Page 30 of Daddy’s Hunted Bride

In the end, though, she doesn’t argue. “Yes, Daddy. I understand.”

Disappointment wars with pride and suspicion as I press a kiss to her hair. “Good girl. I won’t be gone long.”

Trusting that my brother will be able to keep the Little ones corralled until I return, I head down the hall to my sister’s office. Without bothering to knock, I push the door open and I can’t help but grin when she glowers at me.

“What do you want?”

God, she’s so easy to rile. Dropping down into one of the visitor’s seats, I stretch my legs out in front of me and sent her a woeful look. “What? A brother can’t just come spend time with his favorite sister?”

“Brothers, yes. You?” Gray snorts. “Not without wanting something.”

“So rude.” I press my hand to my heart in feigned distress. “Maybe you need a Daddy to teach you some manners.”

The corner of her mouth kicks up in a smirk. “We both know I’d be the Daddy in that scenario. What do you want, Dane?”

Satisfied I’ve done my brotherly duties for now, I sit up a bit straighter. “I need locks for the windows in my suite. External ones.”

Gray’s smile somehow manages to turn even more smug. “Worried you won’t be able to control your babygirl?”

“Oh, I’m utterly convinced I won’t. And while I have no problem at all chasing her through the woods when she inevitably sneaks out, I’d rather not have a repeat of what we went through with Tabitha.”

Colt’s Little girl gave us all a heart attack a couple weeks back when she climbed out onto the roof and hid from everyone. According to Colt, she nearly slipped and fell to her death when he tried to get her back into the house and the thought of seeing my little fox in that kind of danger is enough to freeze the blood in my veins.

Frowning slightly, Gray leans back in her chair and nods. “You know that’s a fire hazard, right?”

“I do. But there are plenty of other exits. Keeping Vanessa from sneaking out and breaking her neck in the middle of the night is my more pressing concern.”

“Fair enough. I’ll get someone out here as soon as possible to see about those locks. In the meantime, we had the alarms added already, so make sure you’ve got the app on your phone in case she does manage to sneak out on you.”

“Thanks, Gray.” Pushing up from the chair, I turn to head toward the door, leaving my sister to… whatever it is she does all day. “I’ll sleep better knowing she’s more or less contained at night.”

“A little piece of advice, brother.” At her words, I turn back to face her, and find her smug grin once more in place. “If your babygirl has enough energy to sneak out of bed at night, you aren’t doing your job as her Daddy.”

She’s trying to get a rise out of me. If I were Axel or Bram or even Eli, it would probably work. But knowing she wants to get under my skin, I simply nod solemnly. “You’re probably right. Thanks, Sis.”

Turning my back on her pout, I resist the urge to whistle as I open her office door and step out into the hall. Colt and Bram are standing in the doorway to Colt’s office, and they both stop their conversation to look over at me.

Even having been around them my entire life, it’s still creepy as fuck when they move as one like that.

Shaking off the unease, I flash my brothers a smile. “Bram. Just the man I wanted to see.”

“Uh-oh,” Colt sing-songs with a grin. “That never bodes well coming from Dane.”

“What do you want?” Eyes narrowed slightly, Bram’s look of suspicion echoes his twin’s sentiments, which I find highly amusing.

“A favor. Yesterday when Vanessa mentioned having a bunch of family and friends waiting for her back home, Josie made a face. She knows something, and I want to know what she knows.”

“Ah.” The suspicion clears from Bram’s expressions as a grin stretches across his face. “I’ll ask her tonight, see what they might be hiding.”

Huh. That was easier than I’d expected it to be. “You’re being very accommodating.”

Bram’s smile widens. “Either I ask Josie and she tells me the truth and I get to reward her for being such a good girl, or—and this is the more likely option—she refuses and I have to spank the information out of her. One way or another, I’m going to have a very fun night with my babygirl.”

“Good point.” Slapping a hand on his shoulder, I return his grin. “I appreciate you, although it feels a bit like you should be thanking me under the circumstances.”

“We’ll call this one a draw.”

Chuckling at my brother’s joke, I turn to go track down Eli. I need a word with our friend Gunther, and Eli’s sourdough is the key to Gunther’s heart.