Page 18 of Secret Love
“See?” Bennett says, throwing up his hands. “Son of the friggin’ year.”
“I did it to protect you,” I say. “That’s all I can say right now.”
“From what?”
I look at Dani’s cheek again. “From them.”
“Well, look how that turned out.” He gestures to her face. “A half a million dollars down the drain for plastic surgery.”
“And I’m sorry about that, but… you need to let me take her somewhere safe. After that, I promise I will answer any question you have about the last few years. You just have to trust me.”
“Trust you?”Dani’s voice quivers on her breath. “How the hell are we supposed to do that?”
“Dani—”
“We don’t even know who you are anymore.”
“It’s me.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, Fox,” she says, shaking her head.
It crushes me. I expected this from Bennett. I expected tears from my mother. Of all of them, I expected Dani to be on my side.
“They call themselves Snake Eyes, Dani,” I say out of desperation. “The man who cut your face is named Mercer Black. They’re more dangerous than you can possibly imagine—”
“Then, let the authorities take care of it!” Bennett nods at the hired hand behind me. “You got ties in the department, right?”
“They aren’t equipped to deal with something like this,” I say.
“And you are?”
Dani sits back in her chair, a conscious effort to get farther away from me.
“Yes,” I answer.
Bennett taps a finger against the table. “I’m not about to risk my daughter’s life on a dead man’s hunch.”
My mother sobs quietly, unable to say a word.
“It’s not a hunch,” I say. “They killed Lamb to send me a message. I know it sounds crazy but I’m telling you the truth. It’s why I came back. If I didn’t, they’d kill her and—”
“That’s enough,” Bennett interrupts.
“Where have you been?” Dani’s stiff, dry voice cuts me off.
“Like I said, Dani…” I sigh. “I will answer everything after I get you out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, Fox.”
She means it. I can see it in her eyes. She’s always had the most expressive eyes.
“Dani, please—”
“No.” She shakes her head. “Dad’s right. You could have told us you were alive. Instead, you just let us wonder what happened to you. For years.”
“I know, but—”
“That wasn’t fair, especially after…” She stops, forcing her lips tight, but she doesn’t have to say it.