Page 97 of Double Daddies (Dirty Daddies Anthologies #8)

Chapter Ten

Elijah

I wake to the sound of soft snores beside me. A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth when I look over at our girl sleeping so soundly between us.

“Is she still asleep?” Ezra murmurs, his voice thick with sleep.

“Yeah,” I reply, my own voice heavy with the remnants of slumber. “She looks so peaceful.” I reach over and gently brush a stray strand of hair from her face, careful not to wake her.

“After everything she's been through, she deserves to have moments of peace,” Ezra says, his tone wistful. We’ve only known Wren for a short time, but she’s already captured our hearts. The thought of anyone hurting her sends a surge of anger through me.

I let out a sigh, my mind still processing the events of yesterday. “I can’t believe that piece of shit showed up in our city. What does he want with her?” I ask, my voice tinged with concern.

“Not here,” Ezra states firmly. He climbs out of the bed and throws on some shorts. “Get up, Eli. We need to talk.”

I groan, reluctant to leave the warmth of our bed and the beauty of Wren beside us.

But I know my brother is right; we need to discuss this matter away from her.

With a sigh, I push myself up, giving Wren one last glance.

Then I see them. Scars marring her perfect skin.

Some too small to notice and others jagged and deep. That bastard did this to her.

I grab my clothes off the floor and quickly dress, my mind racing with the possibilities. What could he want with her? And how far is he willing to go to get it?

As I make my way to the kitchen, I can hear Ezra already there, the sound of coffee brewing a comforting backdrop to our impending conversation. We settle at the kitchen island, two steaming mugs of coffee in front of us, the weight of the situation heavy between us.

"How come Storm didn't detect him yesterday?" Ezra asks aloud, his frustration palpable.

“Because the system was resetting," I explain, my tone measured.

"We had no idea he was even here. But now that we know, we can adjust the algorithm, make sure he doesn't slip through the cracks again.

" I pull my laptop from the bag on the counter and start typing, adjusting the parameters of the software to ensure Richard's image is the top priority.

“I don’t want her knowing that we have her under twenty-four-hour surveillance. It will make her think we are just as controlling as that asshole. We can’t afford that. We just got her, and I don’t plan on losing her.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ez. You know I would never put us at risk. I’ll keep her safe.”

We're silent for a moment, the only sound is the faint tapping of keys as I work. Ezra sips his coffee, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Why don’t you go wake our girl, and I will finish up here. She’s going to be starving when she wakes up. I think she should move in here with us. It’s the safest option.”

“It is. We just have to convince her that it’s what we all want. We have to go slow, Eli. She’s been through so much already.”

“I agree. You know that I would never do anything to hurt her. She means everything to us. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

“Give her time, brother. Give her time.” Ezra checks his watch and stands. “The group chat is blowing up this morning. I’m going to get my phone.”

As I watch him go, I can't help but feel the weight of our responsibility settling over us like a heavy cloak.