“Right,” Dad replies, and there’s an overly bright note to his voice I do not trust. “King owns King Security.”
“That’s… uhh… nice,” I finish lamely. I mean, what else am I supposed to say?“How are Shipwreck and the other GI Joes?”Oh my God, I was closer to the mark than I realized. That is insane. And what could they possibly be doing here? “Well, if that’s all, I will just be making my way back down to the track.”
“No, Addie,” Dad says softly, and the sad look on his face has all the oxygen in my lungs whooshing back out.
“Dad?”
“Everything’s fine,” he assures firmly. “Everything is going to be just fine.”
“I don’t understand—”
“What your dad is failing to explain to you is that you are in danger,” King says, and where I had originally thought my panties would combust on sight of him, I take it back, because when he speaks, he is an absolute asshole.
“Excuse me?” I narrow my eyes at him, and the other two men chuckle. What they could possibly find amusing right now, I have no earthly idea.
“You are in danger,” he says again, rolling his eyes like I’m slow. “Your dad hired my firm to keep you safe.”
“What?”
“I don’t like repeating myself,fresa,” he says low. “So pay attention.”
“Excuse me?” I snap, but this time, my dad is there trying to smooth things over.
“There have been some… threats,” Dad says lamely.
“What kind of threats?” I ask.
“The kind where someone wants you hurt or dead,” King rumbles.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I spit. The nerve of this man. I can’t believe I thought he was even a little bit attractive.
“He’s right,” my dad inserts. “But it’s okay. King is going to keep you safe.”
“Correction,” King says. “King’s men are going to keep you safe. King has a company to run.”
“No,” Dad replies quickly, and he sounds scared. I don’t like it. “I need the best. I need you.”
“My companyisthe best,” he says. “Manny and Eric will keep her safe. They will report to me directly.”
“No,” Dad repeats. “You don’t understand. Adrienne is my whole world.”
Something I can’t describe washes across the man’s face, and I don’t like it. It’s there one minute, but then it’s gone the next. Whatever it is, it hurts just to look at. I can’t imagine what the man has felt himself.
“Dad,” I say softly. He’s breaking my heart. “It’ll be okay.”
“It will be, because we’ll have the best to watch over you,” he states firmly, his gaze never wavering from King’s face as they stay locked in a dangerous challenge.
“I don’t do the bodyguard gig anymore,” he says.
“I’ll double your fee,” Dad offers, knowing how to win. “I’ll triple it.”
“Fine,” he agrees before shaking Dad’s hand. “Everything will be fine just as long as you do exactly what I say.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” I say, holding up my hands, palms out. “I do my own thing.”
“Not anymore.”
“Uhh, yes, I do.”
