AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ve already swept the entire estate and have a couple of my soldiers keeping watch outside,” I said for both their benefits.
Brandon nodded. “That’s fine. Just don’t think about leaving the grounds. I’m going to finish some details of some business we’re handling together with Francois. Then you and I will have a long discussion over a late breakfast.”
“Whatever, Dad.” She blew by me without bothering to give me another look. It was apparent that whatever fantasy she’d played out two nights before she’d had no intention of repeating.
And it wouldn’t be.
Period.
There was too much as stake, including her life.
Unfortunately, her scent filtered into my system, pulling on the rabid beast inside. The favor would take me to the darkest places, forcing me to use the most control, testing me at a time when that shouldn’t be happening.
When this was over and she was perfectly safe, the favor I owed him would be completed.
He waited until she’d left the room before standing, walking closer. “Jesus Christ. What did her mother do to her? And why does it feel like I’m missing something?”
“You’re not missing anything other than your daughter is in significant danger, Brandon. We had terse words before she left a few years ago. She blamed you for your divorce. I tried to tell her otherwise. She was having none of it.”
My oldest friend continued to eye me carefully. “I’m certain Samantha started poisoning her early. I couldn’t believe it when she just showed up, her expression accusatory because I had a woman here.”
“You’re allowed to have a new life. Samantha barely waited until the ink dried on your divorce papers, remember.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Yeah, I know. What else did you find on this asshole who killed her roommate?”
Relationship crisis averted. For now.
“Not that much yet, but I have feelers out in LA. The murder was almost the exact MO of another one that occurred less than two months before. Whatever Delaney managed to get herself into could be part of the reason.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The kink club where she’d gone that night? The first girl was spotted at a similar one as well, taken from the parking lot.” What I wasn’t ready to tell him yet was that while the murder appeared to everyone, including the press, was identical to the first one, I had some doubts. So did the detective, even though he certainly hadn’t told me that. He hadn’t needed to. I was extremely observant, including with phone messages. If it was acopycat killer, then there was a distinct possibility that Delaney had been the intended target. There were two reasons that could prove to be the case.
Her father and his increasing power and wealth.
And my own.
I couldn’t rule anything out at this point. However, if she was the intended target, the fucker was even more dangerous.
“Shit.” He glanced at the door, then back to me. “I don’t know my daughter at all any longer.”
“Neither one of us do. That’s why this must be taken seriously. I’ll keep her here as she requested for now, but I need your permission to move her into my house if necessary.”
“Of course. Anything you need. I’ve yet to talk to her mother. I have no clue if Samantha knows our daughter took a cross-country trip.”
“I’ll talk to her. She needs to embrace the level of danger she’s in. It’s going to take me a couple hours to coordinate everything. Will you be able to handle taking care of her until then?” I seriously doubted anyone would try anything in Brandon’s house, but I had to keep my guard up.
He moved around to the front of his desk, opening a drawer. When he eased a weapon onto the surface, I clenched my jaw. I’d been the one to teach the man how to shoot. I’d encouraged him to be able to protect himself when I hadn’t managed to do that for him. Now I wished I never had been required to. We might be just alike, but he was the much better version of who I was.
“I’ll stay right by her side,” Brandon said as he lifted his head, studying my reaction. “He won’t stop, will he?”
I took a few seconds before answering him. “He will if I stop him. At least one of my soldiers will come by early this afternoon. Then I’ll pack a bag and be here before nightfall.”
For all the times he’d chastised my behavior, the anger I’d used to annihilate my family’s enemies, this time he gave me a nod of respect.
“Perfect. Keep her safe, Francois. I failed her once. I can’t do it again.”
“You didn’t fail her, buddy. She’s turned into a remarkable and very beautiful young woman.”
