Page 5 of Daddy’s Protection (The Daddy Guard #3)

“There’s so much blood!”

The statement came from Iris who was giggling and half covering her eyes, though she had her fingers splayed, and looked to still have a view of the ghoulish proceedings.

Cami laughed. She’d been awake for thirty minutes and was already set to leave for work. It hadn’t been a very long night of sleep, but she’d gotten a few hours in, at least.

Now, she was on the back patio of the Daddy Guard mansion, along with Iris, Lana, Stryker, and Harrison, looking at Frankenstein.

The big monster was sitting in a lawn chair. Dark crimson blood poured from his mouth, eyes, and ears.

“It’s disgusting!” Lana said with sadistic glee.

Stryker tapped his phone and the blood stopped.

“Thanks! I just took a dummy the studio had lying around, installed the fountain system and filled it with blood, and then hired some makeup artists to make him look like Frankie. Get this, he talks, too.” He tapped again on his phone.

The dummy’s mouth began moving, saying, “Happy Halloween!” and then, “Don’t take my candy! ”

“I thought we could put the candy bowl near him. It’s all controlled by an app I designed.” He held up his cell. “We can be nearby watching. It’ll give trick-or-treaters quite a scare!”

“That’s so cool!” Cami exclaimed.

She’d met Stryker and Harrison before, back at Auntie Athena’s. They didn’t live in Hollywood full time, instead residing in Mountainville—a famed community in West Texas just for Littles and Bigs.

But they were both in the film industry, so when working, Auntie Athena’s was their “home away from home.” Though they didn’t stay there. Or at the Guard’s mansion. Cami had heard they owned a bungalow somewhere in Hollywood where they stayed with their Mommies.

Cami looked up at Stryker. Gosh, he was tall! His dark blond hair, blue eyes, and good looks made probably made him a hit with the ladies. Though she’d heard he was hopelessly devoted to his wife and Mommy, famous actress Amelia Pine. “You’re really good at inventing stuff, huh?’

He seemed a bit uncomfortable with the praise. “I just like to tinker. Kind of gets me in trouble sometimes.” He grinned. “Okay… lots of times.”

Everyone laughed.

Next to him, the famous actor Harrison Trent nodded. He wasn’t quite as tall, but still had quite a bit of height on him. And more muscles. He looked every bit the action hero he played on screen. “We don’t mean to get in trouble. It’s all in good fun.”

The others laughed again.

“What the heck is that thing?”

Cami and the other Littles looked to see Isaiah stepping out onto the porch.

“It’s a monster! He’ll be at our Halloween party!” Iris said.

“And on the porch for trick-or-treaters,” Stryker added. “What do you think?”

“I think that’s freaky as all get out.” Isaiah shook his head as he looked at the thing. After shifting his focus to Cami, he added, “And I hope it doesn’t give you nightmares.”

“I’m all good,” she promised.

The monster didn’t bother her. After all, it wasn’t Frankenstein haunting her house—though she wished the spooky proceedings at her place were all part of Stryker’s imaginative magic.

“Last night, on the drive home, you mentioned needing to work this morning. Do you have time to grab breakfast? We can eat and then I can take you to work. Later, I guess we need to get your car.”

“Sure,” she said. “We could actually take care of eating—and dropping me off at work—at the same place. It’s a diner not too far from here. I need to grab some things, though, to take with me.”

“I’m on your schedule,” he told her.

Despite the spooky situation she found herself in, the thought of going out to breakfast with Isaiah still excited her.

How could it not? He was so freaking handsome!

He was a tall, strong Black man with close-cropped hair and muscles to spare. She guessed he was former military, because he still had that warrior look about him.

And those protective vibes that drove her wild…

She could barely keep from staring at the way his tight gray polo shirt bulged around his protruding biceps.

It had been evident that he was gorgeous the night before.

But it had been dark and there’d been so much going on.

Now, in the light of day, she was about to melt…

and it had nothing to do with the California sun.

“All right,” he said with a smile. “Let’s hit the road.” Looking at the other Littles, he said, “You all aren’t going to get into trouble, are you?”

They chuckled.

“No, Uncle Isaiah. We’re going to Auntie Athena’s while our Daddies work,” Iris replied.

“And we have to go to the studio,” Harrison said. “We just dropped by to show off Stryker’s latest invention.”

Cami watched as Isaiah smiled at the news.

“Good,” he said. “I love you all. But I’m not sure I trust you to be left alone unsupervised.”

The group laughed.

Cami wondered what had happened in the past.

Clearly, the Littles had developed a reputation.

About thirty minutes later, Cami was seated at a booth across from Isaiah in a diner that looked as if it had been transplanted from the 1960s.

At the latest.

The counter up front was lined with wood paneling. Behind it, servers were busy grabbing food from the window that led to the kitchen, refilling coffee cups, and taking orders.

Some servers left the area, venturing out into the dining room where hungry patrons sat at the booths that probably held years of grease, aromas, and smoke.

The place was clean, though. It was just a time capsule.

“What do you do here?” Isaiah asked after they’d ordered breakfast.

Cami took a sip of her coffee before answering. “I don’t actually work for the diner. But I’m painting their window.”

“Painting a window?”

She nodded and said, “If you look over your shoulder, they have water and surfboards and stuff on their window right now. They have something new every season. Well, they’re kind of late changing it.

But they called me to make it something more fall-ish.

And they’ve already asked me to do a Christmas thing after Thanksgiving. ”

“So you’re an artist,” Isaiah surmised with a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

“Yes!” she said, unable to stifle a proud smile.

“I do lots of windows around town. But that’s not all I do.

I’ve done murals on buildings—inside and out.

Not a lot. But I might have some coming up!

And I paint on canvas, too. One day I’m going to sell them.

And maybe have my own gallery or something. ”

He took a drink of his own coffee and then said, “I bet you will.”

“I bet I know what you’re wondering,” she stated.

“What’s that?”

“How does a starving artist afford that big Victorian house in Angelino Heights?”

His head shook slightly. “Your financial situation isn’t any of my business.”

After another drink of coffee, she explained, “Business is actually really good. I’m not getting rich, but I make enough to live.

Especially since my grandma left me that place.

It was free. I just have to pay the property taxes and utilities.

Though she left a little in an account to help me get started.

It’ll run out next year, though.” She shrugged.

“But I can still make it. Not having rent or mortgage sure helps!”

“I’m sorry to hear of your grandma’s passing,” Isaiah said. “When was this?”

“About a year ago. And thank you.”

He leaned back fully against the back of the booth’s bench. He seemed to be contemplating what he’d just heard. “When did the spooky stuff start?”

The conversation was interrupted when the waitress came back, delivering two platters of pancakes and bacon. “I’ll touch up those coffees.” She disappeared for a second, came back with a pot of the piping hot liquid, refilled their mugs and then left.

Cami watched steam rise from hers and said, “Maybe six months ago. But it’s gotten progressively worse. And I never experienced anything like last night until… well, last night.”

They ate for a few minutes. The pancakes were light and fluffy, just like Cami liked them.

“Were you close to your grandma?”

“Yeah.”

“Around her often?”

“Sure.”

He took another bite and washed it down with coffee. “So you’d been in the house plenty of times before you inherited it.”

“Oh yeah. All the time.”

She had a pretty good idea where he was going with this. Her hunch was confirmed when he spoke again. “Did you experience anything weird back then?”

Her mind raced, trying to recall. The fact that she couldn’t think of anything gave her the answer. She figured she’d certainly remember something like what she’d seen last night! How could anyone forget that?

“No. I mean, the house always seemed old and kind of creepy. You know how it is in those places; you hear weird noises and stuff. But nothing too crazy.”

“Sure,” he said. “Did your grandma ever talk about anything strange happening?”

“No.”

A heavy silence settled over them. Finally, she said, “You know, if it was my grandma, I would feel a sense of peace and calm. Like she was just coming back to tell me goodbye or check up on me. But this is different. It’s a sense of dread.

I feel like I’m always being watched. And then what I saw last night, well… ” She shuddered.

The gulp of hot coffee she sent down her throat felt good, warming her core.

“I’m going to find out what’s going on,” he promised. “Is it okay if I take your keys and go have a look around while you’re working? I think some of the other guys are going to join me.”

“Sure,” she said.

“Thank you for trusting us. Do you want us to bring your car up here?”

“You don’t have to go to all that trouble.”

He waved the concern off. “I’m going to come here to pick you up anyway. Might as well bring your car.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Sir.”

After eating a few more bites of pancakes, she pushed her plate away. “I need to stop! I’m already a fat cow. Scarfing down three giant pancakes isn’t going to help me any.”

She was raising her mug to her lips when she glanced across the table and saw the stern, disapproving gaze Isaiah wore.

Oh crap! He looked serious.

“I know I’m not your Daddy. But when you’re around me you will not speak so meanly about yourself. Do you understand me?”

She tried to speak but a lump had suddenly formed in her throat. Choking it down, she was able to say, “Yes, Sir.”

“Good. I better not hear it again. Are you still hungry?”

She nodded.

His eyes fell to the plate. “Then eat, little girl.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said.

Even though she’d just been chastised, it felt good having a Daddy care for her. But she told herself not to get too carried away with her fantasies. It wasn’t as if Isaiah would ever be her Daddy. As hot and as sexy as he was, he’d want a hot, skinny woman. Not… her.

“How long will this take you?” he asked, indicating the windows.

“A few hours. They want a lot. And I need to clean the windows really good first.” She patted the square case that rested on the bench beside her. It contained all her paints, brushes, and sponges. “I won’t finish until early afternoon.”

“That’ll give me and a couple of the guys time to do our thing at your place.” Isaiah offered her a smile. “Don’t worry. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

She smiled, too. Despite meeting him only hours before, she trusted him.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Now finish eating.”

“Yes, Sir.” Feeling lighter already, Cami dug into her pancakes once more.

What Isaiah said next had her nearly melting again.

“Good girl.”