Page 59 of Scar

Tally did not doubt that harming herwouldharm her father. He’d fought her desire for independence but also trusted that her identity and link to him was secret enough to not require round the clock security. The only reason she’d believed her mystery man worked for her father was because of that phone conversation she’d had with him when he’d sounded distracted and worried.

But what if she’d made the wrong assumption? What if the reason he’d been distracted and worried wasbecauseof her mystery man?

She trusted her father. He washer father. But she also trusted her own instincts. She wouldn’t have gotten this far in life if she didn’t. So what did she do when her father was telling her one thing while her instincts were telling her another?

Logic would encourage her to listen to her father. After all, he clearly knew more about the situation than she didandhe knew her mystery man. From the tone of his voice, it sounded like there was betrayal between them. Shewantedto believe her dad, knew that he wouldn’t lie to her.

But…

Tally couldn’t do it. She could not believe that her mystery man was there to harm her. It would mean… It would mean that everything she’d been feeling for him and everything she was tryingnotto feel for him was a lie.

Was she just some dumb, naïve, blind girl who’d been duped by a man?

A day ago—hell, an hour ago—Tally would have swornhell no. She wasnotthat clichéd, gullible woman.

Shesawthe world. More than anyone probably comprehended. Her eyes might be fake, but shesawso much that people with working eyes missed.

Unless she heard it from her mystery man’s own lips, she would not believe it. She couldn’t.

But what did her beliefs mean? What did they change? She’d come by her stubbornness honestly, and she knew that her father would never change his mind. She needed proof, but it wasn’t like she could tell her dad that her mystery man wasn’t the man he thought he was because he poured her coffee in the mornings.

Her father’s hands moved from her shoulders to cup her face. For once, the action did not comfort Tally as it always had before. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I have to go, Tally Ally. I am so sorry. I am leaving yourealbodyguards and someone will be by within the hour to fix your door and your window. Be safe. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

And just like that, he was gone. The entire encounter, from the moment her window had shattered to now, had probably only been about ten minutes. But it felt like an eternity.

Tally was so confused. And the craziest part of it all? As dread and doom came over her, Tally sank to her knees, missing her mystery man’s silent presence like her father had taken a piece of her soul with him.

* * *

Tally pacedher living room that night. She couldn’t have slept even if she wanted to. Her entire body was itchy, twitching with uncertainty.

Her father had been true to his word and repairmen had shown up within the hour of his departure. Her new bodyguards—or should she say, herrealbodyguards—had stood guard as the two men had replaced her window and door. Then they returned to their post outside her apartment.

They were not standinginsideher apartment. They were not slipping in and out of various places. Hell, they even knocked before coming inside. They were polite and seemed like decent, respectful men.

So why did Tally hate their presence so much? Why had she refused to allow them to introduce themselves when they’d tried? Why did shehatethe sound of their voices?

Fuck, she was going insane.

What the fuck was wrong with her?

Clearly, her mystery man was her father’s enemy. That much was clear. But she had no other information beyond that. Additionally, the way he’d been taken down… It bothered her. Maybe it bothered her more because it washer fatherwho’d captured him? Tally wasn’t sure, but the fact that her father had virtually kidnapped her mystery man sat like a heavy stone in her belly.

By morning, Tally was practically bouncing off of the walls. There was so much she needed to do, people she should be calling and needing to make public announcements about what had happened to her restaurant. Hell, now would be the time to start looking for construction bids so she could get her restaurant back as quickly as possible.

Her restaurant was her life. She’d put her heart, body, and soul into its very existence. So then, why didn’t she care about it? Why was it that she could only think about her mystery man?

Where had her father taken him? What was happening to him right now? If her father wasn’t taking him to jail, then where? Did… No, it was ridiculous. Her father didn’t have hisownjail. That was…not possible.

How had her father taken her mystery man down? What had come through her window that had knocked him unconscious in a matter of seconds?

It had all happened so fast, Tally hadn’t had time to really process what had happened before her father and his men had come bursting through her door.

Tally needed some perspective. She needed… Fuck, she needed help.

Reaching for her phone, she called Simone. It was only after her best friend sleepily answered that Tally realized howearlyin the morning it was. Fuck.

Despite the early hour, though, Simone said that she and Tom would be over soon. Tally went to inform her new guards of her guests’ pending arrival.

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