Page 55 of Tough Justice

“I am proud of her.” He smiled. “I’m proud of both my daughters. I never doubted they would be successful in any endeavor they pursued. So, you obviously stayed in touch?”

Deck nodded. “Tori’s been helping me on a case.”

“Helping you?” Margo stared at her. “How?”

Tori opened her mouth, but Deck interrupted. “We can’t discuss the details, but she’s gotten me useful information, and she’s been a huge asset in the field. I wish we had more doctors like her willing to help us out.”

Beneath the table, he squeezed her hand and didn’t let go. When he began stroking his thumb over her fingers, her mind went utterly blank. When he looked at her with his big, dark, chocolate-brown eyes going all soft, the rest of her cranium shut down as if someone had flicked off the switch to every single neuron.

“Tori?”

Wow. She had no idea he valued her that much. Hearing it left her entire body bathed in the warm glow of his praise and appreciation.

“Tori?” Margo repeated, hooking her fingers into quotation marks. “What exactly are you doing ‘in the field’?”

“I, um.” She glanced at Deck, not certain how much she could divulge. When he nodded, she continued, “I went on a couple of warrants with him.”

“How very James Bond of you,” Margo said.

Her father frowned. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Hardly.” She waved a dismissive hand, hoping what remained of the scratches on her face really weren’t visible beneath the makeup she’d applied. “Deck was the one doing all that special agent stuff. I just sat in the car in case someone needed medical assistance.” Not exactly true, but they didn’t need to know that.

Her dad scratched his chin. “Hmm.” The sound had come out more of a growl.

Thus far, he’d done an admirable job keeping most of his issues with the DEA to himself. Whether he could keep the rest of it in check for the duration of dinner and dessert remained to be seen. Tori understood that her family was shocked by what she’d told them. Her entire association with Deck was so not her, how could they not be in shock?

Just when she thought she’d escape more awkwardness, her father set down his napkin. In a clipped voice, he said to Deck, “You’ll have to excuse me, Special Agent Decker. I’m going outside for some air.” He strode swiftly from the room, and a moment later, the front door opened then slammed shut.

Tori rested her elbow on the table, covering her face with her hand. The explosion she’d been waiting for and hoping wouldn’t happen was about to.

Chapter Eighteen

Deck looked from one sister to the other. For lack of a better word, Tori looked anguished. Gutted, even. Margo didn’t look much better.

The moment he’d told Tori’s father he worked for the DEA, Deck had easily detected a discernible frostiness from the man. During dinner, he’d sensed more bad vibes barely held in check. He didn’t know why, but Tori’s father was a keg of dynamite, and somehow his fuse had been lit.

“Excuse me.” Tori pushed from the table and left the room. Presumably to go after her father.

“Your dad doesn’t like me much. Does he?” he tacked on when Margo didn’t respond right away.

“It’s not that he doesn’t like you.” She gave a heavy sigh. “He doesn’t like the DEA.” Her voice was sympathetic, but it did nothing to ease his concerns.

“Why not?” Craig Sampson didn’t strike him as a drug dealer, so he could only imagine.

Margo held out her hands in a placating gesture. “It’s not my story to tell.”

Raised voices came from outside. Tori’s and her dad’s. She’d been reluctant to let him drive her here in the first place. Then she’d practically panicked, begging him not to say who he worked for. When Craig had invited him to stay for dinner, he’d jumped at the chance like a lovesick puppy because he’d stupidly wanted Tori’s father to like him. Now he knew that would never be possible. He stood and pushed his chair back.

“Don’t go out there,” Margo warned.

“I have to.” He left Tori’s sister alone in the dining room, looking as forlorn as a lost child. Whatever was going on, he couldn’t stand by and let Tori take the brunt of her father’s rage which, apparently, Deck’s presence had created.

Thor followed him to the front door, sitting by his side and looking up at him with big, questioning eyes. Through the screen, Craig Sampson’s voice carried loudly. He gestured, pointing his finger at Tori.

“I tried, Tori. For you, I really tried. But how could you bring him here? Do you have any idea how hurtful that is?” Craig dragged a hand down his face, suddenly looking twenty years older.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Tori clapped a hand over her mouth. Her shoulders shook, and she looked as if she was about to lose it.