AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stood against the opposite wall and watched her eat, thinking about how the phone call was going to go. She couldn’t refuse— if she did, Jameson would think we had already killed her and the plan would be ruined. But I also knew that speaking with her father probably wasn’t high on her list of priorities. I hadn’t accounted for the strain on their relationship or the deep-seated trauma she seemed to have from his abandonment. No, she would have to suck up her pride and make the call, even if I had to see the flash of pain across her eyes when she spoke to her sperm donor.
And that’s really what he was. The look on her face during that first call told me everything I needed to know. Sure, he was her father and the only one she would ever have, but he’d also sounded like he couldn’t be fucked after finding out that his only daughter was in my hands. I imagined the way he threw her away as a little girl, leaving her so abruptly she didn’t even realize he wasn’t coming back until it was too late. A sad excuse for a parent.
If I didn’t need him, I’d have killed him myself just to see the pain in her eyes disappear.
As she got to the end of her meal, her eyes darted up and her cheeks flushed. She sensed that I couldn’t look away from her and a strange restlessness invaded my legs.
“That’s not all,” I murmured.
“You mean you didn’t just come down here to watch me eat?”
“Unfortunately, no. Though it is a sight.” I smirked before fishing the burner phone out of my back pocket. “We have to make a call.”
Her brows pulled down and she eyed the phone, her gaze moving back to my face. “We?”
“Your father wants to speak with you.”
She sucked in a breath, her little lips puckering in thought.
“Why? Is everything okay?” Her voice was low and I wanted to caress the soft skin of her neck and soothe whatever anxiety rolled through her.
“I think he wants to make sure you’re not already dead.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor. After a moment, her shoulders pushed back and she nodded. “What do I say?”
Something inside me swelled at the question. As much as I liked her being defiant, a little obedience now and then was a stroke to my ego. “Whatever you want, baby.”
I dialed the number, put it on speakerphone, and handed it over, watching her intently.
“Hello?”
She jumped a little, her eyes facing down. “Dad?” Her feet carried her around the room, automatically pacing like I’d seen her do a thousand times before.
“Darya, sweetie?”
His calling her sweetie made my jaw clench.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
A loud sigh of relief from the other end. “Oh, thank God.” Her eyes flicked to mine, her brows pulled down in worry. “Have they hurt you?” he asked.
She blew out a breath. “No, I’m okay.”
I couldn’t help but noticed her clipped responses— they were unlike the ones I was used to getting from her.
“They better not touch you. Do you know what I’m out here risking for your safety?” My blood boiled at his question. “It’s a miracle Cheryl hasn’t found out but sweetie, I could really ruin my career for this.”
She opened her mouth to say something but closed it, seemingly at a loss for words.
“Darya?” The man asked.
She cleared her throat, “yeah, I’m here.”
“Are they with you right now?”
She sucked in a breath, keeping those brave green eyes locked on mine. I didn’t move a muscle and decided to let her take the lead. She blinked and then answered. “No.”
“That picture they sent of you… Darya, there was blood all over you. Are you really okay?”
