She was so good with Sammy.
“Okay,” Sammy replied.
“Good girl, Sammy,” Dakota said. On the way back to his office, he called the daycare center and asked for the director.
“Hello, Mr. Luck,” said the director.
He shut his office door. “Sammy mentioned she has a new teacher.”
“Yes, Miss Liz. She’s great with the kids.”
“Miss Liz told Sammy that she knew her mom had died. Is that information in the file?”
There was a brief silence. “It is, but I find it hard to believe that the teacher would mention something that sensitive to a student on her first day. Is it possible Sammy told Miss Liz about her mom? She has mentioned it to me. Maybe she said something to her new teacher.”
“It’s possible.”
“I’m sorry for any distress it caused you or Sammy.”
With nothing left to discuss, Dakota ended the call and made a mental note to meet Miss Liz. He didn’t like that she wanted to be Sammy’s special friend or that she’d crossed a line on day one.
With a splitting headache, he flipped open his ALPHA laptop and continued searching for an invisible enemy hell-bent on wrecking his life.
11
Putting Providence First
Providence cut the engine in The Dungeon parking lot. Still angry with herself for getting sidelined, she forced down the emotion as she unlocked the door to the club. Despite her frustration, she needed to stay in control. Behaving badly could arouse suspicion with Dakota.
Once inside, she turned off the alarm and flipped on the lights.
As she got busy brewing a pot of coffee, the front door opened. A man dressed in leather strolled in.
“Hey, where is everyone?” he asked.
“The club is closed on Mondays,” she replied.
“Damn. Just my luck.” Rather than leave, he stalked toward her. “Can I get a beer?”
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. “No. Come back tomorrow.”
“C’mon,” he said, getting comfortable on a stool. “Damn, girl, you’re hot. And I mean, like, sizzling-inferno hot. You’ve got some wild-lookin’ eyes.” His gaze dropped to her chest. “And that ain’t all.”
She leaned forward. “You want to know a little secret?”
“Hell, yeah, and can I get that beer?”
“I’ve had a bad day. And I’m pretty fired up.”
“Mmm, pent-up anger. I know just how to help.”
The guy started to walk behind the bar. Her every muscle tensed, like a cat about to pounce on its prey.Don’t fuck with me, asshole.
When he grabbed her arm, she kneed him in the groin.
“AHHHH!” He doubled over.
She grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him toward the exit. He swung and his fist made partial contact with her cheek. Then, he took her to the floor. She screamed as the front door flew open.
