“No, Dad?—”
“Is he the one who hurt you?”
“Dad!” Ella hisses. “Calm the fuck down and let me talk!” The room falls quiet, and she points to the window. “Go and stand over there. No one is hitting anybody.”
Guy throws me one more dark glare before doing as he’s told.
Hunter gives me a look, one that says he’s impressed, and I grin at him. The things that used to annoy me about Ella—her attitude, her bossiness—now might just be the reason I love the woman fiercely.
Ella rolls her shoulders and starts talking. “Dad, all these months we thought I was safe, I haven’t been. People have been coming after me, a lot of them, and Gable has been … handling it. We left so he could keep me safe. And the thing that Barnaby had, the reason he ended up dead? It was a hard drive.” She goes to the desk, and Hunter spins his laptop, the screen now facing Guy. “With this on it.”
He approaches slowly, taking out his glasses and placing them on before scanning the names. Ella comes to sit with me, and I take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Bribes?” Guy asks, removing his glasses and looking at Hunter.
Hunter nods. “That’s what we’re assuming. We don’t know how Barnaby got this, or why, but the likelihood is they figured he was at least friendly with Ella. Knowing the chief of police’s daughter was close to this list is why she got a bounty on her head.”
Guy runs his hand across his beard. “Bribes from who, though? Who’s powerful enough to own this many cops?”
“We’re hoping to find that out. I have someone working on it now,” Hunter says, then glances at his phone as it starts ringing.
“Is it them?” I ask.
He shakes his head and answers. He quickly stands and goes to the window. “Yes, let her the fuck in.” His voice is curt, the tension in him ramping up.
Her? Who?
The roar of an engine cuts through the silence, quickly followed by heels on the marble floor. And in the doorway, in a white, designer skirt suit and impossibly high heels, is Monty.
“Hello, minions,” she cries. “Did you miss me?”
Ella and I roll our eyes.
Hunter looks furious. “You stole my fucking car!”
Monty waggles her finger at him, then tosses him the keys. He catches them.
“Borrowed it, darling. I filled the tank up. Don’t be such a crybaby.” She removes her sunglasses, her attention shifting to Guy. “Well, hello Zaddy.”
“Monty,” Ella says, her tone filled with warning.
I grin and get comfortable. This is going to be interesting.
“Who are you?” Monty purrs, approaching Guy and extending her hand.
“He’s my dad!” Ella snaps.
Monty looks delighted as Guy grips her hand. “He may be your dad, but he’s about to be my daddy.”
Guy immediately lets go of her, Hunter huffs and sits back down, and I bark out a laugh. Ella looks less than amused.
“Monty,” Guy says, narrowing his eyes. “You were the unconscious woman found in Gable’s apartment. I’m guessing you don’t work in fucking computers.”
“Honey, I’ll work wherever you want me?—”
“Monty, why are you here?” Ella hisses.
Monty finally tears her attention from Guy, flicking her curled blonde hair over her shoulder. “I have info.” She pauses, glancing between us all. “Where’s my thank you?”
