Tempted by her Daddies: Chapter 36

What the hell?

Alexei glanced down at the address on the group message and then up at the building.

The rundown building with broken windows and constructed of a disgusting brown brick.

Fuck no.

This was completely unacceptable.

There was graffiti along the lower part of the building, and it looked like no one had bothered to attempt to wash off.

A train raced past on an overbridge next to the building. He glared at the bridge. He bet a lot of illegal shit went on in there. It was dark and damp looking. The whole building looked musty and cold. And despite that, people were still attempting to dry clothes on the balconies.

Alexei glared up at the apartment building and then checked the address that Roman had sent him.

This couldn’t be right.

This was not where she was living.

Not while he was living in that fucking mansion that he didn’t really deserve.

Not while he’d been a bit of an asshole to her in the beginning.

Okay, perhaps more than a bit.

She wasn’t living here in squalor in one of the worst neighborhoods in London.

He drew out his phone and called Roman.

“Are you there? Do you have her?” he asked, sounding breathless.

“Are you sure about this being her address?” he demanded.

“What? Yes. I looked up the form she filled out to double check.”

“You didn’t check it when she first filled it out to make sure it was correct?”

“Why would I do that? What’s wrong?”

“It’s in the fucking slums,” he snarled.

“That can’t be right. I’m heading your way in a taxi. I’ll be there soon.”

Alexei grunted and ended the call without saying goodbye. He had no time for niceties.

He studied the address again. No apartment number. He stormed up to the door to take a look. At one time, it must have had an intercom system, but it looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it at some stage.

Oh, as soon as he got hold of her and made sure she was safe, he was going to spank her ass until she couldn’t sit for a week.

He didn’t care that she hadn’t been his when she had lived here.

And yes, he was using the word, ‘had,’ as she was never living here again.

He knew he was overprotective of the people he cared about, but he didn’t care. He’d lost his family once and that wasn’t happening again.

You should have insisted on knowing where she lived. You should have paid fucking attention.

He still couldn’t believe Roman hadn’t checked her address.

But he couldn’t blame Roman, either. That would be taking the easy way out. This was on all of them.

A taxi drew up and a harried looking Roman climbed out, nearly tripping over the curb as he stared up at the building in front of him.

Chagrin filled his face, quickly followed by horror. “I should have checked her address. I should have looked it up. I didn’t even think to check. She didn’t list the area and I didn’t think it mattered. Fuck.” He ran his hand over his face.

Things were bad if Roman was swearing.

“It wasn’t just on you,” Alexei grumbled as he walked over to the other man. “Salem and I could have asked her about her living conditions. We could have asked for the address. This is on all of us. And once she’s safe, I’m going to spank her every night for a month.”

“A month? You don’t think that’s excessive?” Roman gaped at him.

“She gives me any sass and it’ll be two months,” he promised.

“I can almost guarantee she’s going to sass you,” Roman said as Salem parked the car and jumped out.

He walked over to them, his face filling with understanding.

“Fuck.”

“Yep, this whole thing is a big fucking fuck-up!” Alexei said. He threw his arms up in the air. “How did we not know she lived here? How?”

Salem just shook his head, looking as glum as Alexei had ever seen him look.

“Like I said, it’s my fault,” Roman whispered.

“No. If anything, it’s mine,” Salem said.

Salem was always quick to take everything on his shoulders. He liked being the leader, the thinker. Alexei preferred to be the brawn and Roman was the brains. But they needed to do better than this.

Alexei needed to do better. Take more responsibility.

“We can all do better,” he grumbled.

Salem shot him a surprised look, then nodded.

“How are we going to find her, though?” Roman asked. He peered around Alexei. “Are those guys doing a drug deal right out in the open?”

“Shit,” Salem said, looking even more stressed. The guy was going to give himself a heart attack. He’d been more relaxed the last week while their girl was with them. He hadn’t been working nearly as much. He’d been smiling. Having fun.

They were all different.

Roman came out of his room. And he was certainly showing a more dominant, forceful side.

And him? Well . . . he had become detached from the world. He hadn’t much cared about anything or anyone anymore.

Until her.

His girl.

His girl who had been living in this fucking slum.

Not. Acceptable.

“I guess we knock on every door until she answers or we find someone who knows her,” he said.

“In this neighborhood they’re not going to be very likely to tell us if they do know her,” Salem said.

“Money speaks,” Alexei said. He waited for Salem to protest. To tell him that they couldn’t bribe people to tell them what was going on.

Mr. Always-Do-The-Right-Thing surprised him by nodding without argument. His protectiveness had increased around Tamsyn.

And that was a good thing in Alexei’s mind.

“I shouldn’t have left for that meeting. I should have stayed with her. What kind of boyfriend am I? This is why I’d make a terrible Daddy Dom,” Roman said. “I just knew that.”

Alexei shared a look with Salem. This could set him back.

Roman’s family had done a real fucking number on him. Something else he thought Tamsyn could help with.

Fuck. She’d become so fucking important to them in such a short time.

“Actually the fact that you’re thinking and worrying about it tells me you’d make a better Daddy Dom than most,” Salem said mildly.

“And the way you fuss and worry over her,” Alexei added.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Salem added. “I’ve made plenty.”

“You?” Roman asked, looking skeptical.

Salem snorted. “Yes, I make plenty of mistakes. More than I care to admit. And the only thing you can do is learn from them. I’m going to try and do that.”

Roman nodded solemnly.

“And we’ve seen you with Tamsyn, you might be a gentler, more subtle version than Salem and I . . . and perhaps you’d never be this way with anyone else, but you’re her Daddy.”

“All right.” Roman let out a breath. “Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do this,” Salem repeated grimly. “Find our girl.”

The knock on her door had her tensing and sliding to where she had a knife taped on the underside of the dining table.

The crappy door in this terrible apartment didn’t have a peephole. The first thing she’d done was put in a decent lock. That and buy roller skates.

One of his guys had felt sorry for her and given her some cash when he’d dropped her off here. It was basically all gone now. She assumed someone was paying the rent on this place.

“Who is it?” she called out.

A string of Russian came back, making her eyebrows rise.

“It is Alexei. You will open the door now.”

His accent was thicker than she’d ever heard it, and she swallowed heavily.

Was he upset with her?

Why do you care?

Because she did. Because she thought she might love him and he sounded upset.

She opened the door and he stood there, glaring at her, his phone to his ear.

“I have her. 5d.”

He ended the call.

“Who were you calling?”

“Salem and Roman.” His gaze went to her hand. “At least you have the sense to have some protection in this shitty neighborhood. Pack your things, we’re leaving.”

He stomped into the room, looking around.

“On second thought. Leave it all. We’re going.”

Turning to her, he grabbed her around the waist and she barely held back from stabbing him. He put her over his shoulder.

“Let me down! You can’t just take me!” She wriggled on his shoulder.

Slap!

“And you can’t spank me when I’m not doing what you want!”

“Sure I can. I just did. Stay still or I might drop you.”

She scoffed. “You’d never drop me.”

“What’s going on?” Salem demanded. “Tamsyn, are you all right?”

“I was until the big guy picked me up and I nearly stabbed him.”

“Stabbed him?” Roman asked, moving into her line of vision. “Can you use that knife?”

“Of course I can. Alexei, put me down!”

“No!”

Slap!

She let out a frustrated groan. “Salem, make him.”

“I don’t think I want to. You left.”

Was that hurt in Salem’s voice?

She pushed herself up slightly so she could see Roman and Salem. Salem had closed himself off, while Roman just looked sad as he stared around the apartment.

Great.

Now she felt ashamed of where she lived on top of everything else.

“I know it’s not much, but it’s all I could afford,” she said quietly.

Roman met her gaze with his. “I know. It’s just . . . we should have paid you more. I’m so sorry.”

“You paid me plenty. It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” Salem said firmly. “Living here is unacceptable. Leaving like you did is unacceptable.”

“Your mum told me to leave!” she cried. “What was I meant to do?”

“Tell her no,” Alexei said. “Sit down and not move. Call us. One of those options.”

“But wouldn’t that have been rude?” she asked quietly.

“Baby, no,” Salem said. “I’m sorry that I didn’t make this clear. You’re to tell anyone and everyone that you belong to us. Or to one of us if that makes you more comfortable. You are ours.”

She took in a long breath and let it out slowly.

“And you are never to run off like that again.”

Whoa.

That came from Roman.

“Especially not without your phone or coat,” Salem added. “We didn’t even have your apartment number.” He looked around. “Baby, this is completely unacceptable. You are never coming back here again.”

“This whole place should be condemned,” Alexei said with a snarl. “It is filth.”

It wasn’t that bad!

“Hey, I clean!” Sort of.

Roman wandered around and she winced. What must he think considering where he lived?

“It has good bones; it just needs updating. And security is completely lacking. Someone charges for this place?”

“Uh, yeah.” She was starting to get a crick in her neck. “Alexei, put me down.”

Slap!

That was his only reply. A slap on her butt cheek. She looked pleadingly at Salem, but he just shrugged.

Rude!

“Who?” Roman asked.

“Um. I can’t remember.” Better than saying she didn’t know.

“I will look them up. It’s not right for people to live like this. There’s mold on the ceiling. So dangerous.” He muttered to himself as he typed on his phone.

“We should go,” Salem said.

Alexei grunted and started toward the door. Why had he gone all silent?

“Wait! My stuff! Alexei, put me down so I can get my stuff.”

Slap!

Nope. She was tired of that. She reached down and slapped his ass cheeks with both hands.

There was silence.

“Did you just slap my ass?” Alexei thundered.

She swallowed heavily as the other two grew silent.

“Yes. Let me down.”

He set her down, turning her so he loomed over her. “You are in big trouble.”

“For slapping you?” she asked. He did that to her all the time.

“For not telling us you live in this pit.” Yep, his accent was getting thicker. “For running from us.”

“I didn’t run from you guys exactly.”

“So when were you coming back?” Roman asked in a quiet voice.

“I just . . . I wasn’t sure whether I should or not. I felt unsure of my place and your mum didn’t think much of me, Salem.”

“She feels terrible about that.”

“It’s not her fault. I . . . just . . . I needed to go. I didn’t feel good enough for you guys.”

“Utter bullshit.” Alexei stepped into her.

She stood her ground but it wasn’t easy.

“You are better than all of us combined and I won’t hear another word out of you unless it’s an apology.”

He picked her up again, carrying her out to their car. At least Roman locked up. And he really didn’t hear another word she said.

She was very tempted to stick her knife in him.

He shoved her into the backseat of Roman’s car while the other two got in the front seats. She knew she could quickly get out the other side, but she wouldn’t get far.

Alexei held out his hand. “Knife.”

She bared her teeth at him.

“Knife.”

She slammed the butt of the knife down in his palm, wishing it was the sharp end. He took it and put it down by the car door. Then he drew off his coat and laid it gently over her lap before buckling in her seatbelt.

“I can get packers to get everything from your place,” Roman said.

“No!” she said, alarmed at the thought of someone touching her knives. “I will do it.

“You will not go back there,” Alexei stated.

“I will! You don’t dictate to me, big guy!” Turning she pushed her finger into his chest.

‘I do. I am in charge. You do what I say!”

“Maybe we should take a breather for a moment,” Salem suggested.

She fumed until they got home . . . wait, she meant their home.

Did you?

Roman got out and opened her door, holding out his hand. She stared at him in surprise but took his hand. He squeezed her hand tight and leaned into her.

“Please don’t leave like that again, you had me so worried.”

And now, she felt terrible.

Salem drew her against him, hugging her tight. “I’m so sorry. This is my fault and I will rectify it. You are the very best part of us. If anyone isn’t worthy, it’s us. And I will do whatever it takes to make you believe that.”

Ohh.

And she felt even worse.

Then Alexei grabbed her, putting her on his hip at least. But his face was so cold and closed off that she swallowed heavily as he carried her inside. He had his coat wrapped around her, which he took off and gave to Salem.

Then he carried her upstairs to his bedroom, setting her down on the bed.

She waited for the lecture, the yelling, maybe a spanking.

But none of it came.

Instead, he paced back and forth. Back and forth.

“Alexei? What is it?” she whispered.

Nothing.

“I’m sorry. I won’t leave without texting you again.”

This time he stopped and pointed at her. “You will not leave at all. You go nowhere without me.”

“I’ll have to go somewhere at some stage.”

“No! And I will put a tracker on you to track you, so I will know.”

“I’m not wearing a tracker.” She couldn’t. If he found a tracker on her . . . she swallowed heavily. “But I will do anything else. Text before I leave, when I get to where I’m going, when I’m leaving and get home.”

“I cannot lose you.”

The stark pain in his voice made her heart race.

“You’re not going to. I can look after myself, you know.”

He shook his head and tapped his chest. “I look after you.”

“Of course you do,” she said soothingly.

“I protect you. Keep you safe. Nothing will happen to you.” He kneeled on the floor, pushing himself between her legs. Then he wrapped his arms around her and bent over to press his face into her stomach. It was an awkward position and she leaned back to give him more room. She rubbed his head with one hand.

“Alexei? Papa? What is it?”

“I went to school one day when I was seven. I was just a normal kid. I lived in a middle-class house with my parents, grandparents and younger brother. That day, I came home and found them all dead.”

She sucked in a breath. She’d known that he’d ended up in an orphanage after his family had died. But she hadn’t known he’d found the bodies.

“I’m so sorry.” Her heart broke for that little boy. “What happened?”

“My grandfather shot them all. And then himself. He had seen things and heard voices for a long time. They must have gotten to him. They were all dead, all gone.”

“Oh, Alexei. That won’t happen to me.”

He moved his head, giving her a fierce look. “You do not know that!”

No, she guessed not.

“I will do my best to protect myself.”

“You will not need to. I will protect you.”

She cupped his face. “And you do an amazing job. But I have to have some freedom. I will do my best never to leave without telling you, though.”

“You will tell me about all outings you have planned. You will not take public transport. Where possible, one of us will go with you. If you have to go alone . . . which I doubt will ever happen, you will allow me to track your phone and keep in constant contact.”

“All right.” She’d have promised him almost anything in that moment.

“And never again will you live in filth.”

“It wasn’t filth.”

“It was,” he spat out. “The orphanage was like that. Cold, damp, and miserable. I promised myself that I would never live somewhere like that again. That my family certainly never would. I do not like that you were living there.”

“I’m not there anymore,” she said, finally understanding. “You went to an orphanage after your family died?”

She hated pretending not to know about this. But it might help him talk.

“There was no one else. The orphanage was a terrible place. Filled with despair. No one cared for us there and we had nothing of our own. I rarely grow attached to anyone, because I know I will have to keep them safe. But when they are mine, they stay mine. And I will protect them with my life.”

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. She understood him better now.

Her MGB.

Her Papa.

“What do you need?” she asked.

“I need to hold you. To give you angel kisses. To keep you close. Don’t ever leave me.”

She held him tighter. She wanted to promise him that she wouldn’t leave him.

But she didn’t want to break a promise.