Daddy’s Orders (Silver Fox Daddies)
Chapter 25

I held her close as she slept on my chest, her body sheened with sweat after our lovemaking on the beach.

And it had most certainly been lovemaking. As I laid there, images from what we’d just done flashed through my mind—her beautiful eyes on mine as I moved in and out of her gently, the hush of her breath, the delicate moans. There’d been a melding of bodies during our lovemaking that hadn’t been there before.

I’d come so damn close to saying the words, caught up in the passion. I’d wanted to lower myself, to bite down gently on her ear and whisper those three little words that I’d never said to a woman before in my life.

I love you.

I’d bitten my tongue, however. The urge to speak the words had been sudden and had come out of nowhere. I’d never been a man to get caught up in a moment and simply go with it like that. I’d need to think about it. Not to mention, after that call she’d had with her father dropping a bomb on her like he did, I didn’t want my feelings to feel like a burden she had to carry along with everything else that was weighing her down.

It couldn’t possibly be love, not so soon. No, what I was feeling was a mixture of strong lust combined with respect, and a little protectiveness on top of that. I’d only known the woman for two weeks, after all. How the hell could I fall in love with someone so quickly, and with such intensity?

So, I’d simply made her come over and over. The sight of her body arching underneath me as I drove into her was one that could never possibly get old. And the sensation of her pussy clenching my cock as she came…

I considered the matter of Charles as I held Emily close. Things were going to come to a head, and soon. He might’ve been a coward, but he was as ruthless as they came. Not a chance in hell he’d let his daughter slip through his fingers without fight.

That was fine with me. Emily was a woman worth fighting for.

A small, personal plane buzzed overhead, the sound of its engines enough to rouse Emily. She opened her eyes sleepily, a small smile forming on her lips when she remembered where she was, who she was with. The way she looked with that dreamy smile on her face was enough to bring those three words to mind once more. I wanted to say them so damn badly. But again, I pushed them down.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” “For all of this. For giving me a glimpse of a life that wasn’t simply being my father’s prisoner.”

I leaned in and kissed her gently, her lips pressing against mine.

“It’s a crime that you’ve been forced to live that way for so long. If I can play a role in stopping it, then I’m glad to do it.”

Emily said nothing, once more gazing at me in that way that brought those three words to mind. I pushed them down with a tinge of anger, frustrated at the lack of control over my feelings. I rose, brushing the sand from my body.

“Come on, let’s get moving.” The words came out with a gruffness that I hadn’t intended, yet another slip of my emotions. Emily regarded me with confusion. I leaned down and kissed her again to answer the concern, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet.

“Just don’t want you to burn, is all,” I said.

The two of us started back toward the house, the sand warm underneath our feet. It was quiet, peaceful. But I knew it wouldn’t last. Sure enough, the tense expression that formed on Emily’s face let me know that reality would replace us before too long.

“You alright over there?” It was a silly question to ask—how the hell could she be anything close to alright after what she’d been through?

“I can’t stop thinking about Marta.”

I put my hand on her shoulder. “I don’t mean to sound callous here, but the best thing you can do is try to move past that. Your father did what he did not just to punish her, but to make you suffer too. He wants you to tear yourself apart with guilt.”

“Yeah. That’s how the asshole operates. He’s good at both the physical and emotional kinds of manipulation. All the same, I wish there was something I could do.”

I tried to imagine Marta’s final resting place. No doubt a man like Charles had no issues throwing her into the nearest body of water, or burying her in the middle of a forest or some such place where she’d never be found again.

“What about a memorial?” she asked.

“A memorial?”

“Yeah, like a little ceremony we could do to remember her by. Nothing big, but maybe something where we set up some flowers, play a little music, and I could say a few words. I mean, I know that she tried to take me from here, but she was acting under orders from my father and most likely under threat of death if she didn’t succeed. I really want to do this for her after everything she’s done for me throughout my life.”

Her attitude perked up a bit as she spoke, letting me know this was indeed the right call to make.

“I think that sounds like a fine idea.”

“Not until tomorrow,” she said. “I want to take some time to write exactly what’s in my heart about her.”

“Maybe on the western shore of the island. Sunset sounds like the right time for a memorial.”

She nodded.

We reached the house, making our way to the kitchen for a quick snack before hitting the shower. To our surprise, Roberto, Pearl, and Marianne were all there. A platter of sandwiches was on the kitchen island, my stomach grumbling at the sight.

“There they are,” Pearl said, an expression of concern on her face. “I thought you could both use something to eat.”

I could sense right away that Emily was conflicted. The sandwiches, toasted with melted cheese, looked amazing. I sensed her hesitation, placing my hand on her shoulder. She glanced over at me and I spoke up.

“You ever want to get anything done, food in your stomach’s the first step.”

Pearl smiled, pushing the plate over toward us. “Before you compliment Logan on his wisdom for that comment, know that he got that one from me.”

A small smile formed on Emily’s gorgeous mouth. Without another word, she picked up one of the sandwich halves and bit into it, the toasted bread crunching as she did. Roberto, already polishing off a sandwich of his own, regarded me with a look that made it clear he wanted to know what had happened.

“Why do you look so sad?” Marianne asked Emily.

“Mary-Moo, you know it’s not nice to pry like that. If someone wants to tell you how they feel, they will.”

“It’s OK,” Emily said, her eyes downcast. “I am a little sad.”

With that, she filled in the group on what had gone down. She glided over the more difficult details for Marianne’s sake, of course, phrasing things carefully.

“Marta’s gone?” Marianne asked when Emily was done. “Forever?”

Pearl’s eyes were wide, her hand on her mouth. “That’s… Oh, my God.” She hurried over to Emily and pulled her into a hug. Marianne, seeming to understand the gravity of the situation, joined them.

“Thanks,” Emily said, the women letting go. “I just… this is really hard for me to talk about. But I want to do a memorial tomorrow at sunset.”

“A memorial?” Marianne asked. “What does that mean?”

“A memorial is a way to celebrate someone’s life,” Pearl answered. “We’ll get together and talk about the person lost and promise to keep them in our hearts.”

Marianne’s eyes lit up. “I know a good way to remember someone—I can draw a picture! My memory’s really good, and I definitely spent enough time with Marta to be able to draw her. I mean if that’s alright, of course.”

“That would be great,” Emily said, tears forming in her eyes. “It really would.”

By this point, Roberto was staring at me hard enough to burn holes in my skin. He wanted to know exactly what had happened, and he didn’t want to wait another minute longer. Emily, Marianne, and Pearl had fallen into conversation about the memorial, and that seemed like as good a time as any to fill in Roberto. I nodded toward the door connecting us to the dining room.

“Something tells me that what happened to poor Marta was a little more gruesome than what Emily let on,” he said as the door closed behind us.

“You’re right about that,” I replied, stepping over to the twenty-person dining room table and leaning back against it. “Emily had a hard time giving me details, and I didn’t want to pry them out of her. But from what she told me, Charles didn’t hold back. Used cartel guys.”

“Fucking hell,” Roberto said, shaking his head in anger and disbelief. “Bet you anything that bastardo forced her into it. Marta was strange the entire time she was here. I could tell she was hiding something.”

“You would be correct. Charles admitted as much to Emily But what’s done is done. Important thing is that we prepare for whatever Charles has in mind next. He told Emily that he’s not done with her, and I believe him.”

“So, this means that Emily’s staying here for good.”

I hadn’t thought about it in such direct terms, but it sure as hell appeared that way.

“Maybe, maybe not. That all depends on her. For the time being, she’s here until the matter of her fucking scumbag father is resolved.”

“Smart call. If he’s willing to kill just to make a point, then God only knows what else he might do.”

“Seems like she was always more of an object than a person to him. In his eyes, she’s spoiled goods.”

Roberto flashed me a small smile. “But in your eyes, she’s something else.”

“Excuse me?”

“Come on, jefe,” he said, coming over to give my shoulder a friendly jab. “There’s something going on between you and her. I’ve seen you bring women to the island before but this time is different, and not just because she’s got a psycho padre after her.”

I said nothing, but I couldn’t argue with him because he was right.

“Let me tell you as a friend, this is a good thing. Emily’s got a big heart, and I’m glad to see you open yours for her.”

“Thanks.” I grumbled the word. Roberto gave me a playful shove, and I allowed myself a small grin as I pushed him away.

“But first thing’s first,” I said. “We get this island locked down tight. I want more guards, and twenty-four-seven surveillance. Not a thing happens without my knowing.”

“That’s the easy part. Hard part is how we strike at Charles.”

“Maybe we wait for him to strike first. He’s vicious, but he’s not smart. We play this right, and we can take advantage of how fucking furious he is.”

“You may be right. I’ll get on it, jefe.”

With that, Roberto left me alone. I kept my eyes on the shore in the distance, knowing this was going to get a hell of a lot harder before it got any easier.