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As soon as she called her parents on video chat to tell them about what happened, they were both ready to arrange flights to come get her. Instead of having them do that, Rhys said he would send his private plane for them. Well, that set off a whole new set of issues.
Questions around who was the man she was with? How could he so casually send a plane for them?
As soon as she told them his name, her father had gone silent. His face was like stone. Frozen in place. She knew that look, and it bothered her a little. Her father only did that when he was afraid for his family’s safety. She was almost sure neither of her parents knew she had snuck around their house as a child, listening in on conversations she had no business hearing. Plus, she was a very observant child. Her father’s facial expressions cued her in on how she needed to respond to meeting new people.
Since she’d moved to Santa Barbara and went to school, he had seemed to relax a bit. Maybe thinking that with her so far away, it removed her from the line of danger. But from how he looked when she told him that she was seeing Rhys Mannetti, she was right back in the thick of things. Even more than she’d already thought.
Glancing between her father and Rhys, who was sitting on the couch out of view, Hyacinth had to school her features. “Daddy, I promise that I’m okay. Can you and momma be ready to get on the plane in two hours?”
“Hyacinth.” She could tell from the tone in his voice that he was going to refuse. Although he was no longer in the business, that didn’t mean his need to protect his family had diminished.
Rhys must have seen the look on her face, because he grabbed the phone from her hand so that he could speak directly to her father. “No harm will come to you or your wife. Hyacinth means…” he looked up at her and smiled, “well, she means a great deal to me. Her happiness is all I care about. This situation with her apartment is… unexpected, but I plan to do whatever I can to help her handle it. For her peace of mind, she wants to have her parents close by. I promise you will be safe.”
Hyacinth sat on pins and needles as she listened to Rhys speak. Who the hell was this guy? Clearly, she did not have the full story.
“Rhys Mannetti,” her father said through the phone. Not sure if he was simply speaking to Rhys or talking to her mother. “My daughter means everything to me. She’s the reason I’m here today. Alive and still-kicking. I will do anything to protect her.”
“As will I,” Rhys said, staring into the tiny screen on the phone.
“A season, a reason, or a lifetime?” Isaac Moore asked. His voice was hard and clipped, but this answer to his question would help decide the next steps in his life.
Rhys paused as he thought about his answer. He knew what Hyacinth’s father was asking. It was the same question he’d been mulling over for some time. The answer was clearer than it had ever been. It was time to make this official.
“A lifetime.”
After a slight pause, Hyacinth’s father cleared his throat. “We’ll be ready to go in two hours. We’ll get ourselves to the plane. You just make sure my daughter is safe. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Let me talk to Hyacinth before we go.” Rhys handed the phone back over and Hyacinth could do nothing but stare at him. Of course, she’d heard the entire conversation.
“Hey, Daddy. Hey, Momma.” They were sitting together. Her father’s face was still somewhat emotionless. Her mother’s eyes were glassy, her love shining through the small phone screen.
“We’ll be there as soon as possible. You call us if you need anything. And I do mean, anything.”
“I will, momma. I’m sure this will all get resolved soon enough.” Or at least she hoped it would.
Once she hung up with her parents, Hyacinth looked at Rhys. “Who are you really?”
The smile on his face made him even more handsome, if that was even possible. “I’m your man. The man who never wants to let you go. I’m the same man who you’ve been working with the past month and a half. Nothing about me has changed. When you need help, I’m the one you call. If you need protection, I’ll always come running. And most importantly, when you climb into bed at night, I’m going to be the man right by your side.”
She placed her phone down on the table and moved to his side on the couch. “Do I need to be afraid of you?”
“Never,” he shook his head.
“Should I be afraid of the life you lead? The goal was for me to get away from a certain lifestyle.”
“No. You don’t have to be afraid, but I know I can’t tell you how to feel. Being with me means that you’ll be connected to people you hadn’t expected to have in your life. But I’m strong enough to keep you safe. I will always protect you. All I need you to do is trust me.” He lifted one hand to cradle her face. “Can you do that?”
Hyacinth nodded. “I already do.” He did not know that he was the only man she had ever introduced to her father. That she allowed him to take her phone and do a video call with her parents was very telling. Of course, that wasn’t something he knew, nor did he need to. Her parents knew the significance of what happened, which is why they were getting on a plane and flying to Santa Barbara on a moment’s notice. Her father’s business would be in good hands with his second in command, so that wasn’t a concern.
No, they were coming because they knew their daughter needed them. Hyacinth wasn’t afraid of Rhys or the life he led. If anything, she would be an asset to him.
Now, she wasn’t what some would call a badass. She played with barbies, was considered a book nerd, and went through all the normal stuff a child should. But while she was doing all the normal girl-child stuff that was expected of her, she also shadowed her dad when he went to the gun range. After school, she would practice her takedown skills. If needed, she could become exactly who she needed to be to take care of herself and her family.
But that’s not what she wanted, and it sure as shit wasn’t what her family wanted. All those uncles she grew up with considered her their princess. She was their hope for a better future.
There was a sliver of concern that she had fallen for a man like Rhys. Someone who would pull her back into a life she had tried to escape. She worried that being with him was like throwing all their hopes and dreams in her family’s face. Then again, the heart wanted who it did. Her attraction to him was instant. Everything he’d shown her since that first day had only made her want him more. Sure, she’d seen some things that made her question who he really was. But nothing about him screamed gangster or criminal. But now, she saw him in a totally different light. Her man had layers, and one of them put her father on edge as soon as he heard Rhys’s full name.
