“Do you two need any assistance with this?” John asked.
“We might,” Jack admitted. “Can we fill you in later?”
“I’d love that.”
Jack nodded. “Right now, we need to get her back to her hotel and then get on to the mansion so we can start working on some things.”
Ace looked at Trixie. “Honey, are you sure you don’t want to stay with us? We’d love to have you. And we’d know you were safe.”
John’s blood was beginning to boil as his anger at some unknown threat simmered. Was someone trying to hurt Little Trixie?
God help them if they were.
“I’m fine in the hotel, Sir. But thank you.”
Jack and Ace didn’t look too convinced, but John knew they were in a tough spot: they couldn’t force Trixie to change her mind. She was technically an adult and was free to stay wherever she wanted.
“All right. But we are going to see you safely to your room,” Ace told her.
She didn’t protest that, at least.
John told her goodbye, promised to catch up with Ace and Jack at a later time, and watched the trio as they walked around the house and disappeared around the corner.
As much as he hated to see her go—and abhorred the fact that she was in danger—he couldn’t just stand there and sulk about it. It was time to find out more information.
Trevon and Athena would know.
Chapter Nine
“It sounds as if Little Trixie is indeed in quite a bit of trouble,” Athena confirmed.
John fought the urge to panic at the admission. He knew that going off half-cocked wouldn’t help Trixie one damn bit. Remembering his own advice to her, he reminded himself to assess the situation.
It was almost always better to gain a fuller picture than to simply act on impulse.
So, despite every fiber of his being wanting to act now, he sat across from Athena in the breakfast nook, and forced himself to be still and listen.
“She says it’s the mafia who’s after her.” Athena took a sip of her hot tea. “Of course, their mafia isn’t just one organization. Could be any number of organized crime organizations. She didn’t specify which one and might not even know the difference.”
John’s fist balled. His neck muscles tightened before that spread and his whole body grew tense.
He hadn’t touched the steaming tea Athena had placed before him.
Her eyes fell to it. “That will relax you.”
“I appreciate it. But it’s too late for me to have caffeine. I’ll toss and turn all night.”
She smiled. “It’s not that kind of tea. It has lavender.”
John almost picked it up but decided against it. What if Trixie needed him tonight? It was best he wasn’t too relaxed.
Maybe caffeinated tea or coffee would be good, after all.
Of course, it was more than likely that the night would pass uneventfully. The Daddy Guard was on the case. And what if Trixie was mistaken? What could that cutie have done to draw the ire of a mob family? That feat seemed pretty tough.
Though, with the way she found trouble, if anyone could do it, it would be her.
“I’m afraid that’s all I really know,” Athena continued. “But I know the Guard. They’re going to help her.”
