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My temper rose at her words. “Don’t talk about yourself that way, Emma. If you’d come straight to me instead of that stage, I wouldn’t have had to outbid anyone. Not that money is an object where you’re concerned.”
“I wanted to surprise you…and prove that I can handle myself.”
“Point taken. I’ll try not to doubt how much you can handle in the future.” An image of her standing on that stage came to mind, hips swaying as she sucked on her index finger. “Where the hell did you learn to dance like that?”
She blushed. “I took lessons when I was younger.”
I raised my brows.
“Ballet, not pole dancing. But if you have rhythm, I guess any form of dance feels natural.”
“You’ll never do that again,” I warned, “unless it’s for me.”
She smiled, but something was holding her back. “Point taken.”
I reclined in the booth to mirror her. “You still seem upset.”
We’d finished our meals and the waiter was bringing the check. I handed him my card, not bothering to look at the bill. I was impatient to have her to myself in private. He grabbed it and thanked us before stalking off to make the charge.
Emma waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “Yes, I’m still upset with you.”
I fought to conceal my smile. I would never get over how cute she was when she got all riled up—like a tiger cub with its fur sticking on end.
“For punishing you?” I asked. I couldn’t see why else she would be upset. I, for one, was content now that I had her with me. It’d been a long two weeks of Emma withdrawal.
“No,” she said, enunciating the word. “If that’s your form of punishment, I’ll try to piss you off more.”
“Then not calling you?” I floundered. “I knew if I heard your voice, I’d come straight home. And I had things to take care of.”
Like recruiting an army.
“No, I’m pissed because the first thing you did when you landed was work more! Shannon and the baby are still in the hospital. They should’ve been your first stop.”
The mention of my niece was akin to an ice cube sliding down the back of my throat. “I’m not going to that hospital.”
She sighed, sweeping her dark ponytail over one shoulder. “Well, they’re being discharged tomorrow morning, anyway. We can head to the Shannon together.”
“I won’t be visiting the penthouse either.”
“And why is that?”
“I’m not going to look my niece in the eye until the man who took her father from her is dead.” My voice was thick and laced with the hatred that burned in my eyes.
“Are you serious?” Emma asked, incredulous. “She’s a baby, Jack. She doesn’t care about your vendetta. She needs her uncles. And Shannon needs you, too.”
I wasn’t changing my mind. “All Charlie needs right now is a nipple and a dry diaper.”
Emma threw her hands in the air. “You are so stubborn! Babies form bonds before they even leave the womb. You can’t miss out on such an important thing.”
“How do you know so much about newborn bonding?” I had a feeling this subject would arise often if I didn’t kill the Babau soon. Which I planned to, once I discovered the bastard’s real name and whatever cave he was hiding in.
“I volunteered at a children’s hospital in New Haven when I was in high school,” Emma replied.
I rolled my eyes as the waiter returned with my credit card. “Of course you did.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Angel,” I muttered, rising from the table.
