Reading Online Novel

The Alpha's Baby(33)



"Hey, Don, do me a favor." Emmy glanced at her cook.

Donavon yawned but nodded.

"Go look and see if Mr. Creepy came inside."

"Ah, you want me to play bodyguard." Donavon seemed to enjoy the idea because he cracked his knuckles as his eyes sparkled. "I can do that. Your hero is at your service."

"Just go look around."

"If he's out there, do you want me to beat him up?" Donavon asked. "Just so you know, I was on the wrestling team in high school. I can clobber anyone who comes near me."

Donavon weighed a hundred and twenty pounds at most and was the scrawniest guy she'd ever seen. A seventh-grade girl could beat him up, let alone a tall, muscular stranger.

"Go look around," she repeated, rolling her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want me to—"

"No!" she cried.

Shoulders slumped, he headed for the exit. "Sheesh. You try to help a woman out and all you get is sass."

He left the kitchen, and she groaned and buried her face in her hands. Though Donavon was probably her favorite employee at the bakery, she frequently wanted to ring his neck in the morning…and in the afternoon…and in the evening. Now that she thought about it, did she ever not want to ring his neck?

As she contemplated her murderous tendencies, Donavon trotted back into the kitchen. "Mademoiselle, the evil doer has left the premises."

She did a double take. "What?"

Donavon's shoulders slumped. "The guy is gone."

"Good job, Batman." She squeezed his shoulder. "Maybe I should give you a raise."

"Really?" He perked up.

"Well, no, but I might give you an extra break today."

"Better than nothing." Donavon grinned, then kneaded bread while humming the Batman theme song.

Emmy retreated from the kitchen before she cut off her ears with a breadknife. After she made herself a cup of coffee strong enough to make her bounce off the walls, she headed into a secluded corner. Just when she was enjoying a succulent sip of coffee, she heard a chair screech on tile. Oh no, it was Donavon, possessed by the essence of Batman.

"Don, did you really follow me out here?" She didn't look up from her mug.

"Who's Don?" said a deep, rumbling voice.

She snapped to attention. Oh great, the person sitting across from her wasn't Donavon. It was Mr. Creepy. So much for an extra break for Donavon. The cook-in-training should count himself lucky if she didn't shove his hand in the food processor and use his flesh for meat pies. Grousing and trembling at the same time, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, protecting the baby as she met the eyes of the man sitting across from her.

"If you need assistance, someone at the counter can help you," she said coolly, trying to maintain calm even though her mind screamed, Oh my God!

"You and I both know I'm not here for food," he said.

"Oh?" Deep breaths, she told herself. Deep breaths.

"Don't play dumb, woman." His eyes narrowed. "You saw me watching you the other day. In fact, I've been watching you a lot, even if you didn't notice me."

Creepier words had never been said, and she'd heard a lot of creepy words.

She stood up, shaking from fear, and decided she needed help. "Donavon!"

Heads turned in her direction, but that was her goal. The more people who looked at them, the less likely her baby would be hurt because of this psycho. The whole reason she was trembling from head to foot, after all, was because she feared for her child. Her life didn't matter. At least, not in comparison to the life growing in her belly.

"Your little friend can't help you." The man stood up too, his eyes narrowed. "I'll just keep watching you."

"Why?" She was flabbergasted. "I don't even know you."

"Oh, you will. And I'm Jake, by the way." His eyes twinkled with deadly malice as he said the words. "Tell Sebastian I said hi."

He had something to do with Sebastian?

She screamed again, "Donavon!"

Finally, Donavon came barreling out of the kitchen with his clothes covered in flour and strawberry jam. Some Batman. He looked more like Donut Boy, a superhero who lived for blinding people with flour and then chocking them to death with salty custard donuts.

"Do you want me to get rid of this guy?" Donavon puffed out his chest, trying to appear impressive but failing.

"Yes." She nodded.

Donavon seized Jake's arm. "You're going to have to leave."

Instead of listening to Donavon's words, Jake looked at the younger man and laughed.

"I mean it." Donavon tightened his grip on his arm. "Leave my boss alone."

"All right, tough guy," Jake said, gazing at Donavon with obvious condescension. "I'll leave her alone."