Page 69 of The Forbidden Bodyguard

“Answer it,” I instruct. “On speaker.”

“You can’t tell me what to do. I’ve hired you!” she snaps, fear and anger merging together.

She’s panicking. Feeling closed in.

I lean down and swipe the screen.

“Shit, God—hi, Dad.” She stumbles and thumps me on the chest.

“Stella, where the hell have you been all day?!” he demands. “I have been calling you for hours.”

She swallows.

“I had lunch with Charlotte and must’ve forgotten to take it off silent.” Her eyes briefly lock with mine. We both know she was in my apartment and in my bed.

“That doesn’t answer my question. Where are you?”

“In my penthouse.”

“That’s not true. Tony...never mind. Walk over to the window.” Victor instructs.

Josh’s brows lift at the same speed as mine.

“What? Why?” she frowns.

“Do as you're told, Stella.” Her father growls. “Now.”

I nudge her and mouth ask him what Tony wants.

“What does Tony want?” she demands of her father, and when she glances around the room, Josh indicates she should walk to the window.

I nod, and she does.

I follow and stare outside.

The time for games is over.

We all know what happened. Our guys created a diversion this afternoon so they couldn’t follow us home from lunch. When she wasn’t in her penthouse, it rattled them. That she asked to go to my place instead was even better.

Now we know Marino has been keeping very close tabs on her. The place isn’t bugged, or he’d know she was here, but he has eyes on her.

And he knows we’ve been intimate.

“He wants to know where his bride is. You are going to be his fucking wife, Stella. He owns you. He owns me.”

She panics, her eyes flaring as she quickly takes the phone off speaker and rushes across the room. With the phone to her ear, she starts talking fast. “Fine. Okay. Yes. Fine, Dad, I agreed, all right. I will see you tomorrow.”

Then she hangs up and we stare at her, waiting for an explanation.

He owns me.

“Why does Tony Marino own your father, Stella?” Josh asks.

I watch as her eyes dart around the room while she calculates the situation. Thinking she can outsmart two Navy SEALs and one Delta Force operator is very bold.

We wait.

She looks at me, and for a split second, I think I see a hint of what she feels for me, and it has my heart lurching inside my chest. Then an apology follows.