Don’t worry, I’ll wake you when we arrive at the diner.”

Richie doesn’t answer.

The boy simply turns his body away from me and brings his feet off the dash and up close to his chest. Part of me feels sorry for him.

After all, his life has just been turned upside down by a total stranger.

But experience tells me that the last thing I need to do is get any kind of emotionally involved with the client.

I need to do what Hunter wants, and that’s get his son to the safehouse and keep him there until instructed otherwise.

If Richie is happy, then that’s a bonus.

But at the end of the day, this is a job and the only thing that matters is the end result.

It’s time to put the foot on the gas and get to this damn diner.

It’s late, the weather is getting worse, and I’m going to need some fuel to get me through the night…

An hour and a half later and we’re pulling into the diner’s rough and ready parking lot. As I ease off the gas and pull into a free spot, I cast my eyes around and see a couple of trucks, a motorcycle, and a family station wagon.

Nothing suspicious.

Looks all clear.

That’s good.

I look across to Richie and watch as he snores lightly, his head tilted at a slightly awkward angle against the passenger window.

Damn, that might be a sore one when he wakes up.

Still, I’m hoping that the promise of some hot coffee and a slice of apple pie might just be enough to make him feel a little less sore – not just about his neck, but about the whole situation he’s found himself in.

“Richie, time to wake up,” I say, gently placing my hand on his slender shoulder, not wanting to give him a fright. “We’re at the diner, kid. It’s time to refuel.”

“ Urgh . Let me sleep,” Richie mutters, his lip curling and brow scrunching. “I’ll have a coffee to go. Bring it to me.”

Fuck . He’s not going to make this easy for me, is he?

But if Richie thinks I’m going to fold and let him speak to me like I’m some kind of butler service then he can think again. I’m not that guy. In fact, I’m pretty much as far away from being that guy as it’s possible to be.

“Up. Now . You might not want to stretch your legs, but I do,” I bark, unbuckling my belt and hauling my ass out of the car.

“Whatever,” Richie mutters, sulkily following my order and getting his ass out of the car.

The rain has eased off a little. That’s good. But it’s a cold night, and neither one of us needs to be spending any more time outside than we need to. I don’t think we’ve been tailed, and it’s highly unlikely that anyone – even Hunter – knows where Richie is, but I’m not going to take any risks.

“Inside,” I say, leading the way as we walk over the crunchy gravel and make our way toward the diner’s entrance.

Inside, and the diner is exactly as I’d expect. Quiet, everyone keeping themselves to themselves, and a big menu on the board above the counter that’s making my stomach rumble just looking at it.

“Coffee?” I ask, arching my eyebrow as Richie takes a cell phone out of his pocket. “No social media. Nothing.”

“Hot chocolate, and apple pie,” Richie replies, making a show of putting his cell phone back in his pocket as he walks over toward the booth on the far side of the diner. “And don’t forget the cream!”

I shake my head. The boy knows what he wants and he’s not afraid to ask for it.

In a way, I kind of admire it. I’ve been with clients before who are too petrified of me to talk, let alone make any demands.

Richie’s different though, that much is clear – and I probably wouldn’t expect anything less from a son of Hunter Selleck.

I watch Richie take a seat and shuffle over next to the window. Then, a slight arch of his back and a stiffening of his shoulders.

What’s he doing?

Fuck. I don’t even need to ask.

“One coffee, one hot chocolate, two slices of apple pie,” I bark at the waitress before striding over toward the booth.

The boy’s up to something. And I need to find out what…

“Phone, now,” I growl, the look of defiance on Richie’s face giving the game away even before I’ve confirmed what the hell he was doing with his cellphone only moments after I told him no social media activity. “I’m not fooling around. Give me the damn phone.”

“Asshole,” Richie mutters, his cheeks flushing red as he hands the device over.

I almost can’t believe what I’m looking at as I look at the phone screen and see a photo of a saltshaker with the caption ‘Diner Life’ underneath it. Luckily, the boy hadn’t already hit the button to post it.

“Don’t you see how serious this is,” I say, my voice low but full of urgency as I sit down opposite Richie with his phone in my hand and my temper in danger of spilling over.

“I know you’re smart. Hunter wouldn’t raise a son who wasn’t as sharp as a tack.

You know this is a serious situation. And you know that your father wouldn’t have outsourced security if he didn’t think he absolutely needed to.

So when I say no social media, that’s exactly what I mean. Zero. None. Got it?”

“Got it,” Richie answers, rolling his eyes and turning to stare out of the window as the rain gets heavier once again and begins to lash down onto the parking lot gravel.

“Good,” I say, clenching my jaw. “Now consider yourself lucky that I already ordered. But try any more stunts like that and you can forget about hot chocolate and apple pie. Trust me, you don’t want to get on my bad side, young man.

I’m here to protect you, but if I have to do it with some serious discipline in place, then that’s what I’ll do. ”

Richie doesn’t respond. He simply stares out of the window with that very same look of stubborn defiance on his face.

He’s a handful with a capital H .

In fact, I think he could be more trouble than whoever it is who’s causing Hunter all his problems.

And right now, I’m cursing Hunter harder than ever.

This could be the biggest pain in the ass he’s ever caused me, and that’s saying something…