Her Daddy

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"You can't do that again." Ophelia growled lightly, pointing a finger at Ryder who stood on the opposite side of the counter from her. "You could have been killed."

"I've been doing this a lot longer than you know." He responded, his voice low and commanding. "I have the training and am perfectly capable of handling myself against mere children." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Children." He repeated in a frustrated whisper.

Antonio shifted his weight between the both of them, scratching the back of his neck."You should have brought us with you Boss. We could have stayed hidden just in case."

Ophelia threw her hands up. "Thank you!"

Ryder clenched his jaw, staying silent for a few moments. "It was something I had to do deal with. It was my job." He stated.

She furrowed her brows, looking between the two of them. Ryder had his gaze set on the counter and Antonio was staring right at him, eyes wide in shock. "You crazy bastard." He muttered.

It was clear Antonio knew exactly what had gone down but Ophelia still couldn't grasp what was so important to him that he needed to do it alone. She knew that the three boys usually did jobs and missions together yet Ryder had made his own decisions regarding this one. Unless it wasn't a mission at all. Her eyes widened in realization.

"You went after him." She voiced. "Jeremy." She placed a hand at the base of her throat, her other arm wrapping around her stomach in a sort of comfort. She turned away from the two men for a moment before turning back. "Did you kill him?" She whispered.

Ryder looked right back at her, his eyes holding her own. "I didn't get the chance to." He grumbled.

Ophelia shook her head a little. As much as she hated Jermey for what he had tried to do to her, he had also done so much to help her. He was a friend she could count on in hard times and someone who easily made her feel better at times when she forgot it was possible.

She couldn't put together any words.

Antonio sighed softly, shaking his head. "I assume we'll be having a meeting later." He stated, looking over to Ryder once more.

He simply nodded, his gaze staying on her.

She pressed her palms together, resting the side of her finger against her nose as she paced a few steps. "You can't do that again." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were from concern for him or fear of the reason he had gone after Jeremy.

Ryder came around the counter, getting right up close to her. He took her hands away from her face, curling his fingers into her palms. "It won't happen again, love." He said softly, his eyes lightening again.

Ophelia squeezed his hands lightly before wrapping his arms around his waist, clinging to him. His arms circled around her shoulders as he tucked his face into her neck.

She knew that his job would often put his life on the line but for her to see first hand what could happen to him left her uneasy. That bullet to the shoulder could have been a bullet through the heart. He might not have been so lucky and she couldn't even bare the thought.

Ryder pulled away slightly and leaned forward to put his hands on the backs of her thighs, lifting her onto his hip. Even with his injury he had no troubles keeping her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against just shoulder. "I don't want you to get hurt." She said quietly, watching as Antonio slipped away, presumably to find his own girlfriend.

He began to walk them back towards his bedroom, his thumb making small circles against her thigh. "Accidents happen sometimes. I'm trying to make sure that you stay safe." He told her, nudging his door open with his foot and slipping inside.

She frowned lightly. "That doesn't mean you put yourself in danger. We both need to be safe." She explained, holding onto him a bit tighter.

Ryder sat down on the edge of his bed, holding her in his lap. He rested his hands against her hips, his fingers brushing the exposed skin where her shirt lifted. His hands were always so warm.

Ophelia pulled her head back to look him in the face. She could see the smallest bit of regret in his expression, mixed in with concern and a but of appreciation. Appreciation for what she wasn't one hundred percent sure.

"I want you to be safe." She finally told him, her blue eyed flickering as she met his. "I don't want you to be reckless again. Be smart." She added.

He nodded slowly, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "I won't be reckless again." He promised, holding out a pinky to her to seal the deal. She wrapped her own around his and kissed her own knuckle, Ryder doing the same.

"You can't break pinky promises." She told him, smiling a little herself. "You'll break my heart if you do."

Ryder leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to get cheek. "I will never break your heart." He said seriously. "I would rather die than hurt you in such a way."

She frowned a little, pressing her lips together. Ophelia had never had anyone who cared about her the way Ryder seemed to. He would kill anyone who looked at her the wrong way. He would protect her at all costs even if it meant putting his own life on the line. Words could not express how deep that commitment ran.

Ophelia cupped his face in one of her hands and kissed him, her eyes drifting shut. It wasn't hungry or demanding, but tender. The both of them pouring their affection into the kiss as much as they could.

It lasted a few seconds before he pulled away, kissing her nose and then her forehead. "How about we stay in bed one more day." He murmured, gently placing his finger beneath her chin, tilting her head back to look at him.

She smiled softly, her eyes lifting up. "That sounds like a perfect idea." She responded, pecking his lips before crawling from his lap, maneuvering herself beneath the covers.

Ryder stood from the bed and grabbed a stuffed animal from the very small collection she had on his chair in the corner, along with a clean pacifier from one of his drawers. He crawled into bed beside her and tucked the pacifier into her mouth before handing her the stuffed animal.

She cradled the small cat to her chest, tucking herself against him. His arms circled around her small frame, holding her tight. He made no move to turn the Tv on but she didn't mind, listening to the sound of his heartbeat instead.

It wasn't long before she found herself unable to keep her eyes open. She nuzzled his chest and sighed sleepily, settling herself. "I love you Daddy." She murmured, meaning her every word.

Ryder's heart sped up for a moment before evening out again. "I love you too princesa, always." He murmured, kissing the top her head.

• • •

Ophelia woke several time and each time she did, Ryder was still holding her close. He too fell asleep along side her, finding comfort having her small body safely tucked into his arms.

She knew that he wouldn't break any of his promises. She knew well that he cared about her more than any words could explain and she also knew that nothing would get her to leave him behind.

The disaster that brought them together was also the reason for their beautiful salvation.

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So its been awhile, I'm getting back in the groove. I have big plans for this story and I have some good stuff coming up. I thank everyone for the continued support even when I'm slow to deliver updates. It really does mean a lot and I hope you stick around to see where this story goes.

Until next time :)