He was angry—no, furious! And it was directed at Bella, not because of who she was or what she was running from but for not telling him about the danger she was in.
How many times had he asked her to be open and honest with him? And, just as often, she had looked him in the eyes and lied to him. Omitting life-and-death information an even worse offense.
Their conversation last week kept replaying in his mind.
“Are you in danger, baby?”
“Not right now.”
“My god, Bella. What the hell kind of answer is that? You’re safe now, but you may not be in an hour or a week? Or are you telling me, whatever is hanging over your head might come crashing down on you next year?”
He hadn’t mentioned days, which was all it took.
What else had she lied about?
Her family, obviously. But with her father sending hitmen after her, did he really blame her?
With an exasperated growl, Dan raked his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. It was a habit when he became frustrated. But that emotion was only the tip of the iceberg.
He resumed pacing in front of the window. As if she sensed the turmoil in the room next door, Bella looked up and into the mirror she saw on her side, tears tracking down her cheeks.
Damn. He felt gut-punched.
He wanted to go to her, to cuddle her in his lap and tell her everything would be okay, that he would make it so. Just as strongly, he felt the need to turn her over his knee and paddle her secretive ass until she swore never to tell him an untruth ever again. But with Paulo and Ernesto in the wind, the most urgent need was to protect her because the threat against her life remained.
The door opened behind him, and Cap, Dex, Angie, and Jonas walked in.
“How is your head?” Dex asked.
He ran an exclusive kink club, was a tough as nails master sergeant. Green Beret, and one of the best bounty hunters in the country, but when a club member was sick, injured, or in danger, he turned into a mother hen.
“It’s a tiny bump. I’m fine.”
“And Bella?” Jonas inquired, his eyes on her through the glass. “How’s she holding up?”
The others turned and looked at the forlorn, teary-eyed, frightened young woman. Three weeks ago, none of them would have guessed that their new waitress and Dan’s budding submissive was on the run from assassins contracted by a Mafia boss of all things.
“I haven’t talked to her since we arrived at the precinct via the emergency room. She was bounced around a lot in that Caddy, taking a few solid hits to the head and one to her wrist, which swelled up pretty bad. The scans all came back negative. Stubborn subbie that she is, she refused the sling the doctor recommended.”
Jonas chuckled. “It’s no wonder our women have taken her under their wing. She’s just like them.”
“You should have seen her in action,” Dan told them, his gaze fixed on her strained but still beautiful face. “I know she was terrified, but she didn’t let it show as she disarmed the two in the front seat and steered us to safety.”
“She made out like you were the hero,” Angie quietly put in.
“Yeah. She would,” Dan acknowledged.
Tony, who had remained silent until now gave him the news. “The feds are on their way. They’re hopeful they can talk her into testifying.”
“Putting an even bigger target on her back,” he concluded, not liking that one fucking bit.
Cap’s concerned gaze cut his way when he delivered the next blow. “They’re prepared to offer witness protection.”
As a former cop, Dan was in favor of doing what it took to bring down a criminal. A crime boss responsible for who knew how many deaths, and trafficking drugs and guns that ruined lives—hell, yeah. But as the man who cared for her, his priority was her safety.
“How do you want to play it?” Tony asked.
“I want her safe, and I want her.”