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“Fuck,” I mutter. “That took less time than I thought it would.” I probably should’ve answered one of his calls on the ride back. I just wasn’t ready to have him chew me out for the same shit I’m still berating myself over. Or have him take Sophie from me.
“Show him in,” I say with a sigh. “Then you should go home and get some rest.”
“Yes, sir,” he replies before he disappears.
Dante storms into my office in a whirl of fury.
“I was just about to call you to set up a meeting,” I say when I get up from behind the desk to meet him halfway.
He doesn’t lay hands on me, but I know he wants to when he gets in my face and snarls, “You son of a bitch! My daughter is nearly blown to smithereens, and you didn’t bother to tell me?”
“I was going to tell you. We were laying low and just got back home today. And Sophie is absolutely fine.”
“That’s not the fucking point and you know it!”
Glancing down, I straighten the sleeves of my suit coat and button the front to give him a moment to calm down.
“Look, Dante, I understand that you’re upset. I figured you would overreact, and that it wouldn’t help Sophie any. I assumed that the next thing you would say is that you’re taking her home with you.”
“Damn right I am, before you get her killed!”
It takes a great deal of restraint not to wince. He’s right, she could’ve been killed, and I fucking hate myself for putting her in danger, for not stopping the attack, just like I couldn’t stop the one at the casino.
“Answer one question for me first.”
“What?” he snaps.
“What would you have done if Sophie was attacked by drones while on your rooftop court?”
“The guards would’ve shot them down!”
“Right. And when shooting them down makes them explode over her head, raining down fiery debris then what? There was no good solution at the time. Yes, I was stupid to not think about an aerial attack, and I hate that my oversight nearly cost Sophie her life, along with her guards lives. They did their job, though, and protected her. Now the situation is being remedied.”
“Remedied how?”
“Snipers on the rooftops at all times. They can shoot down any flying objects before they cross the property lines.”
“Snipers?”
“Yes. Until I can get my hands on some kind of anti-air defense missiles. That shit isn’t as easy to obtain. My people have tried to buy one. Small countries all hoard the ones that they have. Eventually someone might sell me one.”
“You’re serious? You’re trying to purchase a military defense system to protect your house?”
“Wouldn’t you if the tennis court on your roof was blown up?”
“Yes.”
“I’m doing what I can to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Sophie is fine. She got scuffed up from being thrown to the ground by her guards. That’s it, though.”
“That’s it? You don’t think she’s going to be traumatized by the attacks for months or years to come?”
“We survived and overcame something similar.”
“She shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of assassination shit!”
“No, she shouldn’t. I can’t even begin to tell you how angry at myself I am for not protecting her. I didn’t need you to come berate me on top of everything else. Yell all you want, but it won’t change anything that happened.”
“I could ask her if she wants to come home with me and get an annulment. I never should’ve urged her to marry your worthless ass!” Again, my muscles tense to keep from flinching at his insult. “I don’t need your contacts that badly.”
