The woman sighed and walked down the three porch steps and pulled Grim into a hug. This time, he easily went and returned it. The older woman patted Grim’s back and murmured, “You’re a good boy, Hiro. I know life ain’t easy for the two of you. I have enough to get by for a few more weeks, but that’s all I can promise.”
He nodded into her shoulder. “Thank you, Ulma. I’m going to find a way to pay you, I promise.”
She patted his back again before they stepped back, and Grim wiped his cheeks and eyes, offering her a shaky smile.
Rasha came rushing back out and straight into her father’s arms, asking, “What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“Nothing now that I’m with you, baby girl. Absolutely nothing.” He took the extra bag she had from her and kissed the side of her head, then waved at Ulma before carrying the little girl back across the street to the house with the boarded-up window and leaky roof.
When he opened his front door, he set Rasha on the ground and said, “Go wash up for dinner, peanut. I’ll be right in.”
“Okay, Daddy.” She disappeared inside.
Grim set the bag of her belongings just inside the door, and quick as a flash, he had a gun out and aimed straight at me, saying, “Show yourself.”
My eyes widened. How the hell had he known I was here?
He cocked his gun. “Show yourself before I start takin’ shots.” He stepped closer and ground out, “Ellwood, I know it’s you.”
Well, shit, guess the gig was up. But… how in the world did he know someone was here? And how did he know it was me? That didn’t make any sense. Maybe if I stayed hidden, he’d think he wasn’t feeling anything.
“I swear to god, if you harm one hair on my daughter’s head, if you even come near her, you’ll regret it for every painful second of your very short life.”
I believed that. He was terrifying in that moment, yet I couldn’t help but see him in a different light. He was a father, he cared about people, he was trying to help them, or at least help that dwarf. He was strong and fierce, and… even though I was loathe to admit it, he was sexy as hell when he was being protective—sexy all the time, really, but this was… different.
And all I had done was mess with his plans, mess with his life. I needed to do something. I needed to fix this somehow.
But if I revealed myself now, he wouldn’t accept my help. He was a proud person, I could already sense that about him, so I knew he’d turn me away thinking it was charity. So I’d have to figure out a way to help without him getting angry or dismissing me.
“I will fuckin’ kill you slowly.” Grim kept the gun aimed at me as he stepped over the threshold of his home. “This entire house is warded against evil spirits and anyone intendin’ harm to my daughter or myself. Her babysitter’s house is warded as well. If ya don’t leave now, I’m going to set off my wards in the yard, and you’re gonna get fried.”
“Daddy?”
“Everything’s fine, peanut. Go sit at the table. I made crock pot mackers for dinner.”
“Yay!”
Grim muttered, “Stay the fuck away from my family.” Then he slammed the door.
Resting my hand on the door, I felt the ward he spoke of. It was a decent ward, but not super strong, so I pushed my magic into it to strengthen it, then I ran across the street and did the same to Ulma’s house. With that settled, I climbed onto Blaze’s back again and headed for home. I was going to ask Delaro about a tonic for that dwarf, and I was going to run to the bank, pull out all the cash I could, and drop it at Grim’s doorstep. It was the least I could do after everything I’d done to the man.
Holy Mother, I needed to fix this.
Chapter Six
Hiro
As I shut the door and locked it, I blew out a breath. Someone had followed me home, and I had no doubt it was that witch, Basil Ellwood, the bane of my existence.
But I couldn’t figure out the reason he’d followed me in the first place. Was he here to hurt me and my family? Was he coming to collect the hobgoblin venom? Was he trying to scare me off?
It wasn’t as if I’d been running into him on purpose. He just kept showin’ up at my jobs, and there was shit all I could do about it. My handler claimed she didn’t know how all my jobs ended up being BCA cases that Basil Ellwood handled, but I wasn’t sure I believed her. Though, I didn’t have any proof saying she did. There had to be a reason for Ellwood’s sudden appearance in my life every time I turned around.
He wasn’t like any witch I’d ever met, if I was being honest with myself. He’d saved my life or helped me get out of a bad situation more than once. But I didn’t understand his angle. Why did he keep helping me from being injured or killed? What did he want from me? Besides stealing my marks, I knew there had to be another reason. There had to be somethin’ he wanted for him to behave this way, and now that he’d discovered my daughter, well… I’d put an arrow in him before he could get close to Rasha again.
“Daddy?”
“You ready for some mackers, peanut?” I walked farther into the house and finally took my gloves off, throwing them on the table near the door. It was necessary to keep them on outside of here, but I couldn’t deny how much of a relief it was when I got to take them off.
“Yes!” she squealed, and seeing the happiness on her face at something as simple as her favorite meal settled me a little. If that asshole intended any harm to her, he wouldn’t be able to get inside the house. She was safe here, we were safe, and I could enjoy the few hours I had with her before she needed to go to bed.
So I smiled at my sweet little girl and went to make us plates. Once we settled at the table, she began telling me more about her day and every little thing she did. She was a chatterbox, and I loved it. She didn’t show this side of herself to other people because she was typically shy, but here at home, she never stopped talking. She was either talkin’ or asleep, no in between. And I loved that her voice filled the air and stabbed away at my own loneliness in this house. She was my everything, so my time with her was precious to me.
The passion on her face when she talked about the drawings she made reminded me so much of her mother that I had to take a deep breath.
Reaching over, I pushed the bangs off her forehead and asked, “How are you feelin’?”
She frowned and poked at her food. “Fine.”
“I’m gonna need more than that, peanut.”
She sighed. “I feel better now.”
I nodded. “Good. You up for a bath tonight?”
She smiled and nodded before shoveling the biggest bite I’d ever seen in her mouth. My eyes widened, but to my surprise, she chewed it up and swallowed it. With a chuckle, I went back to eating my own food and listening to her talk in between her giant bites.
Once she was bathed and in her jammies, I tucked her in, read her a story, then kissed her forehead and said, “I love you, peanut.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
“Gimme some sugar.” I pursed my lips, and with a little giggle, she gave me a peck and settled back in the bed. “You good?”