Page 83 of Abducted

“I’m unclear as to your role,” Edward directed to Cal. “Sonja told me you’re a ‘freelance security contractor,’ but I don’t quite understand what that is or how you got involved in this situation.” His tone was cool and professional. Her teeth bit into her lip. He was getting right to the guts of everything.

“To be honest with you, I was hired to kill Lana.”

Lana closed her eyes on an exhale. Good God, was he out of his mind?

Her father’s face hardened. His eyes turned to slate.

“Let me make it clear that that is not my line of work. The person who came to me with the job had very little knowledge of my profession”—he paused—“for which I’m grateful. I couldn’t stand back and let it happen, though. At the same time, it was obvious there was a lot at stake, and not knowing who was involved, I concluded that the best decision was to take her out of the situation and keep her safe until we figured out who was behind it.” His tone was calm and cool.

Lana watched her father carefully.

He stared at Cal, his gaze unwavering. “But you two had never met before. Didn’t it occur to you how terrified she would be?” Edward’s voice was steady, but Lana recognized the tempered anger beneath the calm.

Cal cleared his throat. “Of course that crossed my mind. But there weren’t any other options. In my experience, going to the police is not a safeguard. And as it turns out, Grace admitted to Lana that she has many police officers on her payroll. Had I filed a report, it would have blown up in my face, and someone else eventually would have been sent to do the job—and would have succeeded.”

Edward lifted an eyebrow. “I see.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Sonja mentioned something about you having connections with the FBI?”

“That’s correct. A good friend of mine is an agent with the FBI. He assisted us through the process and did a lot of investigating to help.”

Edward’s silence cut through her like a knife. When he was quiet, his mind was working. Not a good sign.

“Cal saved my life, Daddy. On more than one occasion. Some of the men Grace had hired found us at a hotel we were staying at. They set the fire alarms off, and two men attacked us. One held a gun to my head. Cal shot him before he could shoot me.”

His hand squeezed hers. He smiled at her. Still, no sign of worry etched his eyes.

The blood drained from Edward’s face. His eyes shifted between her and Cal. “How is it you got into this line of work?”

Cal let go of her hand to lace his fingers together at his knees. “I was in the military and worked recon for several years. That’s where I met Ethan and Nate. Both of them helped to keep Lana safe and work on this investigation. After a while I realized I had a knack for contract work, and I began to freelance.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “That’s dangerous work.”

Cal nodded. “It is. But I want you to know that I have Lana’s best interests at heart.” His fingers reached over to squeeze her knee. He turned his attention back to her father. “I will be retiring from my career.” He looked over at Lana and smiled. “I’ve always wanted to open a mixed martial arts training gym. I have a significant amount of experience and several belts in various arts of fighting.”

Edward nodded slowly. Lana bit her lip to hide her smile. Something like mixed martial arts was so foreign to her father. He turned his eyes to Lana and held her gaze. A small, tight smile hinted at the corners of his mouth. “I suppose you’re here to tell me that you’re moving out.”

She took a deep breath through her nose. She and Cal hadn’t really discussed their living arrangements. Cal’s hand reached for hers again. Its warmth gave her strength. Cal loved her. That was all that mattered.

She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. “Yes, Dad. I’m moving out.” She looked at Cal as heat crept into her cheeks. He grinned at her. “I love him.”

Edward’s mouth opened and snapped shut. He scratched his jaw with the back of his knuckles. “Well, then. I suppose that’s settled.” He pressed his hands to his knees and stood. “Coffee, anyone?”

Cal stood and followed him to the kitchen.

She massaged her temples. What just happened? A weight lifted from her chest. She peered over her shoulder. As Edward fixed their coffees, Cal was answering something he’d asked about his time in the military.

Happiness flooded through her. All this time, she’d been so worried about Cal fitting into her world and being accepted. And she had been wrong. Her parents hadn’t judged him.

Relief washed over her like a warm shower. She didn’t need to hide or pretend to be someone she wasn’t. She didn’t have to choose between her family and the man she loved. It was over. The pain and fear of the past week wouldn’t disappear overnight. But she was on the mend, and excitement sent a flurry of warmth through her body. She was ready to start her new life with Cal.

He winked at her when she finally made her way to the kitchen. They enjoyed a coffee with her father, and then Cal walked her out to her suite to grab some of her belongings.

She sank the key her dad had given her into the lock and swung the door open. Cal looked around the small space as she flicked the lights on. “I won’t be long,” she said.

“Take your time.”

It was eerie being home. All her things remained untouched, unaffected by the changes that had shaken up her world. Cal took a seat on the floral-patterned couch. She disappeared into her room. Had it really been a week ago that Cal had kidnapped her? A smile touched her lips as she pulled her gym bag from the closet and began to fill it. She had put up such a fight in the beginning—and now she was moving in with him.

She opened her panty drawer. A thrill raced over her. She held up her sexiest pair of mauve panties. Cal would like these. And the matching bra. Having her own things, her own style, back was such a luxury.

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