Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
He didn’t ask questions, simply joined her at the table as he noted her positive response to his treatment. Travel, stress, and new surroundings played havoc with Little girls’ systems, obviously.
CHAPTER 15
“Do you all have rules?” Gabby asked hesitantly when all the Littles sat around in the meadow enjoying the beautiful weather.
“Oh, we all have those. And punishments,” Hannah assured her.
“We all probably have close to the same ones,” Shelby predicted. “Number one, always remember Daddy loves you.”
“Number two, do what Daddy says without hesitation,” Kenzie added.
“Your mouth is open,” Samantha teased.
“I thought my Daddy was overly protective,” Gabby admitted.
“Nope. They are all like that. Well, not all Daddies. Just especially the ones who settled here in SANCTUM,” Shelby assured her.
Gabby plucked a dandelion and blew the seeds to give herself some time to think. She’d struggled with the structure that Kole had created for their relationship. Her personality was normally aligned with her artistic talents. She was focused, positive, and looking for new challenges.
The recent events had totally upended her life. She didn’t know who was safe and constantly fought her inner desire to hide from the world. The only constant who she could count on was Kole. She looked over her shoulder to find him watching her.
“Go sit on your Daddy’s lap, Gabby,” Hannah suggested. “You’ll feel better. I’ll go with you.” The kind woman stood, offered Gabby her hand, and pulled her up.
“You all don’t mind?” Gabby asked, looking at the other Littles.
“Of course not. Everyone needs their Daddy,” Samantha assured her.
She followed Hannah to the grouping of men. It was easier having Hannah go with her. Then she didn’t feel like she was interrupting. The men were not fazed by their appearance. From their smiles, she knew they definitely were happy to have her join them. Kole scooped her up on his lap and gave her a kiss before letting her relax against his powerful frame. Instantly, she felt safe and grounded.
Sitting back, she watched and listened to the Daddies interact. They all seemed to be connected with each other in some way. Gabby could tell Kole had known Jeremy for several years but didn’t know Ben Underwood as well. They definitely enjoyed each other’s company. It was a good feeling to be where everyone supported each other.
The ring of a phone surprised her, and she jumped. When it sounded for the second time, she figured out it was Kole’s phone coming from behind them.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I should get this,” he apologized and reached for his phone in his back pocket.
Gabby scooted forward a bit so Kole could grab his phone. The voice on the line was not clear to her, but the tone was unmistakable. Something was wrong.
Kole wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted them both to standing. Kissing her temple silently, he motioned for her to sit down in his chair.
As she watched, he walked far enough away she couldn’t hear his conversation. Quickly, the men tried to distract her.
“Gabby, what do you think of SANCTUM?” Ben asked.
Trying to multitask, she kept her eyes on Kole as much as possible as she answered, “I like it here a lot. I can’t believe it exists.” Kole shook his head and looked angry.
“Have the Littles been friendly?” Mitch questioned.
“Oh, everyone is super nice. I haven’t ever gotten to talk to other…”
Kole’s “Damn it!” reached their ears. Gabby could see he was looking at something on his screen.
“Littles,” Gabby finished and stood.
“I need to go talk to my Daddy,” she announced and ignored their attempts to keep her there with small talk. She reached Kole as he disconnected from the call.
“Daddy?”
“Hi, sweetheart. I’m sorry I swore. I’m afraid we have to go back to the set.”
“Really? Are they ready to film again? I should carry my phone with me. I bet they tried to call me first,” she said, turning to run back to his house.
“They called me because something was wrong. Let’s go back to the house and I’ll tell you everything.” He held out his hand for hers. As soon as she interlaced her fingers with his, he turned to wave at the men.
“We’re headed back. I’ll be in contact.”
“Let us know if you need backup,” Beau called.
Kole waved his hand that he understood. He walked at a brisk pace back toward their house. When they were fully out of range, he squeezed Gabby’s hand. “Okay. I’m not going to sugarcoat this. That was the set security. They had some vandalism last night. Several things were destroyed, including a couple of your costumes and parts of the set.”
“That’s awful! Why did they call you?” Gabby asked.
“Something was pinned to your trailer door with a note.”
“What?”
“PupPup.”
“Is he okay?”
“I’m not going to lie, Gabby. He’s in rough shape.”
“We have to go get him. Maybe he’ll be okay.”