Page 33 of Daddy’s Pursuit (The Daddy Guard #1)

Chapter Thirty-Three

The fun ended and a peaceful, nighttime silence settled over Auntie Athena’s nursery.

The matronly woman was wearing a smile as Iris watched her approach on the patio. “You’re tired.”

Iris nodded to agree with the statement.

Jack, holding Iris on his lap as he sat on the outdoor couch, kissed her head and then said, “I best get this cutie home and into bed.”

“She is home,” Athena teased with a smirk.

“Are we going to have to fight over her?” Jack replied with a smile of his own.

Iris just giggled.

“Oh, all right. Take her. But she has to come over all the time. Every day.” Athena looked determined.

“We already discussed that,” Jack said, standing while still holding Iris. “You get to babysit her while I work.”

“I’m curious if that will change,” Athena said. There was something knowing in her eyes, and Iris wondered what she meant.

So did Jack, because he said, “What are you talking about?”

Athena just smiled wider. “Do you have a couple of minutes? This won’t take long.”

“Sure,” Jack said. “I guess this cutie can hold off going to bed for a few more minutes. That is, if it’s okay with her.”

“I want to see what Auntie is up to!” Iris declared.

The Bigs laughed.

“Then follow me,” Auntie said. “There are some friends I’d like you to meet.”

Curiosity was eating away at Iris as Daddy carried her into the mansion and to the kitchen. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long, as her eyes quickly landed on the three men who sat at the table in the breakfast nook.

She recognized two of them.

“Harrison Trent!” she yelled. “Grant Baker!”

The actors smiled and waved.

“That’s Stryker,” Harrison said, pointing at the man next to him. “Don’t worry about not recognizing him. He’s just a director. Nobody knows them.”

Stryker laughed, and Iris could tell the ribbing was congenial.

“Y’all want to have a seat?” Stryker asked, his eyes falling to the chairs across the table from him. “It’s late. But we had an idea we wanted to run past you.”

“We won’t take much of your time,” Grant Baker said.

Iris had seen a few of Grant’s movies, too. He usually played in action films, though every now and then he snuck another genre into his filmography. But thanks to his bulging muscles and chiseled good looks, he fit those action roles perfectly.

The same went for Harrison.

Stryker was handsome, too, and he had plenty of muscle. But he was a bit leaner. Even sitting down, though, it was evident he was taller than the other two men.

Which was saying something, because Grant and Harrison were tall!

He also had dark-blond hair, while his friends had black.

“We can spare a few minutes. It’s not every day we’re in the presence of Hollywood royalty,” Jack told them.

Athena sat down with them, on the other side of Iris. The Auntie gently rubbed the Little’s back as they sat there. Iris couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly her life had changed. She used to feel so alone and hopeless. Now, though, she had a family. She had a Daddy. Life was almost… perfect.

Grant leveled a pleasant yet businesslike expression across the table. “We’d love to get to know you two more. And there will be time for that. But right now, we’ll cut to the chase. We’re putting together a team.”

“You need some security for a movie shoot?” Jack asked.

Iris wasn’t surprised. She’d heard studios often hired off-duty police officers to keep the actors and crew safe on the sets.

People were always sneaking around, wanting juicy stories or trying to meet their favorite celebrities.

Or worse. Stalkers and would-be kidnappers weren’t unheard of in Hollywood.

“We’re all set in that department,” Grant said. “We have something else in mind.”

It was Harrison who looked at Auntie Athena and explained, “The nursery serves as sort of an embassy for Littles. Those needing help often end up here.”

Iris wondered how much of her story they’d heard. It didn’t bother her. And they were right—the nursery had been a safe haven for her. A place of shelter and refuge.

“That’s right,” Stryker chimed in. “A while back, we visited with Athena and pitched an idea. A sort of… what did we call it?”

“A Daddy Guard,” Athena said proudly. “A group who works in the shadows, protecting Littles and righting wrongs. Helping a group who often feels powerless.”

Iris couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She turned to look at Daddy. Based on the look in his eyes, he couldn’t believe it, either. But he didn’t seem upset by the prospect. Quite the opposite, actually. She could tell he was excited.

That much was confirmed when he said, “Go on.”

It was Grant who once again spoke. “We’re envisioning a group of Daddies who work, full time, as a sort of security force for the Littles around here.

Not just at Auntie Athena’s. Man, Trevon’s got that covered.

” He chuckled before going on. “We’re talking about the Little community here in LA as a whole. ”

“Don’t forget the Aunties,” Athena interjected. “We’ll play a role in this, too.”

“That’s right,” Harrison said. “And we have other investors lined up. There are quite a few of us bankrolling this thing. So, it would be a full-time job.” He paused and looked across the table, squarely at Jack. “That is, if you want it.”

Iris tried not to get her hopes up too much.

But deep down, the thought of Jack leaving the force excited her.

She was prepared to worry about him each and every time he left for the precinct.

It would be amazing to know he was in a safer line of work.

Yet she’d never ask him to give up his job.

Protecting people was what he did. Who he was.

Maybe he could do that in a different capacity, though…

“We’d love for you to head this thing up,” Harrison said. “With your knowledge and Stryker’s tech, we might really have something special here.”

“Tech?” Jack said.

Harrison wore a wry grin. “Oh yeah. Stryker is good at inventing things. You’ll have lots of gizmos and gadgets to help in your quest.”

Stryker smiled, but it appeared as if he was trying to stay humble. “Let’s just say I like to tinker.”

“This is really needed, Jack. There are so many Littles who could benefit from this,” Auntie Athena added. “I just hate the thought of cuties out there in trouble, needing help but not knowing where to turn.”

Iris took another peek at Daddy and could tell the wheels were turning in his mind. It seemed as if he was actually considering this!

Once again, though, she told herself to temper her expectations. She wouldn’t try to persuade him one way or another. This was Jack’s call.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about leaving the force,” he admitted, after a moment of contemplation. “Lots going on in this world right now. A lot of ugliness. I’m not sure if where I’m at is… where I’m supposed to be.”

The three men across the table nodded and sat back, giving Jack the space he needed to unravel his thoughts.

After a long minute, Jack grinned. “I’m in.”

The others cheered. Iris threw her arms around Daddy’s neck, hugging him from the side.

“This is going to be awesome!” she yelled. “You’ll be like a superhero!”

Everyone laughed.

“We want to hire more. A whole team,” Grant said. “You got some folks in mind?”

Jack grinned. “I know some guys.”

Iris squealed and giggled.

This was going to be amazing!

Their adventure was just getting started…