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“Well, my impression of him just improved. Is he there now? Theo said he hasn’t come out of your house.”
Her eyes flashed to Dozer. Knowing her dad, this could go one of two ways. “Yes. He’s here. I’m afraid I had to tell him who I was. After meeting Haris and Theo the way he did, I had to explain. He was only trying to protect me, Father. Please be nice.”
“I’m always nice kitten, until I can’t be. Put me on speaker phone. I want to talk to him.”
“Father, be—” she started to ask again for at least civility, but he interrupted.
“Janel, I want to thank the man for looking out for you.”
She didn’t buy that for a hot second. “Daddy. He could have been hurt.”
Dozer chuckled and she sent him a silent apology as she switched to speaker phone. “Father, this is Dozer, and Dozer, this is my father, King Kilead SuMartra of Tanistan.”
Dozer’s eyes grew round and he mouthed, “King?”
She nodded and he pinched the bridge of his nose. If he could run out of the house right now, Janel thought he might choose that over talking with her father.
“Dozer. What type of a name is that?”
“It’s a name I’m damn proud to have earned,” he said with an attitude and then tacked on, “sir.”
“What’s the name I have my men do a background check on?” King Ki plainly asked.
Dozer’s brow rose. “You won’t find anything.”
Her father’s tone deepened. “I prefer to be the judge of that when it pertains to my daughter’s safety.”
“I can assure you that I am not a danger to your daughter. You had no business allowing her to buy a car when she doesn’t know how to drive.”
Janel winced. Her father didn’t need to be reminded of her little fender bender. And that was no way to speak to a powerful man who believed his daughter was in danger. Janel didn’t have high hopes for this conversation ending well.
It surprised her when her father didn’t take offense and instead explained, “If you know my daughter at all, you know she has a bit of a stubborn streak. I’m afraid it comes from her mother.”
Janel snickered and heard her mother protesting in the background. She loved her parents.
“I am aware, sir,” Dozer agreed and Janel’s chin tipped. “I also know she can talk the stripes off a pole cat and can frustrate a saint.”
There was a pause and then her father laughed out loud. “You know, Dozer, I think I like you. Pardon me for being blunt, but what is your interest in my daughter?”
“She’s already told you. I’m her neighbor and nothing more.”
Of course that’s all they were. But it stung a bit to hear him say it. What else had she expected?
“Hmmm,” was King Ki’s only reply. “I don’t need to caution you about keeping Janel’s true identity to yourself, do I?”
Their eyes met. “No, sir, you don’t. But it would be best if she went home now.”
Janel gasped. Why would he say that? “No, Father. I’m not ready to come home. Give me more time. Please.”
“Is my daughter in any peril by remaining there?”
Dozer frowned, picking up he wasn’t going to get his way and Janel grinned. Then he had to go and ruin it by saying, “I don’t believe so, unless she takes up driving again.”
King Ki chuckled. “She has promised her driving days are no more. And they better be.”
“Yes, Father. I mean, no, I won’t drive until I’ve had proper lessons,” she conceded, and felt like sticking her tongue out at Dozer.
There was a pause before her father sternly reminded, “I have my eyes on you, Dozer. Don’t think I won’t be able to find out everything about you and your past.”
