Daddies Brat

A little blue bubble pops up.

Come by the house alone. We need to discuss your software now. Leave your men at home.

I frown. A little demanding for so early in the morning, but I would like to go over why he thought pushing me off on them was a good idea. Sure, it turned out good, but I had a lot of questions left. There’s no way the few threatening emails I’ve received warrant such a drastic measure.

Sorry for the delay. On my way. Be there in an hour. We should talk.

I hit reply and finish getting dressed. I check back in on the men after I pull my hair into a quick ponytail and find them sound asleep.

I make my way downstairs and before I head out in my borrowed sweats and T-shirt, I scribble a quick note.

Forty-five minutes later my taxi pulls into my father’s driveway and I make my way to his office, my borrowed sandals squeaky on the polished marble.

As I climb the long spiral staircase, my muscles are tender from the previous nights and I’m high on all the leftover feelings of love. I have no doubt of it any longer.

They thoroughly worked me over so much I lost track of time and I feel a pang of regret for leaving them in bed, but my father wants to talk with me about my code and I need to pick up the laptop I left behind. It’s not like anything would happen to me in the home where I grew up. It’s my haven and always would be.

The house is quiet and I remember it’s Sunday, so the working staff has the day off and my mother is out of the house for a luncheon with one girlfriend or another. Probably no doubt about to suffer through gossip about the men and me at the gala.

When I turn the knob and push the heavy door all the way open, I find the lights are off but the cloud coverage parts enough to fill the office with a somber grayish light.

“Father? Are you here?” I walk in and immediately feel a prickling of unease flush across my skin as my father’s eyes land on me from behind his desk.

He looks pale in the cheeks and my stomach sinks to the floor.

“Perfect timing.”

A snide, chilling tone hits my ears as something equally cold presses against the base of my neck.

My blood turns icy and my chest tightens. I try to turn to see the face that goes with the voice but the sound of a hammer being cocked freezes my feet in place.

“You’re going to give me what your brother promised.”

My brows pinch. What the fuck? “Thacker? What the hell are you doing here?”

“For a woman with your IQ, you’re pretty fucking stupid.” The high society nasally tone he usually speaks with is gone and I hear the real man. The weasel I always thought him to be.

“What are you talking about?” I spit out.

I slowly turn and eye the monster with the gun pointed at me. A wild look takes over his expression as he stares down at me.

“The code, you silly twit. It belongs to me. C’mon you can’t be that naive. I want what your brother promised me and I’m tired of waiting and trying to woo you. Your slow ass has nearly run my business into the ground.”

“My brother didn’t promise you a thing.”

“Oh really? I have a contract that says differently.”

He tosses a stack of papers at my feet that look ten or more sheets thick.

“Your brother wanted out from behind your shadow and out from under your father’s thumb. Wanted to make his billions and prove to the world he was just as smart as or smarter than you. So, I agreed to help as long as he signed over all the rights to the code to me.”

He narrows his eyes at me and I see behind the polished mask he wears in public to see not the weasel I thought him to be, but the snake.

He reaches out and shoves me toward my father and I know what he wants next. I stumble forward and catch myself before cracking my head open on the sharp edge of the desk.

My father helps me to my feet.

“I’m sorry, dear-he threatened to kill your mother.”

My heart breaks for the hurt in my father’s tone and I know in that second he had nothing to do with the snake’s actions. The truth behind my brother’s actions is yet to be determined.

“I hope you brought your laptop because you’re not leaving here until I get what I want.”

“No,” I seethe with so much fury my blood has turned to pure venom. Over Thacker’s shoulder, I see the top part of the back door to my father’s office slowly creep open and I can only hope it means one thing.

My men found me. Mine. The word runs through my head and I let it fill my heart. All three of them are mine and the first fires of love take hold and I can feel the embers burn soul-deep.

My father has his back turned and doesn’t see Maksym and Tomas ease in through the door in stealth mode.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

“You can’t have the code or me, not now, not ever.” I hope I am not poking the bear, but rage slings the words across the small distance separating us, and I can’t hold them in any longer.

“Did you think I was after you for your good looks? Even an idiot would be able to see I didn’t want you for your mousy face and weak posture.” He spits on the floor at his feet. “Like I would weaken my blood with such filth. I only want the code.”

I will not cry at the way his words cut and draw blood.

“You can pull that trigger. You still won’t get the code. It’s all here,” I tap my head. “And not a damn soul in this world can crack my and my brother’s work.”

Thacker cocks the hammer and the next few seconds pass in a blur.

Stefan throws the doors open and moves to Thacker’s right as Maksym flanks him on the opposite side.

“You’re threatening the wrong girl.”

Thacker turns, mouth open, and whirls his gun toward Tomas who has drawn his attention away from me. I duck, pulling my father down behind his desk with me.

Lamps crash, glass shatters against the hardwood or heads. I don’t know because I keep my head out of firing range. Papers fly in every direction and heavy grunts fill the room.

The gun goes off and the thud of a bullet hitting the wall rings through the room.

And then a larger gun goes off.

“Dad, I’m so sorry,” I whisper, looking into my father’s eyes. Nothing but love stares back.

“You called me Dad.”