Page 4 of Daddy’s Oath (The Daddy Guard #2)

Chapter Four

Ace was trying to appear as casual as possible, but inside, he was running hot with rage.

So much so that it felt like lava was boiling just beneath his skin.

That’s what worthless trash like he was following did to him.

Ace didn’t consider himself to have a temper.

In fact, he was often praised for his ability to keep calm and collected in tough situations.

He was a helicopter pilot, after all. You lose your head while controlling a chopper and you risk killing yourself and others.

It took a steady hand and chill demeanor.

But when he saw someone do what this asshole had done… well, it weighed on Ace.

He'd watched as the idiot slipped something into the soda he’d bought for the Little. It was fast. And the guy was smooth about it. Obviously he had practice.

But Ace had still caught it.

He’d nearly lost it when “the Little” raised the cup to her lips. It was now or never, he thought. There was no way he’d let her drink that thing. Not even a single sip.

Just as she was set to do so, though, she put the cup down next to her date’s, on the surface of a midway game, and took a turn trying to throw bean bags at balloons to pop as many as she could in a few seconds. After laughing the entire time, she picked back up her drink.

Her date did the same.

“Cheers,” Ace could overhear her say as she held it up.

Her date lightly bumped her paper cup with his and then they both downed a healthy dose while looking into one another’s eyes.

Ace was livid. He’d tried to reach her in time. Blowing his cover didn’t matter now. Saving that woman was all he cared about.

“Damnit! She drank some!” he growled.

In his earpiece, Matteo said, “Shit. We need to move in.”

“Already on it. We’re by the games. Balloon pop is the closest one.”

“I’m almost there,” Jack said.

“Me, too,” Isaiah added.

Ace didn’t wait for reinforcements. Instead, he grabbed the asshole by the arm, jerked him around until he faced him, and said, “You son of a bitch.”

His fist landed hard on the guy’s jaw, sending him to the ground with a hard thud.

People started to scramble. Someone yelled for the police. A few people started recording the scene on their cell phones.

“Hey! What are you—” The man scrambled to his feet uneasily, staggered awkwardly for a few paces, and then fell right back down.

“Damn. I didn’t hit him that hard,” Ace said.

The woman smiled. “I know. He’s probably feeling a little woozy since I switched our drinks.”

It took Ace a moment to realize what she was saying. A grin split his lips. “Nicely played, Athena.”

The woman gave a playful curtsey, then reached up and removed the two ponytail holders before shaking her hair, allowing her raven locks to fall around her shoulders.

Athena loved Littles, Ace knew. But she wasn’t one. It had been a stretch playing the part.

Just then, the other men arrived on the scene, along with two patrolmen.

“What the hell are you all doing here?” one of the officers asked, looking at Ace.

“Hiya, Cooper. How’s the Santa Monica beat treating you?”

As former LAPD officers, Ace and the rest of the Daddy Guard knew a lot of the local cops, even in the surrounding communities.

“Was nice and quiet today,” Officer Cooper said. “Until you came around and punched some guy out. What gives, Ace?”

The other officer—the golden nametag on his chest read SANCHEZ—knelt down and checked on the downed, groaning man. Talking into the radio velcroed onto his shoulder, he said, “Station two, I need EMTs on the pier. Near the balloon-pop game. One injury. Suggest they bring a stretcher.”

Ace grinned at Officer Cooper. “As we were talking about before you got here, I didn’t hit the guy that hard. I mean, it was hard enough for a pansy-ass like him. But he thought he was a big man, slipping benzos in his date’s drink.”

“Oh, shit,” the cop said.

“Uh-huh,” Ace said.

“And then, he accidentally drank it himself,” Athena explained. “Something tells me he isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.”

Officer Sanchez stood, smiling at her. “And something tells me you are.”

Athena just smiled and shrugged. “He’s lucky Ace clocked him in the jaw. I was about to drive my foot into his little pecker.”

The officers both pulled out latex gloves from their pockets, put them on, and knelt down to inspect the man.

“He’s breathing normally. Just out cold,” Sanchez observed.

“But look what we have here,” Cooper added, holding up a small vial he’d pulled from the guy’s pocket. He shook it and the small amount of liquid still inside sloshed. “I have a feeling I know what test results will say about this.”

“It’ll confirm why he’s incapacitated,” Ace said. “See. It wasn’t because I hit him.”

Cooper cleared his throat and stood. “You know he still has rights. Even if he is a piece of crap.”

Ace shrugged. “I was defending her.”

“True,” Cooper said. “And that’s why I’m not going to take you in. And I doubt the DA will press charges. Wouldn’t stick.”

“Damn right it wouldn’t stick!” Ace told him.

“I know California law. I have the right to use reasonable force to protect myself and a loved one. In this case, Athena.” He jerked his head toward his friend.

“The force must be proportional to the perceived threat. Which it was. He was trying to drug her. I stepped in. End of story.”

“Everything is legal here,” Jack added. “No harm, no foul.”

“I actually agree,” Sanchez said. “Just remember suspects have rights, too. You haven’t been away from the force so long that you’ve forgotten that. Have you?”

Jack and Ace exchanged exaggerated glances.

Looking back at the cops, Ace said, “What are you getting at?”

Sanchez cleared his throat. Cooper stepped closer. “There have been reports of some vigilantes operating around here. Not just in Santa Monica. But all over Los Angeles. You all wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“Us?” Ace said. He turned his focus to Matteo. “You ever heard anything about that? Vigilantes and such?”

“Not a thing,” Matteo replied.

“What about you?” Ace asked Isaiah.

Isaiah shook his head. “Sounds like some comic book shit to me. Not real life.”

Cooper laughed. “Comic book shit, huh?”

“That’s right,” Isaiah said.

The two cops studied the ex-law-officers until a moment later, three EMTs hurried onto the scene, rolling a stretcher.

One of the first responders—a blond woman of about thirty—said, “Please clear the area.”

Officer Cooper stepped out of the way while telling her, “He’s a suspect. He’ll be in custody after he receives medical treatment. He’s been searched. No weapons.”

“Roger that,” the paramedic said.

“You know, if you look into this guy, I’m guessing you’ll find some shady stuff,” Ace said. “And I’m guessing he’ll go to jail for a while.”

“We’ll handle it,” Cooper said.

“Of course,” Ace replied, holding up his hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m no vigilante.”

The cops didn’t look so convinced.

Ace just smirked.