Ruin and Rise by Sam Crescent, Jenika Snow Page B

Daniella didn’t know how he was going to handle it.
    “It needs to come from me.”
    “No, it should come from both of us,” Shakes said with determination.
    “If he flies off the deep end, I don’t want you there,” she said.
    Tears filled her eyes. This was why she didn’t want to have to deal with her father. Daniella would have been happier running away and never coming back. Although they had done that once, they had been found. They’d risked hell just because they wanted to be together, and this is where they’d ended up to make that happen. Not many women have to go through these kinds of things.
    Whatever Zeke was making Shakes do, it was changing him, making him darker, scarier at times. She saw the truth burning in his eyes, but she couldn’t reach him.
    “But I can’t do this without you, Shakes. If he flies off the deep end, and something happens to you, I don’t know if I could live with myself.”
    Shakes let out a harsh laugh. “Shit life we’ve gotten ourselves into, isn’t it.”
    Going to her knees, she cupped his face, and finally let the tears fall. This wasn’t the life she wanted for either of them. “Please, let me handle this.”
    “You’re my woman, Dani.”
    “I know. I’ll always be your woman, but I’m his daughter. He will not hurt me. I know he won’t.”
    “He’s a monster, Dani.”
    She took a shuddering breath in and continued to cry. Shakes caught her face and wiped the tears away.
    “I know he’s a monster. I don’t know what you’re going through with him. I love you, Shakes, completely, with my whole heart, and I’d do anything for you. In all the time I’ve been with Zeke, he has never hurt me. He has done everything to protect me, even if it’s been in his screwed up way.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “Even after all the awful things you’ve witnessed, you’ve got to see that I am safe with my father.”
    “I don’t like it.”
    “I know, baby. I know.” She banded her arms around his neck and held on tight. No one should have to find excuses to stay alive. Their earlier arousal had vanished. Shakes picked her up in his arms and carried her to bed. Sex was out of the question now, not after the dark conversation they’d just had. They simply held each other tightly.

    Daniella bit her lip as she waited for her father to finish with his meeting. She was in one of the strip clubs that she wasn’t supposed to know about but did. She knew a lot of stuff about her father that neither Shakes or her father realized she knew. She was good at keeping secrets. This situation with her father and Shakes was tearing them all apart. A part of her still didn’t trust Zeke, but she couldn’t live without Shakes. That was the only reason she was here.
    Hearing a feminine moan come from inside her father’s office, she clenched her teeth. It was disgusting listening to her father having sex. No one knew she was here, and Shakes was working somewhere else today. She hated this, hated being here. Everywhere she turned, she saw naked men and women. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was a little after ten. Running her hands down her legs, she rolled her eyes at the sounds.
    “Yes, harder, Zeke, you’re so good, so good.” The last was said on a loud scream.
    She almost threw up when she heard Zeke groan. It had been so much better when she didn’t have a clue what all of those moans meant. She shuddered and held her breath as the door opened. A slender blonde wearing only glitzy underwear came out of the office. Zeke followed her out and froze when he saw Daniella.
    “Dani,” he said.
    “I can’t believe I just heard all of that.”
    “What are you doing here?” Zeke asked, his tone as hard as steel.
    “I wanted to talk to you.”
    “How do you even know about this fucking club? How the hell did you get up here without security stopping you or letting me know?” he asked, looking angrier.
    “I know a hell of a lot about you, and it’s not