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GOOD OLD DAD
KARINA
When I arrived, I expected a sign with my name written in permanent marker. Instead, I wasn’t greeted at all. No father, no bodyguard, nothing. And so I did what any other logical person would do: I called a taxi for the three-hour drive home.
“Hey.” The cab driver grabbed my attention from the blurred lights of the city. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like the Vasiliev girl?”
“Yup, all the time.” I mumbled as he swerved into another lane.
He smiled in the rearview mirror. “Well, apparently she got kidnapped.”
Looking back out the window, I nodded and watched as a bolt of light ripped through the sky. It seemed as though the sky was just as happy as I was about me being here.
“I haven’t heard all the details, but there’s a rumor going around that it was planned. One of his partners trying to use her as ransom so he can take over the company.”
It wasn’t entirely a rumor. One of my father’s business partners hired the guy. At least, that’s what Matthews said when he untied me from the chair. “I don’t listen to the rumors.”
“Yeah, but you must have heard something. It’s all over the news,” he stated before explaining the entire situation that happened. “Apparently, he took her from a nightclub.”
That was partially true. I was leaving the nightclub, and the man grabbed me from behind, covering my face. From there, it went black until I woke up in the warehouse.
“I wonder what her dad’s going to do. Clearly, they aren’t going to hurt her if they want something, but I’m sure they’ve threatened to.”
They probably did, which would have explained why Matthews saved me, but that was merely a speculation.
I ignored the rest of the driver’s chatter, letting the rain drown out his voice. It came down in sheets against the window. A crackle rang in my ears, followed by a loud pop and lightning flashing in the sky.
Maybe going home was a bad idea, but there was nothing I could do about it. We were already driving down the dirt path. The driver grew quiet as we drove up to the iron gate that separated my father’s mansion from the rest of the world.
“The Vasiliev mansion, ever met the guy?”
“No,” I lied. “But my brother works here.”
“Really? Wow! Send my regards to Mr. Vasiliev if you see him.”
I nodded and handed him cash before leaving the cab. The rain seemed to pass, even just momentarily, as I stepped out onto the wet dirt road. I was grateful for it.
I walked over to the call box and pressed it.
“Name and purpose?” A voice came from the box.
I pressed it again, holding it down as I spoke. “Karina Vasiliev. My father’s waiting for me.”
As I took my finger off, the gate creaked and opened. “Sorry, Miss Vasiliev. Your father will meet you at the door.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I followed the little fire lights up the stairs. The front door swung open as I reached the top, revealing the man I hadn’t seen in nearly five years.
“Moya malyshka,” my father called me his little girl in our native tongue. He stood, holding his arms out in front of him for an embrace.
I smiled, meeting him in a hug. The rich smell of wood and vanilla surrounded me, lingering as he pulled away.
No matter how soft his dark hazel-green eyes looked, his demeanor stayed the same, rigid. He glanced behind me, searching for someone. “Where’s Mr. James?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“The bodyguard I sent to get you.”
Oh. I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. He didn’t show up.”
“And you chose not to wait after what happened?” He drifted his attention back down to me, one bushy eyebrow raised in annoyance.
“I was fine, Papa.” I gave him a smile. “Matthews made sure I was safe, and the taxi driver even brought me right up to the gate.”
My father nodded. “Let’s get you out of the rain. I got a fresh set of clothes for you in the closet.”
Of course he did. Even when it was last minute, my father always made sure I had everything I would need… except for his company. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pushing me gently inside and away from the rain that started to sprinkle down once more.
“I will be in my office. I need to get ready for a meeting at six.”
And as per usual, work came before his family, as I should have suspected. My father was a busy man, and busy men never had much time for family. No, his job was far more important, even for his daughter, who had just escaped his enemies.
“Mr. James should be back before then, so I can introduce you to one another.”
I rolled my eyes as we walked up to the second floor. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“With the recent threat to your life—”
“It’s fine Papa. I said I don’t need one. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand why you want me to have one.” I chose not to argue with my father for once. As much as I didn’t want to have to deal with the whole bodyguard situation.
“I want you and your brother to be safe.”
“Does he have someone watching over him twenty-four-seven?”
“He does.” My father stopped in his tracks outside my old room. “Will you be ok staying here for the time being?”
His words didn’t sit well with me. It was almost as if he didn’t want me to be there. Or maybe he just wasn’t used to having me around. After all, I left his house the moment I turned twenty.
“It’ll be like living on my own, only seeing your face occasionally.”
“I know you aren’t happy with these arrangements, but I promise we will make it work.” He leaned over, placing a small kiss on the top of my head. I welcomed the same wood and vanilla smell. I never thought I’d miss it. “Oh, I even spoke with Risque Dreams. They are willing to fly you out to New York for photoshoots instead of having to fly across the country to LA.”
Heat flushed through my body as my fingernails bit into my palms. There was good old dad… making arrangements for me. But he was trying to compromise for once instead of having me leave the job all together. As kind as his gesture was, it didn’t change the fact that I left the place I once called home. But I held swallowed back my anger and twisting my lips into a smirk.
“I appreciate it, but for now, I’m ok with the arrangements. It’ll be like a vacation.”
My father took a step back and smiled. He ran his fingers through his brown hair, sporting a few new strands of gray. The fine lines under his eyes and the dark shade revealed his sleepless nights.
“Something you need to do as well.” I hugged him once more before turning into my room.
My eyes drifted around the pink painted walls, empty aside from the corner by the bed where old photos hung. I walked over and fell back onto my bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling, mentally preparing myself to give the next bodyguard, which I was sure would be this Mr. James, a break.
