Page 28 of Sawyer (Sabre Security Daddies #6)

W hen the Daddies finally put an end to the zuping game, every Little was covered in spaghetti.

The table and floor didn’t look much better.

All in all, they looked like they’d gone to battle with Chef Boyardee and lost. The noodles and sauce were not only on their faces, but also in their hair, on their clothes, even with the bibs.

“I cannot wait until we get to the garage,” Breezy said.

Gage arched a brow. “I don’t know how you think you’re getting there, Sunshine. Not like that. Bathroom. Soap. Now.”

“That goes for all of you,” Sawyer added. “And we’ll be talking about proper restaurant behavior when we get home, Half-Pint.”

“That goes for everyone, too.” Reid used that stern, Daddy voice. The one that said he was serious, but Lele didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye.

Georgia hopped up as if she’d just heard her cue. “You heard the Daddies, Musketiaras. It’sa time to scrub off’a de sauce.” When all the Littles groaned, she added, “To the Principessa Powder Room!”

Once they entered the powder room, Lele had to stop and stare.

She’d been to that many restaurant bathrooms, but she’d never even heard of one like this.

This wasn’t a bathroom. It was Tuscan fantasy spa meets girlie glam, complete with marble, chandeliers, and pink velvet benches in the lounge area.

She looked around, half expecting someone to walk through with glasses of champagne.

Once everyone was squeaky clean, they plopped onto the pink velvet benches. Lele wasn’t sure what they were waiting for since their Daddies were waiting. But she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The longer she could put off going back to Sawyer’s house, the better.

At least, that’s what she thought before Georgia leaned forward. “Okay, Lele. Spill. Sawyer messed up, but we need the details.”

“Yep,” Winnie chimed in with a nod. Lele made a mental note to ask what she used on her curls because they were gorgeous. “That’s the Musketiara code. No, secrets. Even for Honorary Musketiaras.”

Georgia nodded in agreement. “And also… I saw you go Casper-white earlier when Gabi mentioned the General’s name.” When Lele didn’t answer, Georgia elaborated. “The General. You know, former district attorney general. Lead Prosecutor in Jaxon Ruick’s case. Am I ringing any bells?”

It was Lele’s turn to nod before adding, “He’s a bad man. Like, cartoon villain bad. Like, wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him bad.”

Breezy let out a snort. “I can confirm that you are not wrong, not that everyone here doesn’t already know that. He’s evil incarnate. Trust me, I grew up with him. He’s my dad.”

Lele blinked. Blinked again. Color: gone. “He’s… I’m sorry, he’s what? Oh my God, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You don’t look like him. Or act like him. At all.”

Breezy smirked. “Best compliment of my life. And no apology necessary. You can say whatever you want. It won’t bother me. Just don’t hold him against me.”

Suzi cleared her throat. Ever the journalist, she leaned in, a notebook practically glowing in her eyes. “So, off the record… what really happened? We know you testified. We know he came after you. But the details…”

“No.” Lovie’s voice sliced through like a blade. She paced, shaking her head.

Winnie tried the gentle route. “But maybe?—”

“Nope,” Lovie cut her off, then dropped right in front of Lele like they were forming a circle of trust or something.

“Look, you guys, she doesn’t know us. She doesn’t owe us any explanations.

” Returning her gaze to Lele, she said, “But… if it helps, I’ll go first. I’ve got my own nightmare stories about the General.

He forced me to ‘consult’ for The Graceful Way Society. ”

Lele frowned. “The flower people? The ‘we sell daisies to help children’ people?”

Bliss spoke up, her voice flat. Moving to sit down by Lovie, increasing the size of the circle.

“Yeah, no. That’s the cover they use, but they don’t sell flowers.

They sell women. Usually given up to be sold by their parents.

I know because I lived it. And if Connor hadn’t pulled me out, I’d either still be there, sold, or dead. ”

Lele’s brain short-circuited. “Holy fudge nuggets! That’s… awful. But how’s the General fit in?”

Lovie answered without hesitation. “He’s their shield.

Their fixer. My Daddy helped me escape, but the General came after me.

He buried me alive. Or at least he ordered it done.

” Her voice didn’t waver, but everyone else looked like they might puke.

“Ravage and my Daddy dug me out. Barely in time. So yeah, I can relate to what you’ve been through.

And Bliss and I aren’t the only ones who nearly died thanks to him. ”

Lele’s stomach twisted. She couldn’t imagine the horror of being buried alive. “I’m so sorry that happened. I wish… I wish I’d been there for you.”

Suzi moved from her chair to sit with Lovie and Bliss on the carpet and share her war story. Just as terrible. Anonymous emails, files, office torched, almost killed, blah-blah-blah.

One by one, everyone else joined the circle and added their own story. Until finally, all eyes landed on Lele. It was her turn.

Sinking to the floor to complete the circle, Lele swallowed. Hard. “Okay. Truth time. I lied at Jaxon’s trial.” The collective gasp nearly blew the Tuscan wallpaper off the walls. Lele held up her hands in a defensive posture. “I thought I was telling the truth, but I wasn’t.”

“Um, how does that work exactly?” Gabi asked.

“It’s a long story. Turns out my car was in his driveway when I thought it was still at my house.

Later, I got framed for dealing drugs just like Jaxon was.

That’s why I think the General was involved in both trials.

I took a plea deal and went to prison for three years.

It sucked. End of story.” Well, that was the short version anyway.

Lele braced, waiting for the accusations. The snide remarks. Everything that happened whenever she’d tried to explain her side of things. The Musketiara response would be the same.

Except it wasn’t.

The girls closed in on her, everyone pulling her into hugs, telling her she wasn’t alone. And for the first time, Lele wondered if maybe this was what it felt like to have a family. A real family. People who stood beside you, in public and private, even if it cost them something.

But could she trust them with the rest? Only one way to find out.

“And then Saul… I mean, Sawyer… well, he found me. We clicked, right off the bat, which never happens to me. Last night, he a sked to be my Daddy. I’d never been happier in my life. I said yes. But then…” She sighed. She felt like such a gullible idiot.

Gabi fought back tears. “Then you came to Darling and heard me talking about the General and figured out he lied.”

Lele nodded. “Yep, now I know he lied about his name. About why he came to Elk Jaw. About everything. He wants me to give him a second chance, but I don’t know if I can trust him.”

That question gnawed at her. Because if Sawyer had lied once, what else was he hiding? Still, and most confusing… every broken piece of her wanted to run straight into his arms.

“Well, I don’t think we can put off going back to the table any longer,” Bliss said. “Connor wants to know what’s taking so long.”

As mad as she was, she still got a thrill, in her heart and places further south, every time she saw Sawyer. His face tensed when he saw her, so she forced a smile on her face. She shouldn’t react to him this way. Not after everything he’d done.

It didn’t matter how many times she told herself she didn’t love him. Couldn’t love him. Shouldn’t. But at the end of the day, she was afraid she always would.