Page 19 of Dagger

“Hey, Dad. Is everything okay?” Dani’s small voice still held surprise that I was calling her, but she also seemed excited, and that motivated me.

“Yeah, kiddo, everything’s okay. I thought I’d be home already, and since I’m not, I wanted to check in. How is everything?” I found myself smiling as I waited for her answer. No matter what answer Sinclair gave me, I was determined to do better by Dani. I had to.

“Good,” she sighed. “I finished my homework, but Charlie couldn’t check it because she had to go home early. Her husband had a fall and had to go to the hospital, but she says he’ll be okay. I hope so.” There was a smallness to her voice that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Older people fall sometimes. They hurt but they heal.” Dani said nothing for a long time. “I’ll call Charlie in the morning and if they’re up for it, we’ll go check on her husband. Okay?”

Another long silence passed before Dani answered. “Really, Dad?”

“Yeah, Dani. Really.” I wondered how long it would be before she was no longer surprised by my presence and my involvement in her life.

“Dad,” she began slowly. “What’s going on? Are you sick or something?”

I inhaled quietly and let it out slowly. It was time to give my kid a bit of truth. “I’m not sick.” It was sad that she thought the only reason I’d change my ways was because something was wrong with me. “I’m just… I’m just sorry kid. I’ve been an awful dad to you all these years and I’m tired of it.”

She gasped sharply. “You don’t want to be my dad anymore?”

“No! Of course I want to be your dad, and I always will be. But I don’t want to be the dad you’ve had for the past few years. I want to be better. No, scratch that, I’m gonna be better. Got it?” My gaze flicked up to Sinclair’s house, where I’d been sitting since she had returned home from the grocery store. I made a quick stop at the clubhouse to grab one of our non-descript sedans and parked it right out front of her house, determined to get a clear image of the man stalking her.

“Yeah, Dad, I got it. Thank you,” she whispered.

“No thanks necessary. You deserve better and I messed up by not giving you my best. That’s gonna change.” The admission made me feel lighter. Freer. “I’ll explain it better when I get back home, okay?”

“Okay, Dad. I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you too, Dani. More than anything in this whole fuckin’ world.”

She giggled. “You cuss a lot, Dad.”

“I know.” My gaze landed on the movement near the bushes between Sinclair’s house and her neighbor. He was back and he was bolder than ever. Tonight, he wore a leather vest, but there were no patches on it, which gave me a lead. I snapped a few photos and texted them to Slate.

“I’m glad you want to be my dad, because I missed you.”

“I missed you too. How about we have dinner together tomorrow, just us?”

“Really? That sounds really great.”

I smiled at the excitement in her voice. “Perfect.” I ended the call, my gaze fixed on the man trying to climb Sinclair’s bushes.

His gaze was twisted into a scowl, and one look at Sinclair told me why. She was looking down at her phone wearing a smile that had to be for a man.

Jealousy, green as hell and white hot, rushed through my body. I was annoyed by my reaction because Sinclair wasn’t mine, no matter how much I wanted her to be. But she’d also hinted that she didn’t have a man in her life and hadn’t for a long time.

People lie, that little devil reminded me.Often.

My phone buzzed on the dashboard and I reached for it blindly, keeping my eyes on the pretty teacher. I swiped open my phone and frowned at the screen.

I’m in.

That was all Sinclair’s message said. Just two words that sent a rush of hope surging through my veins. Sinclair wanted to help, which solved two problems at once.

I could keep her close while learning to be a better father for Dani.

Another thought crossed my mind. That secret smile on her face… was it because she was thinking about me?

Chapter 13

Sinclair

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