Page 53 of Mile High Baby

“You don’t know anything about being a father. She’s my daughter, not yours.” His words were a reminder of how fucked up my behavior was. I was old enough to be her father.

“I don’t need to be a father to see how this hurts her. Worries her. And Jesus, fuck, Henry, you’re committing her to living in hiding. For a man who wants his daughter to live her life, run her own business, and travel the world, you’ve made sure that can’t happen.”

“I don’t need this from you.” Henry stood and went to the bar.

“You know I’m right. This shit is going to bite you in the ass, Henry. I just hope Victoria isn’t the one they’ll target to get at you.” I was precariously close to revealing too much, if not by my words than by my emotional outburst. I strode out of the room and went directly to the third floor.

I found Victoria in her bedroom, staring out the window.

“I won’t let anything he does hurt you,” I said, shutting her door and going to her. Warning bells clanged, but I didn’t give a fuck. I pulled her to me, wanting—no, needing—to reassure her.

She leaned into me, letting me hold her. “Do you mean my father or Pitney?”

“Both.”

She looked up at me with a wan smile. “My hero.”

I wanted to be that, I realized. The truth of it hit me like a two-by-four. I was falling for this woman. I was falling for my dumb-ass friend’s daughter.

“I don’t know how much longer I can tolerate staying here.”

“I know.” I kissed her head.

“This is going to sound like rich girls' problems, but I miss my stuff. My home.”

“So let's go there.”

Her eyes rounded as she looked up at me in surprise. Truth be told, I was surprised I said it. I probably did because she wanted that and to get at Henry for being such a hardhead.

I quickly calculated what it would involve to let her return to her place and keep her safe trying to keep my own bias out of it. Yeah, right.

“You’d still need protection.”

Her eyebrows waggled. “I’ve got my handy dandy bodyguard.”

I swallowed hard as emotion swept through me. She didn’t know just how much she had me. “You’d still need to be sequestered.”

“But I’d be in my own space. And you are always good for entertainment.”

I should say no. Tell her I was wrong. “Let me make the arrangements. I imagine Henry won’t like it, but—”

“I’ll be the one to talk to him. I can be hard headed too. I’ll tell him I’m going. That’s it. No discussion. I’m sure he’ll pay for whatever needs to happen, and if not, I have some savings.”

Henry would fucking pay to keep her safe. I’d make sure of that. “Okay. Pack your stuff and talk to your dad. I’ll send men over to check out your building.”

“Not Ian, though,” she said with a cheeky smile.

“Oh?”

“He makes you grumpy when he’s around me.”

I laughed. “You know how to un-grump me.” I kissed her even though I shouldn’t. Then I strode out of her room feeling like I was walking a tightrope. On both sides sat doom, and yet I was going to walk that motherfucker.

18

Victoria

Wow. Shocking! Alex was not only going to take me home, but he was taking me to stay. I didn’t even have to beg. I wondered if it was because he was pissed at my father. Not that he was solely motivated by that. I think he was worried about me. Maybe he even cared for me.