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“Are you okay, dear?” Nico appeared at her side, his hand on her head.
She shrugged out of his reach. “I’m fine.”
His hand dropped. “Perhaps, you should go lie down.”
“I said I’m fine,” she snapped, something she’d never done before.
He slid his hands in his pockets, and she snuck a glance up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap like that. I’m just tired.”
“Of course.”
“May I use your phone? I really need to call my friend. If she’s going to stand up for me, I… I have to give her some notice, don’t I?”
“Of course.” He drew his phone out. “Oh, I’ve got an important text I’ve been waiting for. Just give me a minute.” He withdrew, and she watched him step inside the sliders.
***
Nico paused next to his security man, leaning close to give him orders. “Slip her another pill, Rocco. She’s asking too many questions.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And make sure that little blonde girl doesn’t get access to the building again. We can’t have Asia’s friends ruining everything.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nico glanced at the woman on the lounge chair, then stalked out.
CHAPTER TWO
Dusty finished his cereal and carried his bowl and spoon to the sink. He was turning on the hot water when his phone went off.
He dug it out of his pocket and frowned at the screen. Carter Fox. He hadn’t spoken to his high school buddy in a long time.
He put it to his ear. “Hey, man. How are you?”
“Not good. I need your help.”
Dusty straightened at the desperate tone in Carter’s voice. “Sure, Carter. Anything you need.”
“It’s a big ask. It’s about Asia.”
Dusty swallowed, his gaze going out the window to the view of the Texas sunrise over a field of prairie bluebonnets swaying in the breeze, but he didn’t see any of that. All he could see in his mind’s eye was the look on Asia’s face as he’d slung his pack over his back and walked away from her all those years ago. He blinked. “What do you need?”
“I think she may be in trouble.”
That brought his focus in, and he clenched the phone tighter. “What kind of trouble?”
“She left home a few months ago—”
“What?” Dusty cut him off. For anyone else, this wouldn’t be shocking, but for the Fox family, this was totally out of expected behavior. Their parents were the definition of protective and unbelievably old-fashioned when it came to gender roles and what was expected. No daughter of Cyrus Fox was going to leave the nest unless it was to join a convent or get married. “Explain how that happened.”
“I know. It’s all crazy, and so out of character, but she did it. I was kind of proud of her, you know? Taking off and escaping their bullshit, oppressive beliefs. But now… I don’t know. Maybe it was a bad idea. She’s been so sheltered. She’s totally unprepared for the world, you know?”
“Is she okay?” Dusty paced across the floor in the tiny kitchen.
“I got a call from her a couple of weeks ago. She’d met this guy and according to her, he was the perfect Mr. Right. Anyway, the dude has money and now she’s all caught up with him—”
