Page 43 of Dark Wolf Soul
When I’m finished, the delivery service replies almost instantly to my request, letting me know they’ll have the order sent over within the day. I spent years avoiding this life and all the expectations that came with it, but for the first time in a long time, I appreciate the perks. Having clothes delivered means I’ll get to see her face when she opens the packages, and the thought of making her even a little bit happy makes me want to grin like a fucking lunatic.
Grabbing the remote, I decide a distraction is in order. Anything to keep from wondering what the hell she’s doing in that bedroom. And to keep from wanting to go find out for myself.
Mia texts me a few minutes later.
The girl’s settled and safe. Her parents don’t know.
I text her back,thanks.
A second later, my phone dings again.Isyourgirl settled and safe?
Me:I’m not doing this with you.
Mia:You’re being a bitch.
Me:So are you.
Mia:You’ll pay for that.
Me:I’m not scared of you.
Mia:It’s not me you should be worried about. Ramsey wants to know why you’ll text me and not him.
Groaning, I toss my phone aside and refuse to look at it again.
I’m halfway through an old James Bond movie when the elevator dings to signal a visitor. There’s only one other person on the planet who can get past my guards out front, but I check to be sure. Grabbing my phone, I pull up the camera in the parking garage through my app and groan.
“Dutch,” I say, tapping his shoulder as I push to my feet. “Wake up.”
“Hmm?”
“Boss is here.”
He sits up, instantly alert. “What’s he doing here?”
“No idea. Go into my room, and make sure Lexi doesn’t come out of hers until he’s gone.”
He gets to his feet. “Yeah, man. I got it.”
I snag the empty beer cans and chuck them in the trash as Dutch slips down the hall and into my bedroom, closing the door behind him just as the elevator doors open and my father steps into the apartment.
“I’m starving, so this won’t take long.” He greets me with barely a glance.
“If you’d let me know you were coming, I could have had some food sent over—”
“No need.” He waves a hand, striding past me into the living room and over to the floor-length windows that overlook the city. White, puffy clouds float by in a baby blue sky, but he doesn’t look at the view. He only looks at his own reflection, smoothing his mustache before turning back to me.
“Well?” he demands. “Have you convinced the little bitch to see things our way?”
My hands twitch at my sides, wanting badly to clench into fists. But my dad’s sharp eye misses nothing, and I force myself to chill the fuck out. She’s not mine to protect, I remind myself.
“She agreed to go along with the engagement on the condition that we let her meet with Franco first.”
He laughs humorlessly. “Absolutely fucking not.”
“If it gets her—”
“She’s in no position to make demands, least of all something completely fucking insane. Hell no.”
