Page 60 of Idaho

"Mr. Desmet," Idaho cut in.

My eyes widened and I put a hand on his chest, shaking my head no so hard my brain nearly rattled in my head. I stopped, then cringed at the silence on the other end of the line.

After what may as well have been an eternity, Father spoke. "Who is this?"

I knew when he heard me say friend, he thought I meant a female. Idaho speaking made it abundantly clear that wasn't the case. I didn't need to see his face to know my father was seething. His voice said it all.

"This is Levi Sharpe," Idaho said calmly. "I'm the one who helped your daughter get away from the men who tried to kidnap her."

Silence again.

My heart was trying to forcibly remove itself from my chest and my breath was coming in small little pants. The anxiety I was having right now was the worst I'd ever felt. Normally, I wasn't a very anxious person, but telling my father all of this was more than I wanted to face. It wasn't right to make Idaho explain, though. That would just make Father more mad.

"What do you mean, kidnap her?" Father asked in a very measured and deliberate tone. He was holding onto his temper by a thread.

"Papa," I said. "Idah-Levi helped me when some of my girlfriends and I were accosted outside a bar."

"Where. Was. Thomas?"

"I gave him the night off. My friends' boyfriends were with us and I thought we were perfectly safe."

"I had my investigator look into the men," Idaho continued, grabbing my hand and squeezing it in reassurance. "It turns out one of the men was paid by someone named Richard Krier to try to abduct Eva."

"Tatiana," my father growled into the phone. The similarities between him and Idaho were being driven home by a sledgehammer right now. "Is it my understanding that Thomas is not with you right now? That you're alone with this man?"

"Not exactly alone," I stammered. Silence. "But, yes," I sighed. "It wasn't possible for Thomas to stay here, but Levi and his brothers are protecting me. And Thomas checks in daily. Once school begins after the holiday break, he'll be going to classes with me. Papa, I-"

"Enough."

I fought back tears at the authority ringing in his voice.

"Mr. Sharpe."

"Yes?"

"Is my daughter safe there with you?"

"She is."

"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, since you looked into this matter of your own free will and had my daughter call me to tell me what was going on. I'll ask a favor of you."

I was holding Idaho's hand with both of mine, nearly strangling it with my death grip as I listened to my father rain down judgment. I was about to find out what my penance would be. He'd never lifted a hand to me. I wasn't scared of him. It was the threat of being put back into my cage I was worried about.

"What's that?" Idaho asked.

"I'll ask that you continue to protect my daughter until tomorrow evening."

Idaho looked down at me, a frown marring his handsome features. "What's happening tomorrow evening?"

"You're going to bring my daughter to me. Four o'clock at the hotel there in a place called Dove Mountain."

"I can do that."

"Tatiana?"

"Yes, Papa," I whispered.

"I love you. I want you safe. Please don't fight me on this."