Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 44899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Sully didn’t step away. Instead, his hand slid from the small of my back to my waist, firmly anchoring me to his side as he faced down one of the most dangerous men in Nashville.
“I see,” was all he said. From the look in his eyes as his gaze shifted from me to Sully and back, I thought he might see.
Tonio took a step toward me, then seemed to reconsider. His gaze lingered on the bruise spreading across my cheek. His expression remained controlled, but I caught the slight tightening of his jaw, the narrowing of his eyes.
“You’re injured,” he stated, his voice carrying an edge to it I’d not heard in our previous encounters.
“Brilliant observation,” I replied, leaning more heavily against Sully than I strictly needed to. “Did your Harvard education teach you that?”
If my jab bothered him, he didn’t show it. “I understand you were attacked by men claiming to act on my behalf.”
“Just another Tuesday for me,” I shrugged, then winced as the movement sent pain shooting through my ribs. “Though they did mention a certain someone was looking for his long-lost daughter. Can’t imagine who that might be.”
Tonio’s eyes flickered briefly to Sully, then back to me. “I’ve been making inquiries, yes. As Knight so eloquently reminded me, I practically painted a target on your back.” He didn’t look happy at all. Like he finally realized he’d fucked up and how much it could have cost him. “I never authorized anyone to approach you with violence,” he said, his tone hardening. “The men who hurt you will be dealt with.”
The chill in his voice when he said “dealt with” made even my skin crawl. I almost felt sorry for Jenkins, currently being “questioned” somewhere in this compound. Almost. Okay, not really, but I’m trying to be a better person.
“Well, that’s comforting,” I said, infusing my voice with as much sarcasm as I could muster. “I’ll sleep better knowing you’ll murder some random thugs who roughed me up. Really softens my opinion of you.”
Tonio reached behind the bar and poured himself a double shot of Jack. The deliberate movements gave him time to compose his response, a tactic I recognized because I used it myself.
“Darby,” he said finally, turning back to face us, glass in hand. “I understand your reluctance to acknowledge our… connection.” He took a measured sip. “I understand your need to push boundaries, to test limits. But your running away from me, and my subsequent… concern, has put you in danger.”
“I was doing just fine before you knew I existed. I’ll do fine without you now.”
“You were hustling pool in dive bars and living in motels,” he countered, his tone maddeningly reasonable. “That’s not ‘fine’ by any definition.”
“It’s my definition,” I snapped. “My life, my choices.”
“Choices that nearly got you killed tonight.” He set his glass down with deliberate care. “You need to let me help you. Let me take you home where I can protect you. You will never want for anything. You’ll have as much freedom as you’ll allow me to give you.”
“Allow?” I felt my eyebrows climb in my disbelief. The nerve of the man! “You don’t get to allow me anything. I allow myself. No one’s told me what to do since I turned sixteen, when I ran away from my last foster home. I’m certainly not giving you that kind of control over me.”
Tonio gave an impatient shake of his head. “That’s not what I meant. At least, not exactly. Look,” he hurried on when I would have laid into him again. “I only meant that, if you will let your bodyguards do their job to keep you safe, you can do any fucking thing you want, honey. You and Carrie are my only true weaknesses. You’re the only women in my family, and we protect our women. I lost my sister because my father couldn’t deny her what she wanted. Now I’m afraid I’m going too far in the other direction and driving you away.”
I took a breath. “I’m sorry, Tonio. I know you don’t mean me any harm. I’m just not interested in being a prisoner, no matter how gilded the cage.”
“I can give you anything you want, Darby.” He actually took a step toward me. “Just… let me.” He balled his hands into fists. “Let me have a daughter. Please.”
Throughout our exchange, Sully had remained silent beside me, a solid presence radiating heat and unexpected comfort. But I felt the tension in his body, the way his muscles coiled tighter with each word exchanged between Tonio and me. He was watching, assessing, those observant eyes missing nothing. I wondered what he saw. Did he look at me like a spoiled little rich girl rejecting her father’s concern, or a woman fighting to maintain her independence?
I risked a glance at him and found his gaze not on Tonio, but on me. He was studying my face with an intensity that made something flutter in my chest. His gaze dropped to my hands, and I realized with embarrassment that I had his hand in a death grip despite the tough front I was putting up. I wasn’t scared. Not at all. One thing I knew with absolute certainty: despite letting him believe I thought he’d let those thugs abuse me, Antonio Miles would rather chew off his own arm than hurt me. So maybe I overreacted on this whole adventure. Or maybe I was afraid I might actually like the guy. Then where would I be?