Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
“Get safe, Little girl!” Steele ordered in a tone she couldn’t ignore no matter how frightened she was.
Scrambling to get out of the way, Ivy ducked under the table once again. She couldn’t see well and trembled at the sound of blows being exchanged. Please! Let Steele be okay!
“Steele!” Kade’s deep voice rang through the room, and Ivy scooted back farther. Help was here. Steele wasn’t alone.
It was all over in a few minutes. Three men lay stretched out on the carpet with their hands fastened with the zip ties they had brought to secure her.
“You almost lost this one.” Talon’s amused tone made her peek out of her hideaway to see Mr. Morton with his immaculate clothes rumpled and torn, being pushed into the office. “He seemed to think this folder was important.”
Steele’s body appeared before her as he dropped to his knees. “Come out now, Little one. Let me make sure you’re safe.”
As she tried to scramble awkwardly into his arms with her hands secured behind her back, a loud voice filled the room, making Ivy freeze in place.
“Police! Everyone put their hands up.”
Her Daddy slowly raised his arms as he stayed by her side. He refused to move as the police tried to straighten out what had happened here. When the police fished Ivy out, one look at her taped mouth and bound hands convinced them quickly who the bad guys were.
Watching Mr. Morton walked out to a squad car in handcuffs felt amazingly good. Ivy couldn’t believe the man she’d chosen to be the good guy in this mess had actually turned out to be the embezzler.
She rolled her eyes as she realized Mr. Harris hadn’t been behind this. Nevertheless, he had been a royal asshole. She didn’t understand why he’d told everyone she’d been on vacation. Had he done so thinking he was protecting her privacy? She really needed to have words with him, and she would the next time she saw him.
“I saw that guy’s eye. It’s going to be one heck of a shiner,” Kade mentioned as the Shadowridge Guardians stood gathered around her while the police escorted the three thugs who’d attacked Ivy and continued to threaten her from the building.
“I guess I had an excellent teacher?” Ivy whispered, unable to believe she’d remembered the few things the Enforcer had told her.
Steele hugged her close to him. He’d left her side only for a few minutes while giving his statement when the police insisted. The officers’ demeanor changed when they found a record of the previous assault and Mr. Harris arrived to represent the bank. To Ivy’s surprise, he vouched for her.
“Mr. Harris…”
“We will meet in my office at eight a.m. on the day your medical leave expires. I have already been in contact with the vice president of the board and have updated him. The tech department has frozen Mr. Morton’s access and code authorities effective immediately. The board is holding an emergency meeting this afternoon.”
“Do I need to be there?” Ivy asked, clinging to Steele’s cut despite her attempts to look professional in front of her boss.
“No, Ivy. You’ve been placed in a very dangerous position, and the board knows they owe you for protecting the bank’s assets. I’m guessing you met with Mr. Morton to share the evidence that you’d found.”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I’m afraid I thought it was you.”
“I can understand that. I’ll admit you were at the head of my list of suspects as well. It appears that Mr. Morton deceived everyone.” He held out his hand for Ivy’s. “I vote we let bygones be bygones and work together for the benefit of the bank.”
“I’d love to start again,” Ivy confirmed as she shook his hand.
When he excused himself, Ivy looked at Steele in amazement. He simply raised his eyebrows in a silent echo of her disbelief. “Ready to go home, Little girl?”
The view of the van being hauled away by the police made her happy. They wouldn’t have to worry whether anyone was following her now.
She waved a hand at the departing tow truck. “I could go back to my house now, Steele. You don’t have to protect me anymore.”
“We could stay there tonight if you’d like to pick up more clothes,” he agreed. “Daddies don’t let their Little girls stray too far away. After the scare today, I don’t think my heart could stand having you out of my arms tonight.”
“Sir, we need to make sure they did not hurt the young lady,” an ambulance driver requested.
“I’m okay,” Ivy rushed to reassure the paramedic.
“It’s no cost to have us double check your heart rate and make sure you didn’t re-injure yourself, miss. I understand you’re recovering from a head injury.”
She looked at Steele, silently requesting his help to get out of this. She smiled when he assured the paramedic, “We have our own medic. He’ll check her out and make sure she’s okay.”