Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Oh, my, God,” she mumbled as she chewed. “This is the best thing ever.”
“Eat, Lyra. You need something in your tummy.”
Wiggling happily in her chair, she alternated bites and sips as he crafted another piece and grabbed a cup of black coffee for himself. He slid into the seat next to her and replaced her empty dish with the new one. Without hesitating, Lyra picked up another and munched on it.
“You are the master of cinnamon toast. Do you have this for breakfast every day or something?” she questioned.
“I’m glad you like it. I make toast for my nieces at Christmastime. It’s a tradition. My mom used to do it for us as kids.”
“That’s fun. She’s gone now?” Lyra asked.
“She is. Unfortunately, she died in a house fire when I was eighteen. That’s why I became a fireman. I wanted to help people,” Phoenix explained. “There was only me and my sister left. She was married with her first child on the way. Not wanting to be a burden on her, I joined the Army. They trained me during my military service. When I got out, I randomly chose a place in the U.S. and applied to be a firefighter.”
“That was before you moved here?” Lyra asked.
“Yes. I came here because I needed to repay a favor. The man who assembled the team saved me from a bad situation and offered me a way out.”
“Did you do something wrong?”
Phoenix shook his head. “I didn’t, but I was set up and accused of arson.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. I’ve just met you, and I know you wouldn’t do that,” Lyra said, feeling her ire blaze at the idea.
“Thank you for believing in me. Others didn’t,” Phoenix admitted.
“So what do you have to do to repay the favor?” Lyra asked.
“Protect you. There are six of us who were matched to work together. Each team member has received the responsibility of guarding someone from harm.”
“Am I in danger?” Lyra asked.
“Our boss seems to think so. Who or what do you think is your biggest threat?” Phoenix probed.
“Boyd? He’s definitely changed in the last few years. He won’t talk to me but expects me to jump when he says go.”
“Perhaps there’s something bigger happening with him than we think. Or maybe he’s just a jerk. Either way, I’m here to make sure you’re safe and happy.”
As everything came together in her mind, Lyra took another sip of her coffee. It tasted more bitter than it had before. She pushed the last of the delicious toast away from her and forced herself to ask. “So, I’m just a job to you?”
Phoenix swiveled his chair to face her and pulled her seat close to him. He took the coffee cup from her hand and set it aside before running his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. His gaze captured hers.
“Listen to me closely, Lyra. I am assigned to keep you safe from Boyd or whatever the threat against you happens to be. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish that because you are absolutely not a job.”
Captured by the power in his voice, she could do nothing but nod as if answering some unspoken question that his statement contained. Would she trust him or not?
“The moment I met you, something clicked inside me. I’ve searched for my Little girl for as long as I’ve known I was wired to be a Daddy. When you crashed into my life, repaying that marker became the least important thing in my life. You are.”
“Daddy,” she whispered.
“Just like Rocco, Hawking, Kestrel, and Magnus. Each of us found something much more than we’d ever expected.”
“Their Littles.”
“And a commitment to each other that nothing can break. We are a team blessed with the task of keeping our Littles safe. We’ve worked together to ensure the threats against Sadie, Celeste, Zara, and Juniper were eliminated.”
“Wait, what about Caesar? He helped free me last night,” Lyra asked.
“He hasn’t received his assignment yet. He’ll be next.”
“To find his Little?” she whispered.
“If the pattern continues, yes. Now, with some food in your stomach, would you rather practice or meet my team?” Phoenix asked.
Overwhelmed by the fact that these strangers would have such intimate insight into her secret desires, Lyra struggled with her choice. She would need to meet them. Was it better to plunge in?
Choosing her safe place, she retreated to music. “Can I play for a while? I need to test out my cello to make sure it’s okay.”
“You can. I’ll come back at noon to get you for lunch with a few people.”
He scooped Lyra from her chair and sat her on one of his hard thighs. “They’re good people who will be happy and excited to meet you.”
“I don’t have many friends. It’s just my cello and Harry,” she confessed.
“Then it’s time you had some trusted people in your life,” he stated firmly.