AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’d make a good politician.”
There was amusement in his voice. I was so angry I wanted to lash out at him, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. “What do you want, Father? I’m here. I’m staying here for an undetermined period of time. I’ll be your dutiful daughter, standing by your side on election day. That’s all I can give you. I have nothing left.”
“You love him,” he said after a full minute had passed.
I slumped, my heart racing. “I know you’re going to make fun of me as you always do if I answer you.”
“I’ve been wrong about so many things in my life, Isabella, most of which I honestly don’t regret. Except for our relationship. I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
I took a deep breath, trying to ignore his words. What could they mean at this point? The man I loved more than anything was gone.
“I hope in time you can believe me,” he continued.
“I need time, Father. I will ensure the formula is finished, the project handed over to the right team to bring my dream into fruition, then I’m walking away from science. Like it, don’t like it, I honestly don’t care.”
“That will be a shame for the world of medicine, but I do understand. You never answered my question. Do you love Jagger Stone?”
I rubbed my eyes, trying to prevent tears. “Yes. More than anything.”
“He’s a good man.”
“Yes, he… was.”
The quiet settling between us was horrible. “Why don’t you come with me for just a few minutes?”
While he posed it as a question, I knew it was a demand. “Why?”
“Because there’s something you need to see.”
I turned to face him, studying his eyes. There was no animosity, no anger that I’d chosen a soldier, not a politician or a corporate mogul’s son to fall in love with. There was real concern, something I hadn’t seen in years. “Fine, but I’m certain I need to get back to the lab.”
He nodded, trying to offer a smile before moving toward the door. After a few seconds, I followed him, hating the way he was walking slowly, forcing me to be by his side. “I know you want answers, and you will have them in time. You need to trust me.”
I resisted laughing. The word had been thrown around far too often. The only man I’d trusted was Cobra, and it had gotten him killed.
“Cobra was trained very well,” he said in the same quiet voice.
“Yes, one of the best.”
“Yet you contacted Dane.”
The feeling of betraying Cobra had remained strong, although Dane had told me it likely saved our lives. “You might not like Dane, but he was kind to me, helping me to understand certain dangers. Mother always told me to follow my instincts and I did.” And that had probably been the reason Cobra died in the line of duty.
“Your mother has always been a smart woman. I’m glad you listened to her. Dane is very trustworthy, which is why he will be in charge of my detail if I’m elected. However, the real hero is Sergeant Stone.”
Would that mean he’d get a special burial site in the Arlington Cemetery? I couldn’t stomach the thought. “Yes, he was.”
“I know you don’t believe I love you, Isabella, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You’ve always been my angel.”
“And Angela?” I couldn’t believe the question slipped from my mouth.
There was a level of pain in his eyes that I’d never seen. “I miss my other daughter every day. She was a little star in a crazy world.”
“Then why don’t you ever talk about her?”
He exhaled, squeezing my hand. “I have my reasons but know that there isn’t a day that goes by your mother and I don’t miss her. We can talk about it later, but today is meant for other reasons. The accident was horrible. I know you two were close.”
“You sent her away to school. You didn’t care that she moved out.”
