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I so loved stumping Mr. Stoic.
“I just realized I needed a good long blackout to recharge.”
“Not funny,” he growled.
“I’m serious. I hate everything about this situation. I hate my father for what he’s doing. But if I let all of that get to me, I have far too much to lose.”
He rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb. “You’re not losing anything.”
I closed my eyes, my chest tightening. “She locked us in a closet. For days at a time,” I whispered. I couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see his expression. “The cell, being locked up, it triggered a bad memory.”
“You’re out,” he said gruffly, with a renewed determination.
“For how long?”
“I won’t allow you to go back there.”
I popped my lids open. “How are you going to stop it?”
“I have everyone I can think of working on this.”
And somehow I didn’t doubt that. He loved to dictate every move. It wasn’t in his nature to sit around when there was action to take.
It was on the tip of my tongue to protest, to say I’d pay whatever punishment was required. But I was justified in what I’d done.
My dad was the monster.
I had a brother to protect, a business to run, and a beautiful life to live. He didn’t get to take any more of that away.
“Any luck yet?”
He blushed. “I don’t know. The second they allowed me to be with you, I stopped answering any communication.”
“This was the worst idea for a date I’ve ever had,” I muttered.
“What?” he choked out.
“If this was my grand plan to get some alone time with you, it’s flat-out terrible.”
Those intense eyes bored straight into me. “Is that what you want? Alone time?”
Was he holding his breath?
“Maybe if I feel up for a good argument.”
I grinned, and he scowled.
“You certainly don’t strike me as the cuddly type,” I continued, unable to help myself.
“Cuddly?”
“Are you sure you’re not the one who hit your head? Because you seem to be having a hard time comprehending the English language.”
It took everything I had to keep a straight face as his jaw worked. Rousing Lincoln helped ease the pain in my head.
“I admire you,” he said.
The threatening smile quickly retreated. “Wh-what?” Now I was the one not understanding.
