Page 137 of Unexpected Redemption

Keeping me restrained by my upper arms, she sharpens her tone. “Promise you won’t freak out again?”

“Freak out?” I squeak. “I didn’t freak out.”

Delulu Bell is here, hanging out with my squirrel, the unicorn, and the monkeys from denial. They’re all getting drunk with the llama.

“You tried grabbing the headset off Klein’s ears to call off the mission. Textbook definition of freaking out,” Kri insists. “If you do that shit again, I’ll carry you out of here.”

“Fine. I freaked a little. Totally justified to my mind. How dare you consider doing anything with that man other than shooting him on sight?”

No one gives me an answer, not that I expect one. After all, I’m no one here. Not in the grand scheme of things. They don’t owe me an explanation. I’m a guest in the lair.

After a deep inhale, I let my upper body go limp. “I’m calm. I promise. Sorry.”

Mia and Klein continue navigating through multiple screens, typing and clicking away with their backs to me. They put the team in a holding pattern or something like that. I could barely hear their words after Boss decreed there were no changes to the plan despite the informant’s identity. I completely lost it when he told them to proceed with afriendly exchange with the tango.

Can you believe this bullshit?Friendly.

Perhaps a friendly knife to the eye socket. Or a cordial hug around the neck until he stops breathing. Either of those exchanges would suit me fine and dandy.

Once Kri releases me, Boss replaces her, positioning himself between the console and me.

“I’m over my rage. I just needed to be dramatic about it first. And I apologize for pitching a duck fit.”

For the record, I’m only apologizing so he’ll let me stay. I’m not all that sorry. The guilt over this incident won’t likely arrive until later.

“If you were anyone else and this was any other situation, you’d be on your way to the parking lot by now. I understand why you’re upset, Lettie. I do. Hell, I’m furious too. It’s justified. So I’m giving you one more chance. But so help me, if you do anything else to compromise the safety of my team, I’ll put you out. Got me?”

Words don’t come. No agreement waiting on my tongue. No snarks or even placating apologies itching to be set free.

Nothing.

I can barely see him through the red-tinged fury blinding me.

Likely compounded by a haze of regret over reducing their ability to keep the team safe. That part was foolish of me. I can admit it.

Impulsive, naturally. Lettie at her finest.

Despite my vision deficit, I make out a shift in his features as he morphs from hard-ass boss to compassionate leader. “I know he personally hurt you badly. That means he also hurt us. We aren’t giving him a free pass.”

With my pulse racing, I encourage him to continue. “But?”

“We need to see what he has for us. If he wants to take his father and the bratva down, we need to hear him out.”

“Dad, you cannot trust him. He’s a snake in the grass. The devil in a dress shirt. He isnotyour ally.”

I’m unsure why I suddenly called him Dad. Probably because no other name feels right at this moment. If I’m going to convince him to stop this madness, I need to remind him of who he is.

Whether he truly wants to be my dad or not, I need him to be the father he never could be.

He has the chance now, though.

“Choose me,” I whisper, my voice nearly lost to the air surrounding it.

That’s what I’m asking of him. For him to pick me over his blind hatred of Nikolai Lenkov. Over his need to avenge the shot taken at him and Madeline. To opt to stop the man who hurt me far worse than a bullet grazing an arm.

My scars run deeper. They’ll never disappear.

I need him to choose me because I’m his daughter.

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