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Clive held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I wish to talk. That is all. Please…sit.”
Luke stared at him for several seconds before stepping aside.
Her father’s expression gave nothing away as his gaze slid to her. “It’s good to see you, Annie. It’s been a long time.”
She barely recognized the name she’d answered to for more than half her life. How dare he use the name her mother gave her? Sally held his gaze, refusing to be the first to look away. A shake of his head and a subtle softening of his features surprised her. What was his game? She was never going to trust him again, and neither was Luke if his warning hand on her arm was any indication.
“I will not hurt your friends, Annie. Nor my granddaughter. This is between you and me. There are things we must discuss, and I prefer…privacy.” Clive nodded toward the door. “But Jennifer, your young man and this medic will stay…for your comfort.”
“Yeah, well, hold that thought for a minute, Pops.” Matt gave her a confident grin. “This is going to sting so, Luke, why don’t you distract her?” Sally barely caught Matt’s words before Luke dropped down on one knee beside her.
“Hey, sunshine. I want to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you. I know you’re tired of hearing me propose, but if you’ll tell me you’ll marry me…I’ll stop.”
With Luke’s face in front of hers, Sally couldn’t see Matt, and she didn’t realize he’d jerked the wood free until he held the six-inch-long sliver up for her to see. Tears filled her eyes as she focused again on her Navy SEAL.
There were really only a few important things in her life. Luke and Jen were at the top of that list. She loved Luke, and she couldn’t think of one reason why she shouldn’t snatch up this little bit of happiness with both hands. She’d certainly lived enough of her life in fear of Clive Brennan. It was almost a relief now that he’d found her.
If the past was any indication, she couldn’t believe a word her father said, meaning her happiness could very likely be short-lived. Still, committing to Luke was what she wanted to do…and no one, least of all her father, was going to stop her. “What do you think, Jen?”
The girl was smiling from ear to ear as she jumped up and down. “Yes! Finally!”
Sally laughed. “Looks like it’s unanimous. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Luke’s eyebrows flew toward his hairline. He leaned toward her as he flung an arm around Jen and drew her into a group hug, along with Sally. Leaving a trail of kisses all over her face, he bent close. “You’re mine. Thank you,” he whispered.
Matt coughed, drawing their attention. “Sounds like congratulations are in order. I’m starting to feel like a fifth wheel around here. Sally, your knee’s going to be sore for a while. No racing. I gotcha butterflied together for now. You can decide on stitches…later. Same with the rest of the slivers. We’ll worry about them after you hear this man out.” Matt nodded toward her father. “Jen, want to come with me and make sure Travis is behaving himself?”
She giggled. “Is it okay, Mom?”
A moment of trepidation sent her worried gaze toward Luke’s friend. “Sure, baby. Stay with Matt, though, okay?” Sally dreaded her father’s discussion. At the very least, it would be uncomfortable, and Jen should get to be anywhere but here. He’d said no one would be hurt—that it was between him and Sally. Even if he was lying, she’d put her money on Matt to keep her daughter safe.
Jen held her arms up, and he swung her onto his shoulders. She waved as he ducked down to go through the doorway.
Luke stood and pulled a chair close to Sally’s head. Clive positioned a kitchen chair about five feet from the couch. For the first time, sweat glistened on his brow, and he looked nervous—but he couldn’t be as nervous as Sally.
In all the nightmares in which she and Jen were killed mercilessly by the man now sitting down to have a chat with her, not once had he offered to talk things over. Either she was going crazy or the script had taken a 180-degree turn.
Clive sighed deeply. “You’ve thought you were hidden for a long time, Annie, but I have known where you were from the beginning, thanks to intelligence supplied by friends in the Russian GRU. You believe me a monster—a ruthless killer—a traitor to the country in which you were born. All true. I am not ashamed of what I am or what I’ve done. What I amnotis a father who would harm his daughter…or anyone she holds dear. You did what you believed to be right—you testified against me. I would have preferred it differently, but I’ve paid my debt to your society. I am here to tell you to stop hiding and start living. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Sally glanced toward Luke, half-afraid to believe what she was hearing.
“I didn’t expect to meet my granddaughter. She’s a good girl. You’ve done well with her.” He held up his hand as though to keep her from interrupting. “You needn’t worry. Neither you nor Jennifer will ever see me again after today. I will return to Russia to live out my life as a hero to my country. It is the best thing for both of us. And you have your young man to watch over you. This is good.” His eyes shifted toward Luke. “Take care of them.”
“I intend to,” Luke said.
“Wait. If you meant no harm, why did you rig my house in Huntington to blow up?” Sally pushed herself up with the sudden urgency to hear his answer.
He narrowed his eyes. “That was not my doing. My friends and I arrived the next day, after you had left town. At first, I suspected your boss, Purnell, but after extensive questioning, he convinced me he did not possess the intellect to carry out such a plan.”
“We saw the results of your questioning.” Luke regarded him with a smirk pulling at his lips. No doubt he was thinking Emmett had gotten what he deserved.
“And I suppose you didn’t ram your car into the back of Luke’s truck that night and try to run us off the road?” Disbelief strained her voice.
Her father shook his head. “I swear to you on your mother’s grave, it wasn’t me, Annie.”
Luke and Sally exchanged a glance. If this man wasn’t responsible for the attempts on her life, who was?
Chapter Seventeen
