Free Wilde Blue (Wilde Brothers Book 4) by Susan Hayes

He moved to Florida to go to art college and ended up working as a fucking stripper.”
    Dani choked on her eggs. “He was a stripper? As in G-strings and lap dances? Wow, lucky Lia.”
    “Oh no. Don’t go there. If you start thinking of Nicky that way, I’ll have to smack him around on principle. It’s a guy thing.”
    She laughed at him, trying not to react to the possessive tone of his words. A couple of kisses didn’t mean anything. Certainly not enough to make him jealous of a man he knew she had no interest in. The only Wilde she wanted was the one sitting across from her right now, drinking wine with their breakfast-for-dinner and not caring a bit about the odd pairing.
    “I think it’s another Wilde thing. Kelly and Jo have told me about what happened the first time they met other members of your family. You’re a rather violent bunch.” She knew that wasn’t really true. She had two older brothers and had seen them go after each other often enough to understand the difference between real violence and the roughhousing that seemed to go on between boys, even grown ones. What she’d experienced with Bobby…that had been true violence.
    “Keeping the rabble in line was my job growing up. Not my fault they still need the occasional kick in the ass.” He gestured to his plate with his fork before spearing another piece of bacon. “By the way, dinner is incredible. Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    For a few minutes they ate in comfortable silence, but eventually Dave paused and glanced over at the file he’d been reading. “Why do you think he came for Casey that day?”
    The question was the same one she’d asked herself a thousand times since they’d started running, and there was only one answer that made any sense. “When he went to jail, he lost control over me. He wants that back. He once told me that if he couldn’t have me, no one could. He’ll try and scare me, to punish me. The best way for him to do that is through Casey. If he hurt or, or worse, took her from me…” Dani’s hand was shaking and she set down her fork before she dropped it.
    “That’s what I think, too. But if he managed to get her, where would he go? He’s already wanted for violating his parole. It would be damned near impossible for him to stay off the radar with a seven-year-old girl in his care.”
    Dani drained her glass of wine before answering. “His parents would help him disappear. They never approved of me, but they accepted Casey because she’s his daughter, even if her skin was too dark for their liking. God, she was barely home from the hospital before they were trying to talk to me about ways to lighten her skin and straighten her hair.”
    She glanced up to find Dave staring at her, outrage etched in every line of his face. “Too dark? She’s fucking beautiful, just like her mother. Anyone who can’t accept you or that gorgeous little girl is a jackass. They don’t deserve to be part of her life.”
    “They don’t, but it hurts Casey that they don’t care enough about her to even try and see her.”
    “They’re idiots,” he muttered, stabbing his next bite of eggs with more force than necessary.
    “Do you think he’ll find us?” she asked, giving voice to the fear that had haunted her every waking moment since the day they’d started running.
    Dave was silent for a moment, then reached across to her and took her hand in his. “I don’t know. You’ve traveled a long way, changed your name and gone into hiding, but he’s got money and time on his side. It doesn’t matter, though. Even if he finds you, he isn’t getting anywhere near you or Casey. I won’t let that happen.”
    Her pulse raced as he touched her, and his words put a lump in her throat. He meant what he said. The thought humbled her and warmed her at the same time. “I think I’ll sleep better tonight knowing there’s someone else in the world watching out for us. Thank you.”
    His fingers stroked over the