All I Want For Christmas Is My Alpha Daddy

DELANEY "Now that you've graduated from medical school, Delaney, what exactly do you intend to do with your life?" I kept my eyes on my breakfast. Apparently, graduating from medical school had turned me into a public project for everyone in this house. "I haven't decided yet," I replied. My uncle, Richard Prescott, scoffed. "Four years of university, and you still don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life...? He shook his head. "Your father would be disappointed." My fingers tightened around my fork. I felt like driving my fork into his eyes. It took a great will reminding myself that I had survived years of professional training, dangerous assignments, and people who would gladly put a bullet in my head. I could certainly survive breakfast with two miserable relatives. Especially when I knew precisely where to bury a body. Not that I would. I had rules. I didn't kill people simply because they annoyed me. If I did, my uncle and his wife would have been dead before the eggs arrived this morning. "Perhaps she's waiting for a job to fall into her lap," my aunt, Patricia, added, sipping her tea. "You can't expect to live in this house forever without contributing anything." I almost laughed. My father's house. That was what made their hypocrisy so entertaining. After my parents died, Richard had taken control of the property, claiming he was protecting my younger sister, Gianna, and me. Somehow, protecting us had involved moving into our home permanently, spending our inheritance, and treating us like unwanted guests. I had learned early that arguing with people like them was pointless. They enjoyed getting a reaction. I refused to give them one. Across the table, Gianna glanced at me. Her face was apologetic. I offered her a small smile. She was the only reason I continued sitting at this table. My eighteen-year-old sister deserved a peaceful life. She deserved to attend university without worrying about money, to laugh without checking whether someone would punish her for it, and to dream about a future that didn't involve our toxic relatives. That was why I had endured this family for so long. That was why I had accepted jobs I would never have imagined doing years ago. And that was why I had decided that my next assignment would be my last. "Delaney, I'm speaking to you." I looked at Patricia. "Yes, Aunt Patricia?" She smiled in that irritating way people did when they believed they had found something they could trample on. "At your age, you should also be thinking about settling down. A good husband could give you direction. You can't spend your entire life wandering around without a purpose." I put down my fork. "Settle down?" "Yes. Get married. Start a family. Find a responsible man who can take care of you." I leaned back in my chair. "Oh, I'll settle up, Aunt Patricia. I have no intention of settling down like you did." Gianna choked on her juice. Patricia's smile vanished. Richard slammed his palm against the table. "Have you lost your manners? Is that how you speak to your aunt?" I raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer that I ignore her questions?" "Delaney!" "What? I'm answering her question." "You have insulted my wife!" "I didn't insult your wife," I shrugged. "I only answered her questions." Richard pushed his chair back. For one brief, satisfying moment, I imagined breaking his nose. My phone vibrated in my pocket. "Excuse me," I moved my chair back and stood up from the table before reaching for my phone. I glanced at the screen. One encrypted message. NEW ASSIGNMENT AVAILABLE. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUIRED. Finally. My lips curved with a smile. I opened it. The message contained a photograph, a name, and a location. TARGET: HOLLAND CREST. I stared at the name. Holland Crest. Something about it tugged at the back of my mind. I was certain I had heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't place where. I opened the attached photograph. A man in his mid-forties stared back at me. Dark hair, a strong jaw, and dark eyes that suggested the world had never given him a reason to smile. He was handsome in a cold, intimidating way, yet I wasn't impressed. I scrolled through the assignment details. Holland Crest was a wealthy businessman with extensive underground connections. His security was formidable, his movements unpredictable, and his enemies numerous. The agency had marked the assignment as high priority. The payment was more than enough to secure Gianna's future and give us a chance to disappear. My final mission. Then I am done. I ascended the stairs. "Where are you going?" Richard demanded. "Out." "You haven't finished eating!" I put my phone in my pocket. "You can finish my breakfast." Gianna quickly stood and followed me into the hallway. "Delaney?" I turned. She looked worried. "Are you going to be late again?" I hated lying to her, but I hated the thought of her discovering the truth even more. "I have something important to take care of. I'll be back as soon as I can." She nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. I kissed the top of her head. "Stay out of trouble, little bird." "You stay out of trouble." I smiled. "I'll try." Then I walked into my room, packed my essentials, and retrieved the equipment I kept hidden beneath a loose floorboard. By the time I left the house, my mind was already focused on the mission. --- The hotel was magnificent. Gold chandeliers illuminated the marble lobby. Crystal decorations hung from the ceiling, and enormous Christmas trees stood beside the reception desk. Guests in expensive clothing moved through the lobby while staff members greeted them with polished smiles. It was the sort of place where people paid a fortune to pretend the world was perfect. I walked through the lobby wearing a black coat, my hair tucked beneath a dark cap. A small bag hung from my shoulder, concealing what I needed. My instructions were straightforward. Holland Crest was staying in the hotel's private penthouse suite. His security team would be occupied with a scheduled meeting downstairs. I had a narrow window. I intended to use every second of it. After slipping through a restricted corridor, I reached the penthouse entrance. The lock was more sophisticated than I expected, but not sophisticated enough. A minute later, the door opened. I stepped inside. The suite was quiet, decorated with dark wood, expensive furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. "You're late." A voice called behind me. I froze. A man stood near the windows with his back to me. Holland Crest. I drew my weapon. "Turn around." He did. His gaze moved over me, taking in my covered face and raised weapon. Then he smiled. It wasn't a nervous smile. It wasn't the smile of a man who had just discovered an armed intruder in his private suite. It was the smile of someone who had been expecting me. "Interesting," he murmured. I fired. He moved. I had never seen anyone move like that. One moment, he stood several feet away. The next, my wrist was trapped in his hand, and my weapon was pointed harmlessly toward the floor. My eyes widened. I struck at his throat with my free hand. He caught that too. Then he twisted, forcing me against the wall. Pain shot through my shoulder. "Who sent you?" he asked calmly. I drove my knee toward his stomach. He blocked it. I elbowed him in the face, managing to break free long enough to reach for the knife strapped to my thigh. I managed to draw the knife across his cheek. Blood welled from the cut, streaking his skin. For the first time, his expression changed. His grip tightened around my arm, and he twisted it behind my back. I gasped. Then his eyes changed. Gold flooded his irises, bright and unnatural. Something dark stirred beneath his skin, and the air around us seemed to grow heavier. My heart slammed against my ribs. What the hell was he? His face hardened. "How dare you?" he growled. The sound sent a chill down my spine. "You're not human, are you?" I blurted before I could stop myself. His eyebrows lifted. "That's an interesting question coming from a woman who just tried to kill me.” I kicked him hard enough to break his hold and lunged toward the door. He caught the back of my coat. I abandoned it. The fabric tore as I slipped free, sprinting into the corridor. "Stop her!" His voice rang out behind me. Footsteps thundered through the suite as I raced toward the emergency exit, my pulse hammering. I had failed. For the first time in my career, I had failed to eliminate my target. Worse, I had encountered something I couldn't explain. I reached the stairwell and plunged my hand into my bag. My fingers closed around a slim black folder I had snatched from the desk during the struggle. I didn't know what it contained. I only knew that Holland had reacted the moment I took it. And judging by the sound of approaching footsteps, he wanted it back badly. I shoved the folder beneath my coat and continued down the stairs. I took off my mask and took in a breath of fresh air, heart still racing like crazy. "I will find you," his voice rang in my head. Holy s**t! I bolted away, straight into my truck and sped into the night.