Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm not going to be able to sleep, Daddy," Lyra complained ten minutes later after Phoenix had carried her to the bathroom and cleaned her up. He snagged her nightie when they got back to the playroom, slid it over her head, and tucked her into the daybed.

Sitting next to her, he rubbed her tummy over the covers. It was hard not to laugh at her insistence since she was yawning and rubbing her eyes. He tucked Harry into her arms. "That's okay, but you will stay in this bed for one hour and rest, Little one. That's my rule."

She pushed out her bottom lip. "And then I can play my cello again?"

"Of course. I'll come let you know when your hour is up." He leaned over and kissed her before pointing toward the camera mounted in the corner of the room. "See that?"

She gasped. "Is that a camera?"

"Yes, and I can monitor you from wherever I am."

"You're going to watch me sleep?"

"Yep. I'm going to make sure you don't get up when you're supposed to be resting. I don't want to find you playing with your toys after I tuck you in for a nap." He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed the tips. "You may not play with your pussy either."

She gasped. "Daddy!"

"That's the rule. If you need me, call out, and I'll come. Otherwise, nap time is for resting, not playing, and not masturbating." He lifted a brow, loving the way he was embarrassing her.

She rolled her eyes. "So bossy."

"Yep. But in a good way. My type of bossy makes you squirm." He tickled her briefly through the covers.

She giggled and batted at his hand.

He stood. "I'm going to go out into the common area so I can make a phone call without disturbing you. Rest, Little one."

"Okay." She sighed dramatically as though he'd ordered her to eat a mud pie.

Chuckling, he left the room, pulled the door almost closed, and grabbed his phone and tablet. He needed to call Kingsley. Hopefully, the man had more information.

Luckily, when he entered the common area, no one was around, so he set up his tablet, which allowed him to see his Little girl while he placed the call.

Kingsley picked up on the first ring. No one had a clue where on the globe the man resided, but he always answered them immediately, and he never sounded as though he'd been asleep. Weird. More than weird. The man was like a robot.

"Phoenix Duggan, I was wondering when you might call."

The man was unnerving, yet it was impossible to feel aggravated with him. He clearly had everyone's best interests at heart. He'd saved all of them from horrifying circumstances and continued to do so every day of the week. It was evident that Kingsley had limitless financial resources and an abundance of information.

Phoenix dropped down onto the couch and got straight to the point. "I'm hoping you know more about Lyra Bloom than what was on the flash drive."

"Unfortunately, not much," Kingsley responded. His voice was strained with frustration. "What I know is that you should not relax your security measures. I'm aware that her ex-agent, Boyd Zhivers, made an appearance at Danger Bluff. I'm also aware that another man tried to get to her today."

"I know you didn't arrange for me to protect her from a disgruntled agent who liked to overwork her. The man she fired yesterday has no reason to return to harass her further."

"You're correct. There's more to it. I'm sure your gut already tells you that," Kingsley responded.

Phoenix rubbed his forehead. "I don't believe the asshole who showed up this morning was simply a rabid fan with no connection to Zhivers, either."

"I agree."

"So what am I working with here, Kingsley?" Phoenix asked in frustration. "There has to be money involved. A fuckton of it if my speculation is correct. I know Lyra is a well-known cellist, but she's not making billions of dollars playing her instrument. Setting her up to play all over the globe night after night is not making Boyd Zhivers rich. He's on a salary."

"Have you verified that Zhivers is not siphoning her money?" Kingsley asked.

"Not yet. We intend to call her accountant to make sure her financial situation hasn't been compromised by Boyd, but it just doesn't make any sense. I keep circling back to the fact that she can't possibly be making enough money to line Boyd's pockets and make him rich even if he stole all of it."

"And this is why I've arranged for you to protect her," Kingsley said, his voice roughening. "It doesn't add up."

"Perhaps she has an inheritance coming that she's unaware of," Phoenix suggested.

"It's a possibility."

Phoenix wracked his brain. "I wonder if Boyd is gambling or has some other financial dealings in the locations where he arranges for her to play."

"I've considered those options, but they seem like a stretch. He could just as easily have left her to vacation in New Zealand as she'd requested and gone to Japan without her if he wanted to gamble or meet with people. Why force her to go with him? This isn't the first time. He has made arrangements for her to play in unusual locations all over the world in between tours with her quartet. The woman must be exhausted."

"She is." Phoenix glanced at the monitor in front of him and smiled. Lyra was sound asleep with that tarantula clutched in her arms. Exhausted was an understatement.

"I'm sorry I don't have more information for you, but do not let your guard down. My gut tells me you have not seen the last of Zhivers."

Phoenix drew in a deep breath. "Understood. Thank you."

"Keep that precious Little girl safe, Phoenix. I know I don't have to tell you that." His voice was lighter. The omniscient man was well aware that Phoenix had already claimed her as his own.

As he ended the call, Phoenix sat back and stared at the ceiling. Kingsley was the most mysterious man on earth. It was mindboggling. None of the team quite understood him. Maybe they never would.