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The office door opened, and another man in a suit strolled. This one had an earpiece and a weapon holstered at his side. A security guard.
Fuck.
Ty ignored the man and sat his ass on the leather couch. The thing was so stiff that his big body didn’t even dent the cushion. Humming his favorite AC/DC song, he pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text to Curly.
In office without Carver. Have security eyes on me. Need a distraction. ASAP.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SHE’D HAD THIS dream before. Countless times since leaving her home. This dream where she returned to her childhood home despite wanting to be anywhere else on Earth. But she couldn’t leave again. She could never leave.
But here she was, awake and alert in the throes of her recurrent nightmare. The difference this time?
Ty.
She stepped outside into the humid Alabama sunshine and turned to find her father shutting the door. The decades of age he wore on his skin hadn’t surprised her. She’d seen countless pictures of him over the years online and in the mainstream media. What had surprised her was the feeling that no time had passed. He’d spoken to her as though she was still a teenage girl under his thumb, not a woman in her mid-twenties who’d been on her own for years. His commanding way of speaking sent her straight back in time to when she’d lived under his control. She’d nearly fallen into old habits and called him ‘sir,’ but Ty’s warm, strong hand in hers kept her grounded in the present.
No one controlled her anymore, especially not the man who’d exploited her for her entire life, and she refused to pretend he did, even for the sake of this mission. They’d find a way to access her father’s computer without her falling back on old patterns of blind obedience.
She had a direct view of Ty through the window. If she kept her father talking and outside long enough, Ty should be able to upload the virus without a problem.
Shit.
The door opened, and one of her father’s security goons strode in. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, blocking Ty’s exit and killing his chance to access the computer. Her stomach sank.
What the hell were they supposed to do now?
Ty typed something into his phone, then leaned back against the couch. He propped an ankle on his knee, looking for all the world like a relaxed man with nothing on his mind. Was he freaking out? Did he have a plan? Being separated from him was killing her.
“My dear, there is much to discuss.”
Kelsie blew out a breath. Panicking wouldn’t help anyone, especially Ty. She’d do what she came to do and keep her father occupied for as long as possible to give Ty a fighting chance.
“If you’re going to threaten me or Ty, you’re wasting your breath,” she said as her father turned from the door. “Ty’s business is tied to the Hell’s Handlers MC, and there is no way in hell they’ll tolerate blackmail.”
“I should have kept closer tabs on you throughout the years.”
“Excuse me?” The balcony had no protection from the sun. It beat down on her without mercy, making her T-shirt stick to her back.
“Had I known what you’d turn into, I’d have brought you back years ago.”
“I’m not back. I’m only here to refuse your offer in person. I won’t marry Andrew Tinsley. Not for anything in the world.”
It was a lie. If there were a legitimate threat to Ty or his livelihood, she’d do it or anything to protect him, but she wouldn’t go quietly, and the club had convinced her it wasn’t necessary.
Her father sighed the same way he’d done when she was fourteen, and he found out she’d failed a geometry exam—the weighted sigh of paternal disappointment. It’s good to know he cared enough to be disappointed. “Kelsie, I’m going to destroy them… the entire club.” He said the word ‘club’ in the most mocking tone imaginable. “We’ll start with Mr. Daxon’s business and move on from there. I’ve done my research and know a number of businesses are linked to their gang.”
She shook her head while keeping Ty in her peripheral vision. He hadn’t moved from his casual posture. Holding up a hand, she said, “Didn’t I just tell you not to bother with threats?”
“You did.” He tilted his head, studying her. “And it’s not a threat. This is what will happen if you do not get on board. I promise you.”
His words grated against her instinct to protect those she loved.
Loved?
Do I love him?
Her breath caught in her lungs.
