Page 10 of Daddy’s Pursuit (The Daddy Guard #1)

Chapter Ten

Jack didn’t like this one bit.

It felt creepy, checking up on this young lady like he was. But Athena suspected Iris needed help, and Jack couldn’t turn a blind eye to that. Plus, he’d known the Auntie long enough to know her gut was usually right.

So, he parked his car a ways down from the address listed on Iris’ application and walked along the sidewalk until he found the old Victorian mansion.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath.

The way that place looked, he wouldn’t have been a bit surprised to see a ghost looking out one of the windows before disappearing into the night. If he believed in that sort of thing.

Something else looked off about the house, too. It was dark. Almost unsettlingly so.

A lone, dim streetlamp barely provided enough illumination for him to make out a few details.

But he could see that beyond the waist-high, battered and crooked white picket fence was a yard thick with growth.

A giant tree stood in the center, and it had been so long since it had been trimmed that its branches were bumping the house’s roof.

Other than that, he couldn’t tell much, though he suspected sunlight would reveal a fading paint job and worn siding.

He knew from her application to the nursery that Iris didn’t live in the main house, but a garage apartment. Following the sidewalk, he curved around the corner lot to the back of the property. Sure enough, a detached building was there, next to a narrow alleyway.

Jack wasn’t sure what to do now. He was exposed and Iris could easily spot him.

At this point, though, he wasn’t sure he cared.

As much as he hated lying, part of him just wanted to admit what he was doing.

It would be easier that way. If she needed anything, he was of a mind to simply give it to her.

She wouldn’t be going hungry or lacking for clothes or anything like that if he had a say.

Athena felt the same way. This mission was her idea, to start with.

But if Iris saw him snooping around, she might automatically assume he was being creepy. He couldn’t blame her, either. It was kind of strange that he was prowling about outside her place. What else was she to think?

Except he didn’t see Iris anywhere. Instead, a man walked from the direction of the apartment, crossing the sidewalk in front of Jack, nearly colliding with him.

“Watch it, pal,” the guy grunted.

He threw the cardboard box he was carrying at the curb, rubbed his hands together and clapped them a couple of times as if trying to clear dust or dirt from them, then headed back toward the small building.

He stopped walking upon noticing Jack was still there. “What do you want?”

This guy was all charm.

It was at this moment that Jack decided to throw stealth out the window. Was this guy somehow connected to Iris? Was he making things difficult for her in some way? If Athena feared she was in some sort of trouble, could this guy be the root of it?

Jack would press him until he found out.

“I’m looking for Iris Dawson.”

“Get lost.”

Jack had the feeling the man’s reluctance to talk about Iris didn’t stem from protecting her privacy. Instead, it was from annoyance.

That fact was confirmed when he opened his mouth again. “She doesn’t live here anymore. So, like I told you, get lost. I don’t know what she was doing… hooking, probably… but I don’t want any johns stopping by here. This place is closed for business.”

Jack felt his anger rising, but he fought hard to rein it in. He represented the LAPD. Even though he was on personal business, it would give the Department a black eye if he lost his temper and decked this guy.

It would give the rude little man a black eye, too, of course, and that might be worth it.

But Jack wasn’t ready to lose his badge over something so stupid. Besides, the department had enough bad publicity to deal with. So, he kept his temper in check. It did give him an idea, though.

“I’m not a john and she’s not a hooker.” He fished the badge out from his pocket and flashed it.

Now, instead of anger it was a smile he suppressed. The man’s demeanor instantly changed upon realizing he was dealing with a cop. Jack wasn’t one to bully people with his badge, but in some cases, there was a certain satisfaction in the effect it had on people.

This was one of those cases.

“What did she do?”

And with that, the rising anger was back.

Why did this guy just assume Iris was doing something wrong?

Probably because she didn’t have any money, Jack realized.

This was clearly one of those pricks that judged people based upon their financial situation.

All impoverished people were probably criminals to him.

“Nothing. Where did she go?”

“Huh?”

“You said she doesn’t live here anymore. But she did as of recently. Where did she go?”

The man cleared his throat and shifted nervously on his feet. “She was evicted. Earlier this evening.”

A loud car rolled down the street. Another came just a few seconds later, its thumping bass rattling the whole block.

Jack waited for them to pass and then said, “Did she leave anything behind?”

“No.”

“What’s that stuff you’re hauling out?”

The man cleared his throat again. Jack heard wheels rolling on the sidewalk and turned to see a kid about eighteen or so coming toward them on a skateboard.

He stepped out of the way, but the rude guy didn’t make an effort to move.

The kid went around him, forcing his wheels to go off the pavement and into the grassy side yard for a second.

He cursed under his breath but kept on going.

The guy still didn’t seem fazed.

Asshole, Jack thought.

“I don’t have to tell you shit. You got a warrant?”

“No.”

The guy grunted then said, “That’s just junk the old lady that owned this place left behind.” He stared hard at Jack. “What’s this all about?”

“I’m just trying to find Ms. Dawson.”

“What did she do?”

Jack’s anger must have showed on his face, because the man actually backed up a pace, seemingly afraid he was going to get punched or something.

Good, Jack thought. Let him sweat.

“Not a thing. This is a welfare check.”

Of course, that was only partially true. It wasn’t an official welfare check, which would be conducted by a uniformed officer, not a detective. But this guy probably didn’t know that. Besides, was he really going to call the LAPD and ask if anyone had been officially dispatched to the residence?

Doubtful.

“Well, she was fine the last time I saw her. Maybe an hour ago.” He narrowed his eyes.

“She didn’t call you, did she? Make me out to be a bad guy?

Hey, I evicted her fair and square. Followed the law and even had a sheriff’s deputy with me.

She can’t pin anything on me.” He jerked a thumb against his chest.

Okay, now it was official: Jack wanted nothing more than to punch the guy.

Again, he kept that desire in check, though. He couldn’t stand rogue officers who abused their power. He wasn’t about to become one.

No matter how much some asshole annoyed him.

“As I stated, this is a welfare check. Did she say where she was going?”

“No. And I don’t care. I just don’t want her saying I did anything. Like I said, there was a deputy here. He witnessed the whole thing and if that little whore says?—"

The man gasped as Jack closed the gap between them, his body now a mere inch away. Standing so close the height difference was on full display, Jack towered above the man like a mighty oak growing beside a shrub.

“You’ll watch your mouth,” Jack growled.

He wasn’t a cop right now. He was in full Daddy mode.

“What the hell? Seriously?” the guy said.

But from the way his voice quivered, and his body trembled, it was clear he was terrified.

He gulped and then said, “Look, she took off on foot. That way.” He backed up so he could raise his arm and hook a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the path behind him.

“If it helps, she said she didn’t have money for a hotel and no family or anyone to stay with.

So you might find her just walking around. ”

Jack’s blood was boiling. “So, you kicked that poor girl out without anywhere to go? No options? Just turned her out on the street like a heartless bastard?”

For a moment, the man looked somewhat contrite. But it faded quickly as his nostrils flared, his cheeks burning red with anger.

“Hey, screw you, pal. I don’t have to answer to you, badge or no badge. I followed the letter of the law. Did everything by the books. Now get off my property.”

Jack didn’t move. “We’re on the sidewalk, asshole. It’s not your property.”

The man deflated a bit.

He thought of giving the guy a business card, in case Iris came back by. There were two things wrong with that, though.

First, she most likely wouldn’t be back. Who would want to see this asshat again?

Second, Jack didn’t want this guy having his info. He was the type to turn around and file a complaint with the city. Might even lawyer up and sue.

Evidently, he was thinking about all that, because he said, “What did you say your name was?”

Jack just grinned. “I didn’t.”

He left the rude little man standing on the sidewalk as he walked away.