“I know. He can just be a bit, um, pushy when he wants something.”
Aria let her lips curve up in a smirk. “So can I.”
That seemed to ease Lottie’s worry, and the other woman tossed her head back, her loud laugh filling the room. “Touché. Well, I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
With another squeeze of Aria’s hand, Lottie slipped from the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Aria face to face with her unreadable father.
“I’m not getting rid of the baby.”
She wasn’t even sure where the statement had come from, but seeing the way Braden grimaced, it clearly needed to be said. “I had a feeling you might say that. But you have to consider not just your safety but your child’s as well, Aria. Killian’s right. Once word gets out that Killian O’Rourke has an heir, you won’t be safe.”
“Well, if there was ever a time for me to use the ridiculous trust fund you set up for me, I suppose it would be now. My apartment building has good security but an alarm system for my apartment might not be a bad idea.”
“Absolutely not. You’re not staying in Charleston.”
Annoyance had her spine stiffening. “Like hell I’m not. I made a commitment to Mr. Williams and I intend to see it through.”
“Killian doesn’t want you anywhere near Richard Williams, and while I may not be thrilled about this… situation, I do trust Killian completely when it comes to matters of security. If he says he doesn’t want you near him, then neither do I.”
“Well, I suppose you’re both destined for disappointment, then.”
“Aria, be reasonable.”
“I am being entirely reasonable. I’m not changing all my plans and uprooting my life just because someone might find out I’m carrying Killian’s child and they might come after me. I’ll be safe, I’ll take whatever precautions I feasibly can, but I am not leaving Charleston and I’m not giving up my internship.”
“Goddammit. Do you have to be so damn stubborn?”
“I come by it honestly.”
The crack had a smile tugging at his mouth. “I suppose you do.” Sighing, he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I just want you safe, Ari. It would kill me if anything happened to you.”
Moving toward him, she let herself be pulled into his arms, let the familiar embrace calm her jittering nerves. “I want me to be safe too, Dad. I promise I’ll do everything I possibly can to stay that way.”
“Except go back to Oregon and quit your job.”
“Except that.”
Her father’s chest rose and fell with a sigh. “Would you at least consider moving in here for a while? Until we can find you a place of your own with better security.”
“Dad…”
“I know, I know. But it would give me some peace of mind.”
It chafed, god knew it chafed to have had that little taste of freedom just to have it ripped from her again. But the last thing she wanted was to have her father fretting over her whenever she was out of his sight, though she knew there wasn’t much she could do to stop him worrying.
“Compromise,” she said, anticipating the groan she received in response, seeing as how ‘compromise’ was her father’s least favorite word. “The second there’s any hint of danger, I’ll move in here. I’ll even let you call Holden and hire a guard dog.”
“All right. But only if you promise to tell me the second anything odd or threatening happens.”
“Deal.”
Aria
* * *
Part of the reason she’d chosen the apartment building she had was its proximity to her new job. Walking to work, even with the brisk late February wind tugging at her hair and clothes, was exactly what she needed to clear her head.
She hadn’t slept worth shit the past few days, the blame for which she placed squarely at the feet of one Killian O’Rourke. Not only had she checked the locks on her doors approximately a hundred times before she’d gone to bed each night, every little noise had jerked her out of sleep, convinced someone was in her apartment.
