Page 16 of Dewpoint
“Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled and quickly took off my cloak so no one would think I’d been outside. “It’s not your business.”
He beat me to the door and had about a dozen questions in his gaze and even more emotions all over his face. “Tell me you’re being safe at least.”
I lost some of my edge and gave a swift nod. Then I realized there was something I should say. “Sorry Myriam fucked with you. She and Treena are really upset given…”
“They should be. I am too,” he whispered as he reached to touch my face. He froze when I backed away. “I am sorry, Sagan.”
I gave a half shrug. “It is what it is.”
“No, I hurt you and this upsets you,” he whispered. “Please, give me a chance to—”
“To what?” I mumbled. “I don’t know that I believe you that this is real or anything other than trying to one-up Kole. Either way, I can’t deal with it. You can have a guest room or—I have to go.”
He swallowed loudly and moved out of the way of the door. “My feelings for you are real and grow the more I get to know you. I’m in no rush to prove that since only time can. Just don’t push me out. Please?”
I wasn’t sure what to say and I wasn’t sure I even agreed with him, so I just left. It seemed the best thing to do right then.
Right?
My body was flooded with relief when Myriam arrived ten minutes later. Like my knees went weak and I needed to sit down before I fell down.
“Your worry is touching, but there isn’t much I can’t handle, Sagan,” she chuckled.
“You don’t know how strong some dragons can really be, Myriam. And even Benson is two feet taller than you. That—maybe you should train with the guards since you don’t have your own like Treena.”
She held up a hand to hold me off. “Great idea and I will, I promise, but the tail was Avior and we have a problem.”
I swallowed the need to let out every curse word I knew as she filled me in. “Okay, well, I guess we pull the plug and—”
“Fuck that. These bastards aren’t controlling you anymore even when they don’t know it’s you,” she seethed. “I got this.” She pointed her finger at me when I opened my mouth. “Sagan, I got this. That’s why you brought me in.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was scared and curious when she pulled out her phone and put it on speaker.
“This is a surprise,” the male voice answered with hesitation.
“Is it?” Myriam chuckled darkly. “Or did you think I’d call immediately after you sent someone to check on me like I was a kid throwing a fit?”
Her father. She was calling her father, but I had no idea why.
He didn’t respond right away. “You were never one for fits but yes, I expected a call. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed you didn’t note someone was there. I taught you better.”
She winced, so clearly she hadn’t known. “You also taught me patience and not to fly off the handle like other families who are thugs.”
“Touché, Daughter,” he purred, his voice full of pride.
I swallowed down my feelings and looked away. Wow, a mafia boss showed more emotion to his daughter than mynoblefather had.
“I wanted to see if it was a quick check-in—which is expected, and I love you too—or if it was a reoccurring thing to keep tabs on me. Though I bet others noticed with the amount of magic covering the man.”
“It’s not a regular thing, but an associate who was in the area and I asked a favor from. Though I will say I’m surprised to hear what he had to tell me.”
I nodded when she glanced at me, saying it was time to tell him the story we’d made up.
“Your honor this goes no further and you won’t use this information, Papa? I’m telling you so you don’t worry, but don’t ask me to betray more.”
“Go on.”
“Papa, say it,” she sighed.
