Chapter 5 Thorned

VINTON'S POV

I was never one to be careless. And I wasn't going to start now.

In life, very few things mattered to me, my daughter was one of those things.

Hearing that she had almost been taken away on the day that was supposed to be one of her happiest had thrown me completely off kilter. And that had filled me with the sort of fear that had shaken me right down to the sole of my boots.

And then, Eliza Reed had walked in, looking confident and self-assured in her little uniform. And she had been declared the one to have saved my daughter's life.

I sighed deeply and grabbed my phone again, sliding my thumb across the screen and tapping on dial.

Someone had tried to harm my daughter. Someone had tried to cause me pain on a day that was supposed to be my happiest.

“Good evening, Mr. Vinton.”

“Shark. I need information about the two men who had tried to kidnap my daughter.”

“We're already on it.”

“Tell me what you've gotten so far.” I stood up from my desk and began to pace the length of my study.

“We have gathered that these blokes were hired as cooks for your daughter's third birthday party.”

“And how was their information gotten? Is there no agency or company that can be held accountable?”

“I don't think so.” Shark responded, drawing out the words.

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“The two cooks had been hired through a social platform where they posted content about catering to their clients' needs.”

“Why would anyone just hire a random person on social media without running a background check on them?” I growled.

“Background checks were run.” Shark explained. “Their records were clean. They were just cooks who loved to post their videos on YouTube.”

“And their faces were never shown?”

“When it has to do with meals, Mr. Vinton, photographing the cook is never a necessary criterion.”

“Are you implying that this job is far too much for you to handle, Shark?”

“Not at all, Mr. Vinton. I am only saying that I need time. I will find them eventually, Mr. Vinton.”

“Three days.” I muttered, tone clipped. “I am giving you three days to find the bastards who tried to take my daughter.”

“I will.” Shark said, voice filled with determination. Shark was the best at this sort of thing. Had come highly recommended two years ago when my company experienced bankruptcy as a result of financial fraud that had been committed in its name.

It had taken Shark 48 hours to disclose the identity of the scumbags who had used the company name to commit fraud. 12 more hours to track them down to Minnesota.

He had earned my trust and so far had not broken it.

“Another thing…” I began to say as I returned to my desk, tapping on my laptop screen. I watched the face of the woman that lit up my screen.

“I want you to give me everything on Eliza Reed.” I muttered without taking my eyes away from my screen.

Eliza Reed, the woman who had waltzed into my study and offered to protect my precious angel, stared back at me, icy blue eyes looking like they knew more than they were letting on.

Having met her in person, I could tell that she looked better than she did in this picture, where the vitiligo that made her lips more pouty and sensual was less obvious.

Shit. I wasn't supposed to think of her lips as sensual. Not when that mouth uttered words that were sharper than shards of glass.

“Will do that pronto.”

“Good.” I await feedback. Without waiting for a reply, I clicked on the red button and slammed the phone down.

It was time to see Tilly.

I stood up and began to make my way down, noting that the large living room reserved for special occasions was now empty.

After that little fiasco, the guests had all left.

I made my way to Tilly's room and knocked softly on it. There was no sound coming from inside.

Slowly, I shifted the door open and poked my head. Tilly was deeply asleep. Her mouth was slightly agape as she breathed in and out softly, and my chest constricted almost painfully.

If anything happened to Tilly, I didn't know what I'd do. But I'd burn through hell to fetch the bastards who had attempted to dare lay a finger on her.

Now that it was obvious that her life was on the line. I had to be really careful.

As I closed the door softly and turned around, I found myself coming face-to-face with Eliza, who was leaning casually against the wall, hands folded in front of her.

“Do you need anything?” I asked as I took in her short shorts and the little tank top she had on that molded against her curves.

“I heard footsteps and thought to check on her.” She replied, nodding towards my daughter's room.

Her words both irritated and impressed me. Eliza Reed was obviously a smart one. None of the other nannies had ever cared to check on Tilly on nights when I'd return late and need to see her pretty face.

Maybe, the other nannies had never considered that anything untoward could happen.

But Eliza looked like the sort of woman who would never leave anything to chance. And right now, Eliza was the sort of nanny my daughter needed.

“Well, you can return to your room now. She is fine and safe.”

Eliza smirked and dropped her hands, and my hands zoomed in on her chest. She wasn't putting on a bra.

I cursed softly under my breath. I wasn't supposed to notice that my daughter's nanny wasn't wearing a damn bra.

“Good night, Mr. Crost.”

“Good night, Eliza. And next time, put on something more decent. We are not throwing a teenage party here.”

As I turned away, Eliza's low chuckle drifted to my ears. I could tell that she was going to be a thorn in my damn flesh.