“Not yet,” I admitted.
“That’s a problem, don’t you think?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Unless you plan to propose to my daughter without a ring.” He hiked up an eyebrow.
“Not in my life. I just need time to find the right one.”
His facial features eased as he relaxed. “Well, given the time you two have known each other, I can tell you’re a man who doesn’t waste it.” He nodded. “Good. My Mia deserves a man who knows what he has in her.”
“I do,” I assured.
He stood, and I did the same.
“Well then, you have my acceptance.” He stuck out his hand for me to shake. “I had you looked in to,” he said as he released my hand.
I gave him a curious expression.
He glanced over his shoulder as if making sure we were alone. “Had some of my buddies still on the force do a background check and all of that. I knew who you were before you walked through my door.”
At that, a genuine smile crossed my lips.
He grinned as well. “And I already know you did the same.”
I neither confirmed nor denied, but evidently didn’t need to. Mia’s father was a police officer for almost twenty-five years. He’d have certain connections.
“My daughter is a good judge of character. You find her the right ring,” he said.
“Yes, sir.” I nodded because that was my intention to get as soon as possible.
Now, I just needed to figure out what the hell type of ring would be perfect for my woman. And who the fuck would help me pick it out.
CHAPTER28
Brutus
“Did you speak with Rick this morning?” Joseph asked, standing in front of my desk.
I nodded. “Robert and Deb are enjoying the final hours of their vacation. Even took Rick’s ass horseback riding.”
Joseph let out a bark of laughter. “I bet he loved that.”
I grinned. “He cursed up a storm about it.” I grinned at the reminder of my father’s pissed off rant about being forced to ride a damn horse while taking on security for the elder Townsend’s vacation in the Bahamas. The truth was, I heard the affection in his voice, and Deb and Robert would’ve never forced my father to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with.
He was just a blowhard. But Mia’s advice from a few weeks earlier worked. I hadn’t realized that my father might be lonely. It did him good to take on a job every now and again.
“I handled that other issue for you as well,” Joseph said, the volume of his voice dipping. It wasn’t necessary since there wasn’t anyone else around, and my office was secure. But his tone let me know exactly what situation he was talking about.
Vincent Davis.
Mia’s former co-worker. The stupid bastard who had the damn nerve to put his hands on her the night of the gala. Just thinking about him caused a surge of fury to push through my body. I paused and made myself inhale.
I’d promised Mia that I’d spare his life, but the fucker didn’t know how close he came to meeting his maker that night. Or in the weeks since.
He’d merely walked away with the loss of his job. I personally met with the head of his department at Corsica to let him know that his employee had left a foul taste in my employers’ mouths that night.
Vincent had already had one foot out of the door, according to his manager. That was the straw that broke the bastard’s back.
“Last we checked on him, he was packing up his shit,” Joseph continued.
“To where?”
