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Arrow leaned against his desk, the hard edge pressing into his back a welcome distraction from the tightening coils of anger in his chest. “Missing evidence? That’s not just negligence, Dax. Someone’s covering for him, he has help.”
“Could be,” Dax conceded. “This town, as great as it is, isn’t immune to corruption. You know that better than anyone. But I’m on it. I’ll dig into Mills’ background, see what else they’ve been able to bury.”
“Make sure you do,” Arrow urged, urgency layering his tone. “I won’t let him get away with this. Not again. His days of intimidating Emilee are over.”
“Relax, Arrow. I’ll handle it. Just stay close to her. I’ll shine some light on the shadows lurking in the corners of this department, believe me. I need a few days.”
The words hung between them.
“Make it quick,” Arrow said and ended the call, his mind racing through scenarios, each darker than the last. He was an operator, a protector by nature, trained to fight battles both foreign and domestic. But this felt different. This was personal. His girl was being targeted and he wouldn’t have it.
He glanced at the small corkboard on the wall next to his desk, covered in photos and newspaper clippings—remnants ofa past life, memories of missions that had shaped him into the man he was today. Each face told a story, and each story was one he carried with him. Emilee was part of that now, she was his. He didn’t know whether to thank God or fate for stumbling upon her in the parking lot, but he was grateful.
Determined, Arrow reached for a pen and began jotting down everything he could remember about what Emilee told him happened that night with Mills. He’d ask Sam to get the hospital records from the night, find out who the nurses were that blindly listened to the officer and ignored his girl’s protests. He documented the man’s movements since, his behavior at The Rusty Crab, any details that could help Dax build a case.
Anger ignited a fire within him; he wouldn’t allow Emilee to become another statistic in a broken system. He paused, the pen hovering over the paper. The thought of Emilee being hurt again, of Mills’ threat becoming a reality, twisted his stomach. His protective instincts surged, a primal urge to shield her from anyone out to hurt her. He’d sworn an oath to protect those he cared for when he joined the Watchmen, and he intended to uphold that oath, no matter the cost.
The Spartan Watchmen had his back, and he would call on them if he had to. They were more than just a motorcycle club; they were family, bound by shared scars and a commitment to protect one another. They’d been through a lot in the last few years, but they’d gone through them together and come out stronger on the other side.
As Arrow returned to his desk, he heard the faintest sound from Emilee’s room—a soft sigh, completely contrasted to the nightmare she’d had just the other night. The fragility of the moment pierced him, and he took a deep breath, grounding himself. Emilee was worth fighting for, worth every ounce of strength he had left. He promised her safety, and he’d make sure he kept it.
He picked up the phone again, ready to reach out to his brothers, to inform them of the situation, to enlist their help. The more eyes on Mills, the better. As he waited for Lucky to answer, his thoughts drifted back to Emilee in her little space. Her smile, the way her laughter had filled the space around them, a reminder of all that was good and beautiful in the world. He hoped she could spend more time like that and less time with her defensive walls up fighting him at every turn. He’d be the man she needed, the Daddy, and help her find her place in Grand Ridge.
As he spoke with Lucky, who assured him he’d get the word out, Arrow’s resolve solidified. They would find the truth. They would get justice for Emilee. Mills would never terrorize another citizen of Grand Ridge.
CHAPTER 10
ARROW
Arrow leaned back against the cool metal of his bike, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Emilee pace before him. The gravel crunched under her shoes. He saw the storm brewing behind her eyes and wondered why she was so worked up. The last several days had flown by. Between their work schedules and the club, they'd been busy. When they got home, they worked on getting to know each other. He stepped easily into the Daddy role and she'd been a very well behaved little girl. It'd been perfect.
The Watchmen’s weekly meeting was tonight, it would be a quick procedural get together. When the club first started up, they met monthly. As membership grew and issues arose, their need for meetings grew. Now, frequent meetings were necessary to stay on top of things.
Arrow looked at Emilee again. She’d come straight to the clubhouse after work, just as he’d instructed. That’s where following his instructions seems to have ended. As an experienced Dom, he knew something was up with his little. She didn’t rush to him when he got off of his bike for hugs and kisses, as she’d done the last couple of nights. She really enjoyed being able to switch off her adult worries and responsibilities and lethim lead and he loved it. Being a Daddy was in his DNA. Looking at her, he could tell she needed him to be her Daddy more than anything right now. Frustrated that he didn’t already know what was wrong with her, he called her over.
“Stop pacing, Kitten,” he commanded, his voice low and steady. “Come here.”
She halted mid-step, whirling around to face him with a smirk dancing on her lips. “And if I don't?”
He raised his eyebrows at her. Someone was begging for Daddy's attention. Did she need a spanking? Did she want him to take total control and force it out of her? Was she wrestling with her inner demons? There was a better way to get what she wanted than being a brat. He knew, all too well, sometimes littles tested their Daddies and pushed all their buttons when they needed a spanking to release the feelings bottled up inside of them. “If you don't stop pacing or if you don't come here?”
“Both.” She started pacing again, flinging her hair over her shoulder. She exaggerated the steps this time, wanting him to know she was intentionally defying him. He’d just told her to stop pacing.
Did she think he wouldn't punish her at the clubhouse? Oh, she had another think coming. “You have until the count of three to come here,” he replied, pushing off from the bike and taking a couple of steps towards her.
“One.” He paused for a second and waited for her to turn around to face him. Once she did, he narrowed his eyes at her and pointed to the ground in front of his feet. She shook her head. He crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his chin, giving her his best Daddy warning look.
“Two.” Instead of rushing to his side, she turned and started her pacing again. “Kitten, you do not want to see what happens when Daddy gets to three. I highly recommend you stop disobeying me and get your little behind over here.” His gazelocked on hers and he crooked his finger slowly and motioned for her. She shook her head no at him and he growled deep in the back of his throat. No doubt about it, she was pushing his buttons on purpose. Any of the other woman he’d scened with would have come running towards him after hearing his tone. Emilee barely batted an eye. His little girl was fierce, and she needed to know he was up to the challenge.
“Three.” When she didn't come immediately, he nodded once, sharply. “You've made your choice.” He stalked towards her, and she backed away slowly until her back hit the brick outer wall of the compound. “It was the wrong one, but you’ve made it.”
Her mouth dropped open forming a wide oh, but no noise came out. He put a hand on either side of her head, boxing her in and leaned close. “Kitten, you are going to regret disobeying me.” He wasn’t angry, not even in the slightest. Watching his girl, he knew she was needing an outlet of some sort and some Daddy attention. He hoped after he spanked her, she would open up and tell him what was going on.
Then later, when they were tucked in for the night, and she was safely in his arms, he’d talk to her about the appropriate way to ask her Daddy for his attention. He didn’t mind spanking her naughty little butt and giving her the reminder she was seeking. The reassurance she needed. He would prefer giving her a stress relief spanking over a naughty girl spanking, but she made her bed.
“Daddy! I no wanted to come to you,” she said using her little voice.
“I didn’t ask you if youwantedto come to Daddy. Itoldyou to come. There’s a difference between want and need, little girl. You need to listen to your Daddy when he tells you to do something and you know the difference between the two. We’ve already had the conversation about obeying Daddy unless youhave a very good reason not to. Did you have a good reason to not come to Daddy?”
