My father managed to bribe me into going to dinner at his house with Butcher since I told him that we are officially a couple now and I got a cut.

I probably should be nervous but, on the other hand, I want my father to see Butcher the way I do. Don’t get me wrong—Butcher is a scary and dangerous man. I see the way he gets murderous every time a man checks me out. I literally grab onto his hand so he doesn’t deck him.

That is just who he is—he is a very possessive and protective person. I get why he is like that because it affected him when he lost his family, and the thought of something happening to me panics him.

We pull up outside Dad’s house, and I see Lane is already here, in his truck since he has my niece with him. I can’t wait to see her! It’s been a month, and I have never gone that long.

After climbing off, I stand beside the bike waiting on Butcher to get off.

“Smiles.”

I hear Butcher chuckling, and I look over to see Dad staring at both of us in amusement. Rolling my eyes I walk through the yard to my daddy, who has stepped off the porch. I sink into his arms and he hugs me tightly to him. It never gets old being hugged by your father.

“He been treating you well or do I got to kill a fucker today?” he says very loudly, and I know Butcher heard him.

I smack his back and step out of his arms, giving him the stink eye. “You think I would need you to kill someone if they did me wrong?”

My dad smiles widely. “That’s my Smiles.”

Crazy, I tell you.

He turns around and walks back up the steps. “Food is on the table, I got shit catered in.”

We follow him and Butcher settles in beside me, his hand on the small of my back before it falls away and he smacks my ass. I yelp and grab his hand so he can’t do that again.

“Do that shit again and I will kill you.” My dad doesn’t turn around but continues walking into the house.

I stand up on my tiptoes and Butcher bends down. “Do it again and no pussy for you.”

Butcher pulls back and gives me a look that says I am full of shit. I may be, but he can pretend to grovel for a bit.

We step inside the house and I hear a shrill scream. Tiffany runs into the room and Lane follows her. I bend down and she slams into me. I teeter backwards but Butcher puts his hand on my back, catching me.

She lets me go and smiles up at Butcher.

“Hi, kid.”

She squints at his hand and makes a tsking sound. “You need some clear coat. I just got done with Grandpa’s.”

I burst out laughing. These men can face anything, but they can’t deal with the wrath of this little girl. She takes his hand and leads him over to the large leather couch. He looks back at me with widened eyes that say “help.”

I just wave bye to him, and he gives me a look that says I am getting it later. I walk over to Lane, who is standing just inside the doorway to the kitchen watching his daughter and Butcher.

“Shay, come here.”

I walk past Lane into the kitchen, where my dad is setting the food out on the table. “Yeah, Dad?”

He gives me a hard and serious look. I know there is some stuff going on right now. “What’s the matter, Dad?” I step closer to him.

“The cartel is trying to funnel drugs through our town, but this a different group, they are dangerous. Carry a gun at all times.”

I let out a deep breath and nod. My gun is on the small of my back. I grab it from the holster and show it to him. He grins when he sees the tiffany blue gun. “When did you get that?”

“Butcher got it for me a couple days ago.”

My dad looks puzzled for a second before he starts laughing. “What is it?” I wrinkle my nose and put my gun back.

“What pawn shop was it?”

“It was slightly out of town. Why?”

He laughs again. I look over my shoulder at Lane, wondering if he knows what’s going on, and he is laughing too.

“You going to tell me what is going on?” I cross my arms across my chest.

“We own that pawn shop, darling. We got a call from the manager, and he was going on and on about a huge fucker and a pretty blonde. The guy tried to shoot him for trying to help the girl out with her form.”

I crack a smile. “He was checking out my ass.”

Lane and Dad stop laughing. “We need a new manager.”

My mouth pops open in disbelief. “Dad, you can’t be serious.”

He gives me a look that says he is serious, and I touch his arm. “But, Dad, he was just looking.”

“I don’t give two fucks if he was looking or not. You’re my daughter, and you are not an object to be stared at, especially by a stranger. Butcher should have shot him.”

I throw my hands up in the air. This is crazy. Every one of them is fucking crazy. I think I am going to disown them. I huff and walk back into the living room.

Butcher is sitting on the floor, and Tiffany has his hand resting on the coffee table between them with a bottle of clear coat. “Quit moving and be a good boy. I will get you a cookie.”

The look on Butcher’s face does me in. I bend over, holding my stomach, laughing harder than I ever have in my entire life. This is the best thing I have ever seen.

“I think Auntie Shay has been drinking too much wine,” Tiffany whispers to Butcher and I laugh harder. Gosh, I love that little girl.

I manage to control myself and I climb to my feet. Tiffany is done now and is putting the polish back in the drawer. Her back is to me. I sneak over to her, and I touch her sides, making her jump and spin around. I wrap her in a bear hug, her arms against her sides, trapping her as I smother her in kisses.

“Shay!” She screams with laughter, and I just continue pestering her face with kisses.

“Save me, Butcher!” she screams.

She is not fighting fair. I am lifted off the ground and I let her go, turn on Butcher, and start pestering his face with kisses.

“I will help you!” Tiffany yells a war cry and grabs my foot and starts tickling the bottom. I squeal with laughter and try to pull my foot away, but she holds on tightly.

“Uncle!” I scream with laughter.

She lets go and I take in deep breaths. “That’ll teach you to mess with me!” she huffs, with her hands on her hips, and walks away from us. She is straight Lane’s kid. There is no denying that.

“Let’s eat, I am fucking starving.”

I hear a loud and exaggerated gasp. “Grandpa! You cursed. You owe me ten bucks!” We walk in to see her standing in front of my dad with her hand out. My dad just smiles down at her like she is the cutest thing ever.

“It was an accident, your dad and aunt turned out okay.”

She rolls her eyes and looks at me and Lane. “Okay is a word for it.”

That little shit.

My dad throws his head back laughing, and I join in because she has Lane’s mouth. Lane would always speak his mind. It didn’t matter what it was—if he thought it, he said it.

“I am sure your dad curses all the time,” my dad says.

“Not anymore. I’ve bled him dry.”

Butcher laughs at that, and everyone looks over to watch him laugh.

“Hand it over, Pops.” She holds her hand out again.

My dad rolls his eyes, reaches inside his pocket, and pulls out a ten.

“Thank you. This will go for my bra collection.”

“Bras?” Lane says as he pales.

“Um, yeah Dad. Women wear those kinds of things.” She looks at him like he is crazy and steps past him, pulls out a chair, and sits down. Poor Lane looks like he is about to pass out. Every girl at that age loves the idea of a bra. It’s not a big thing.

“We going to eat or are you guys going to become a permanent part of the flooring?” I ask and start piling food on my plate and Tiffany’s plate.

They all look at me and Lane gives me a look to kill. “I think you are rubbing off on my kid. She talks just like you.”

I shrug. “So? She is awesome, and don’t start with me—she has your mouth.” I point my fork at him in warning.

Butcher pulls out a chair by my side and sits down. I grab his plate and fix his food for him, and I kiss his cheek.

“Do that again in front of me and I will duct tape your mouth closed,” my dad tells me and I give him the middle finger.

“Dad, what does that mean?” Tiffany raises her middle finger showing Lane, who glares at me.

“See? Bad influence.”

“Whatever.” I grab my fork and dig into my food. It’s silent as everyone eats. We all love our food and it shows. We don’t speak a word as we feed our faces.

“Dad, can I go outside to play?” Tiffany asks and pushes her plate back.

“Sure, angel.” He kisses the top of her head, and she slides out of her chair and runs outside. “Shay, want to go outside with her? I need to talk to Butcher.” Lane’s head snaps over to my dad. “About what I talked to you about earlier.”

“Okay.” I scoot my chair out and walk out the side door to the playground my dad built us when we were little.

Tiffany is swinging. “Hi, Shay. We need to go shopping again. My toes are getting chipped.”

She is such a little diva. I love it. She puts her feet down and stops herself from swinging. “Come catch me!” she screams and runs out into the field. I laugh and follow in a slight jog.

She is a good thirty feet away when I see two dark shapes thrown over the fence. Two black dogs stand up and bark then take off in Tiffany’s direction.

“Oh my god, Tiffany!” I run to her and the dogs are getting closer. She screams at the top of her lungs and runs in my direction. The dogs are ten feet from her now.

My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it up to my ears. The dogs are five feet away, and I sprint faster and grab my gun out of my holster. I put myself between Tiffany and the dogs. They are growling, foaming at the mouth, and huge.

One of them lunges and bites me on the calf. Its head shakes, tearing my skin. I scream for Tiffany. “Run!” The other dog charges for Tiffany. I click the safety off and shoot. The dog hits the ground—I shot it in the head. I don’t want to kill dogs, but I will to protect Tiffany. The dog that had a hold of my calf lets go and lunges for my throat. I shoot again and it falls to the ground.

Three more dogs are thrown over the gate. I turn around and see Lane has Tiffany, Butcher is five feet away from me, and Dad is right on his heels. I try to walk and I fall to the ground.

“There are three more,” I yell and Butcher and Dad raise their guns. Three shots ring out, and my dad runs into the field where the dogs were thrown over.

“Shay,” Butcher chokes and falls to his knees beside me.

“I am okay,” I reassure him and touch his face. He nods and looks over my body to make sure I am okay, and he spots the blood on my leg. He growls deep and loud. He grabs the bottom of my jeans and rips it up to my thigh. I can see the bite marks on my calf.

What if it has rabies or something else? I close my eyes as fear sinks in. Lips touch my forehead. “You will be okay, my Shay. I love you.”

My heart stops right then and there. He just said he loved me. The pain is gone in an instant. I open my eyes and tears fall, because I know I love him too. “I love you too, Butcher,” I whisper back and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Let’s get you to the hospital.” He picks me up bridal style.

My dad is running toward us. “I will take her, Butcher. Follow on your bike.”

Butcher looks torn and I kiss him. “I will be fine.”

He grinds his teeth before nodding.

I hear Tiffany crying and my heart breaks. She must be terrified. “Tiffany, I am fine, baby.”

“You’re hurt.” Her eyes are on my calf.

I put on a brave face and wink. “It’s just a scratch. This big oaf just wants to carry me.” I will not let her bear the burden of guilt for me getting hurt. I would die for that little girl. Lane mouths to me, “Thank you.”

If the dogs had managed to get to her, she would have been killed or seriously injured. Butcher hurries past Lane following my dad, who is running into his garage. I hear his truck start up and back out.

The passenger door is flung open, and Butcher sets me inside the truck. He kisses my temple. “Love you, Shay,” he says in barely a whisper, so only I hear it.

God, I love this man. I just didn’t realize how much until I almost died. He loves me too.

The door is slammed shut and my dad is off, speeding out of the driveway. He pushes the bottom of the dashboard to open the gate.

“Fuck! They threw dogs over the fucking gate.” Dad slams his hand on the steering wheel.

“Dad, some things can’t be stopped.”

He shakes his head. “This isn’t excusable, this will never happen again. You and Tiffany could have been killed.”

Images flash across my mind. I can’t imagine Tiffany getting hurt like that. These men knew our weakness, and that’s why they threw the dogs over the gate.

“Dad, those dogs were heading straight for Tiffany. It’s like they had her scent.” I can hear the worry and pain in my voice. The adrenaline is wearing off, and I am feeling the dog bite.

“Lane is going to flip out.” Nobody messes with his kid. This means war. “War,” I whisper and Dad nods his head in agreement.

We pull up outside the emergency room. My door is flung open, and Butcher is waiting for me. His eyes are dark, and his mouth is clenched as he looks me over. I know it’s tearing him up.

There are some things you can’t control, and this is one of them. Who would have thought people would throw five dogs over a fence to kill someone? I hate the thought of those dogs being dead, but it was me and Tiffany or them.

That is not a chance I will take.

Butcher reaches in and scoops me out of my seat. I can feel the anger radiating off him. “Butcher, this is just a freak thing. You can’t control everything. I am okay, I protected myself.” I touch his cheek.

“I could have lost you. That is what is tearing me up inside. I need you like air,” he mutters to me, and he steps through the emergency room door, carrying me in his arms.

A nurse comes over with a wheelchair. “What is wrong with her?”

“I was bitten by a dog,” I tell her, and Butcher sets me down gently in the wheelchair. The nurse starts to push me away, and Butcher grabs my hand.

“I am not leaving her.” He grips my hand tighter.

The nurse doesn’t say a word, and I don’t blame her. Butcher is a whole different level of scary right now.

I raise our entwined fingers and kiss the back of his hand, giving him comfort. I don’t want him to be upset.

---

Butcher

Later That Night

---

She is never leaving our bed. Never again. I got the cuffs, and as soon as she gets her ass in my bed she is never leaving, her bakery be damned. I am going to have gray hair in the next month.

They threw dogs over the gate that were trained to kill, and it was Lane’s daughter, Tiffany, who they went after. Shaylin put herself between her and the dogs. I am proud of her, but that doesn’t mean I won’t cuff her to my bed.

“Butcher?” Shaylin turns over, wincing as she rubs her leg against the bed. The bite isn’t serious, but she did need a few stitches, which will have to be taken out in a week or so.

“Yeah?” I lean forward in my chair so I am face to face with her.

“I am ready to go home.” It’s 2:00 a.m. right now. They had to do a lot of testing to make sure the dog didn’t have any diseases, and we just found out that they didn’t.

“We are waiting on your prescription.” I push her hair away from her face, and she closes her eyes. I can tell she is exhausted. I made her dad leave a couple of hours ago. He didn’t want to, but I am with her and you couldn’t force me to leave her side.

“When we get home, I could use some sex, but I don’t feel like it. Maybe tomorrow?”

I lower my head and chuckle under my breath. She is out of it because of the pain medication.

“Anything you want, sweetheart.”

She smiles at me widely before giving me a wink. Well, she squints one eye, and the other is halfway down. “You give good…” Her eyes widen as she dramatically looks around the room. “Orgasms.” She gasps loudly and holds her chest. “Oh the crudeness I just spat out of my mouth.” She says the last part in a British accent.

The doctor enters the room and hands me the prescription. “Well, I guess it’s time for Shaylin to go home. She needs to go and get her stitches out in a week and get those antibiotics filled tomorrow. It’s just an extra precaution. I hope you feel better, Shaylin.” The doctor pats her shoulder.

She gasps loudly again and jumps away from him, her hand at her mouth. She looks at me in pure horror. “You just touched me!” She looks at me and leans closer to him. “You better run, or he will kick your ass.”

The doctor looks at me, amused. “I bet he will.”

Shaylin makes a shooing motion and he walks out. “Let’s blow this weed.” She puts her legs over the side of the bed. “Oh shoot…or was it ‘let’s blow this joint’?” She shrugs and makes a funny face. “Weed is weed. Joint is Joint. Bud is bud.”

I laugh loudly and she raises her arms. “Carry me, Butcher. Carry me to your bed.” I put one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, picking her up.

“I just love you, Butcher.” She snuggles her head in my chest.

My heart beats a little faster. She loves me, this crazy fucker who thrives on violence.

I can say one thing though.

No one will love her as much as I do.