Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

When Phoenix stepped back into the basement two hours later, he was relieved to find Lyra laughing and coloring with her new friends. He'd been confident they would all embrace her, and she would love them, but there had been no guarantees.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed as she lifted her gaze to see him approaching.

His heart was overflowing. He loved her as if he'd known her for ten years. It felt like it had been that long, most of the time. He knew they still had a lot to learn about each other, but he was also positive they would work everything out and be together for the rest of their lives.

Her job situation was eventually going to be something they had to discuss, but it seemed she had plenty of vacation time right now to spend in his arms in his bed.

As he approached, he felt that stab of concern, though. His Little girl was a cellist. There was no way to deny that. He couldn't very well expect her to quit touring with her quartet and stay here at the resort for the rest of her life. That would stifle her and destroy her.

Could she possibly take a few months off, though? He hadn't broached that idea with her yet. Phoenix knew two things to be true. One, he would follow her to the ends of the earth if that was what she needed. He wasn't exactly agent material, and he knew nothing about managing a musician, but he had a hefty settlement in his bank account from being wrongfully accused of arson, so he could easily travel with her as her bodyguard or even her husband.

That was how he saw himself already. He wanted a ring on her finger and dried ink binding them together as soon as possible. He cringed at the thought of being her boyfriend or lover. When she returned to her quartet, she would be introducing him as her husband. End of story.

There was another truth he couldn't avoid, though, and that was his obligation to the team. He wouldn't even consider leaving his teammates behind until Caesar's assignment was fulfilled. They had a pact. He wouldn't break it.

Based on how quickly each of them had been given their assignments, Phoenix had to assume Caesar's would follow in quick order. And then what? Would the six of them continue to stay here at the resort and manage it as a family after the last assignment was completed? They hadn't discussed that among themselves or with Kingsley. None of them knew what Kingsley had in mind for after they'd all repaid their markers. Maybe he intended for the six of them and their Littles to leave so he could replace them at Danger Bluff with six new men who also owed him markers. How many people had he rescued around the globe? None of them knew.

Shaking thoughts of the future from his head, Phoenix came up behind Lyra, leaned over her shoulder, and set his palms on the table. "That's the best tarantula I've ever seen."

Lyra giggled. "You mean it's a two-dimensional one that can't crawl up your body and send you into a panic, right?"

"Yep. Best kind." He kissed her neck. "How was your little party?" he asked, glancing around at the rest of the women.

"It was great. I had so much fun. I can't believe how talented everyone is. I thought my skills on the cello were pretty cool, but not compared to these ladies," she said in a lighthearted tone.

The other women rolled their eyes. "She's silly."

Phoenix pulled her chair back and lifted her into his arms, tucking his hands under her bottom as she wrapped her legs around him. He nuzzled her nose with his. "She sure is silly."

She squirmed in his embrace and whispered, "Daddy, everyone can see my panties."

His hands were bracing her under her dress, and he shook his head. "No, they can't, Little girl." He patted her panty-clad bottom, still feeling the heat radiating through the cotton. "Your dress is long enough to cover you, and besides, I'm sure everyone in here knows what panties look like," he teased.

The elevator opened, and all the rest of the Daddies stepped into the basement. Kestrel brought up the rear, pushing a cart. "Dinnertime," he called out.

"Oh, yikes," Lyra said, "we gorged on sweets. I'm not sure how much I can eat."

"I bet you'll find yourself hungry for more substantial food as soon as you smell what the chef has prepared tonight," Phoenix said as he carried her toward the large table.

"How do you know?"

"Because the chef at this resort is phenomenal. So far, he has never once sent us a meal that didn't make all of us groan in pleasure."

She drew in a deep breath. "It does smell good. What is it?"

Kestrel answered her as Phoenix lowered her onto a chair. "Chinese night. He mentioned beef broccoli, kung pao chicken, fried rice, sweet and sour soup, and crab Rangoon. There might've been more. It was hard to keep up with the list."

Even though Lyra had claimed to be too full, he heard her stomach growl at the mention of all those delicious dishes.

The rest of the team gathered their Littles and brought them to the table.

"Somebody explain the talking spoon to Lyra," Sadie said.

"You have a talking spoon?" Lyra asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Phoenix chuckled. "Not a spoon that talks, no. But we have a tradition of passing the serving spoon around as we fill our plates. Whoever is holding the spoon tells about their day or any concerns they have. For the Daddies, we discuss possible concerns with the resort or safety issues for the Littles, but the women like to tell about their work, too."

Lyra sat up taller and smiled. "I love it. How fun. I've never been part of a large family before. You all are closer than most blood relatives."

The happiness on her face eased some of Phoenix's anxiety about their future. If she fell in love with this giant family and the resort, surely, she wouldn't want to leave in a few weeks. He could hope.

"I'll start," Magnus said as he took the spoon. He set the now-symbolic utensil in front of him as he lifted Juniper's plate and began filling it with various aromatic choices, using the smaller spoons already in the dishes. "I don't like that someone with bad intentions managed to get so close to Lyra this morning. However, there's no way to prevent strangers from driving onto the property. Dozens of people come and go every day with honest intentions of scuba diving, rock climbing, or taking a helicopter tour. They don't have to be guests of the resort."

Juniper reached under his arm and took the talking spoon from in front of him. "I also worked on this with Daddy today." She turned to face Lyra with a serious expression. "I know it sucks, but we've all been in your shoes at one point, and you really need to stay in the basement or on the fifth floor at all times for a while. It's the only way the Daddies can keep you safe."

Phoenix rubbed Lyra's back, watching her reaction.

She sighed and nodded. "I understand. It's okay as long as you all don't mind me practicing somewhere every day. I know it can be annoying, listening to me after a while."

Everyone at the table shook their heads.

"No way," Sadie declared. "You're like an angel. I could listen to you all day, every day. Don't you worry about that. We'll make sure you have a place to practice either down here or upstairs every day."

Lyra's eyes widened. "Oh no. What about the times I agreed to play in the restaurant or the lobby?" She twisted to look at Phoenix. "Will I need to cancel?"

Phoenix winced. "For now, Little one. Not forever. Let's see what happens in the next few days first, then we can reevaluate."

Her shoulders slumped.

He felt bad for her. He knew she'd enjoyed playing in the lobby and out under the tree. Both had been experiences very different from what she was used to. Without the long, formal black dress, hot lights, and thousands of audience members, he suspected she'd been relaxed and actually had fun for the first time in a long time.

Phoenix vowed to himself to make sure she had more of that in her life as the conversations continued around the table. Wrapping his hand around her thigh, he made sure that she knew she was not alone as he listened to everyone's report. He was confident his team would discover why Boyd Zhivers continued to target his Little girl.