Nash (Daddies of Justice #3)

Chapter 19

Rosie

R osie blinked groggily, the harsh fluorescent lights making her squint. Her shoulder throbbed under the sling as she shifted in the narrow hospital bed. Savannah and Mia's faces swam into view above her, worry etched on their pretty features.

"Hey girl, you gave us a real scare," Savannah said, squeezing her hand.

"How do you feel, tough stuff?" Mia asked with a wry smile.

Rosie gave them a lopsided grin. "Like I could kick Bobby's ass from here to Sunday." Her words were fierce but slurred from the painkillers.

Her friends exchanged a glance. "You and Nash both saved each other out there. Quite the power couple," Savannah said.

Rosie's chest swelled with pride under the thin hospital gown, the events of the night flashing through her mind. Her and her Daddy, fighting side by side, equals. Partners.

Then Bobby's final wheezed warning echoed in her ears. "The Den—is it okay? What happened?" She struggled to sit up straighter, nerves jangling.

"Shhh, relax Rosie, it's all good," Mia soothed, easing her back. "Nash made sure of that."

"Your Daddy has had us training hard on self-defense," Savannah explained with a gleam in her eye. "So when three scumbags busted in looking to start trouble, they got a big surprise."

"Didn't expect to get their asses handed to them by a bunch of pissed-off Littles and Daddies!" Mia crowed. She shadow-boxed the air. "Bam! Kicked one guy right in the family jewels. He squealed like a pig."

Rosie laughed.

"And I clocked another with a bottle of top-shelf whiskey," said Savannah proudly. "Such a waste of good booze."

"The cops hauled them off to jail, whimpering and limping." Mia high-fived Savannah with a smirk. "The Den is safe and sound. Promise."

Relief flooded Rosie, tension draining from her body. "Badass bitches," she murmured fondly.

"Takes one to know one." Savannah winked. "We'll let you rest."

"Blake and Jax are waiting for us. Don't want to be out of their sight right now." Mia smiled softly. "They worry, you know?"

"Oh I know," Rosie replied, an image of Nash's concerned face filling her mind's eye. Her Daddy, her protector, her partner. Hers.

Alone now, Rosie relaxed into the pillows, exhausted but buzzing with adrenaline and pride. Everything had changed tonight. And damn, it felt good to be bad.

Nash's solid footsteps echoed as he approached Rosie's bed. He was all cleaned up now, wearing a blue sweater and no longer stinking of the sewers. His intense green eyes locked onto hers, searching. "How are you feeling, baby girl?"

A dopey grin spread across her face. "Honestly? Pretty freaking amazing, all things considered." She gestured vaguely to her sling with her good arm. "Guess the pain meds are doing their job."

He perched on the edge of the bed and took her hand, rubbing circles on her palm with his thumb. "What you did back there . . . I'll never forget it, Rosie. You took a bullet for me."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat." The words tumbled out, raw and real. "You needed me. There was no choice to make."

Nash's brow furrowed, his grip on her hand tightening. "I never want you in that position again, you hear me? Having to be brave, risking your life . . ."

"But I'm not afraid anymore, Nash. I feel . . . powerful. Like we're equals now."

He cupped her cheek, leaning in close. She could feel his breath on her lips. "You've always been my equal, Rosie Love. And I'll be damned if I let you live a life looking over your shoulder, waiting for the next threat."

Her pulse quickened at the conviction in his rich baritone. "What are you saying?"

Nash reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a small, elegantly wrapped package. "I was going to give you this at the Christmas party, before everything went to hell."

Rosie's brow furrowed as she took the gift, turning it over in her hands. "Is this why you were dressed as Santa?"

A wry smile tugged at his lips. "Guilty as charged. I had this whole surprise planned. I’d just gotten myself dressed up for you, but then . . ." He trailed off, jaw clenching.

She squeezed his hand, grounding him in the present. "Well, consider me thoroughly surprised." Carefully, she peeled back the shimmering paper to reveal a worn, leather-bound book. " 1001 Great Escapes ," she read aloud, tracing the embossed title with her fingertip.

Nash flipped open the cover, revealing pages filled with lush, full-color photographs of secluded cabins, sun-drenched beaches, and quaint mountain towns. Certain entries were marked with Post-It notes, Nash's bold scrawl highlighting key features. "I thought we could pick a place, somewhere off the grid, and just . . . disappear. Build a life away from all this chaos."

Rosie's heart swelled at the thought of a future with Nash, but a flicker of uncertainty tempered her joy. She knew how much his work with Paladin Security meant to him, how driven he was to protect the innocent and bring criminals to justice. Could she really ask him to walk away from that? From his brothers?

"Nash, this is . . ." She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "It's an incredible gesture. But your mission, everything you've built with Paladin . . . I don't want you to sacrifice all that for me."

He cupped her face in his hands, his green eyes blazing with intensity. "You are all I care about, Rosie. You’re my everything. Don't you see that? Paladin will always be a part of me, but you . . . you're my future. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, to give us a chance at something real."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pulled him into a fierce embrace, mindful of her injured shoulder. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent of sandalwood and musk. "I love you," she whispered, the words muffled against his skin. "I love you so much, Daddy."

Nash's arms tightened around her, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "I love you too, baby girl. More than anything in this world."

Nash pulled back slightly, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed away a stray tear as he gazed down at her, his expression tender yet resolute. "I have one more thing for you," he murmured, reaching into his pocket.

Rosie's breath caught in her throat as he withdrew a delicate silver bracelet, the metal gleaming under the harsh hospital lights. He took her uninjured hand in his, his touch gentle as he clasped the bracelet around her wrist.

She lifted her arm, studying the intricate engraving etched into the silver. "'You are my mission, Rosie Love,'" she read aloud, her voice trembling with emotion. "Oh, Nash . . ."

He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. "I mean it, baby girl. Every word. You're my everything, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."

Rosie tilted her head, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. She poured all of her love, her gratitude, her unwavering devotion into the embrace, her fingers tangling in his dark hair. Nash responded with equal fervor, his mouth slanting over hers as he deepened the kiss.

The world fell away. The beeping of machines, the distant chatter of hospital staff, the dull throb of her shoulder—all of it faded into the background. There was only Nash, his strong arms anchoring her, his kiss igniting a fire within her soul.

When they finally broke apart, breathless and flushed, Rosie knew that this was just the beginning. A new chapter in their story, one filled with hope, healing, and the unshakable bond they shared.

She traced the words on her bracelet, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Mission accepted, Daddy," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and adoration.

Nash grinned, stealing another quick kiss before settling back in his chair beside her bed. "Rest now, baby girl," he urged, his hand finding hers and lacing their fingers together. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

Rosie drifted off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that her Daddy would always be her protector, her partner, her home. Because that's how Daddies and Littles worked. They were a little bit of all the best things in the world, all rolled into one.