Page 12 of Coff

“Daddy, this is Logan. Logan, this is my dad, Rocky.”

Rocky? He looks like he could be nicknamed after the boxing movie. I hold out my hand, but he doesn’t do the same.

“This is the boy you’ve been talking to on the phone?” he asks.

“Yes.”

He stares me down, then nods. “We’ll talk at dinner,” he says to me, then walks away.

I turn to Delaney. “Should I be worried?”

She laughs. “No, he’s very protective. That’s all.”

Protective and murderous is more like it. If he has any idea what I’ve done with his daughter or want to do, I may not make it out of here alive.

CHAPTER4

Delaney

Fortunately, everyone behaved through dinner. I wasn’t sure if my brother would go easy on Logan since my dad is here and Duke practically mimics the man sometimes. But everyone remained polite.

After dinner, my dad takes Logan into his office. I stare after them.

“What does he say in there? No boy has ever wanted to see me again after he leaves that office.”

Duke grins. “Come on. I opened a window earlier so we could find out.”

Curiosity wins, and I follow my brother outside. We creep around the house until we are under the windows of his office. Duke holds his finger to his mouth, but I know enough not to make a sound, especially when I spot the open window.

We crouch down and listen.

“I really think you have this wrong, Mr. Manzia,” Logan says.

“Do I? I know how much military men make, and I’m sure the moment you met my daughter, you saw a way out,” my dad says.

“No, I had no idea who she was, and even if I did, I don’t care about her money,” Logan replies.

There is silence as liquid pours. My dad’s nightly scotch. “Did you arrange to ‘accidentally’ run into her in some sort of chance meeting?”

Logan is silent for a minute. “Are you suggesting I arranged to meet your daughter to use her for money?”

“Yes. Can you prove me wrong?”

A chair screeches against the floor. “Wow, you are a piece of work. I did not, and I am not using your daughter. I care for her deeply.”

My dad laughs. “Well, you do seem passionate; I’ll give you that. What do you know about me?”

Logan sighs. “Well, I know that you seem like a controlling man who doesn’t listen to his daughter.”

I cringe. I’ve never heard anyone stand up to my dad like that. I turn to Duke, and he’s grinning.

“I see. What do you know about my business?”

I straighten my legs a little and catch a glimpse of Logan. He’s running his hand through his hair.

“Not much. Delaney said she works reception at your construction business. That’s all she has mentioned.”

“And did you do your own research?”

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