Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 44899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Bold statements from a man who’s known her for what? A few hours?” Tonio’s tone remained even, but I caught the slight edge beneath the surface.
“When you know, you know,” Sully countered. “Sometimes a few hours is enough to know what matters.”
I should have pulled away then. Should have established my independence, made it clear I didn’t need either man fighting over me like some prize to be won. That would have been the smart play. Instead, I leaned farther into Sully’s warmth, my arms sliding around his waist in a gesture that surprised even me. His body tensed momentarily in surprise before relaxing, his thumb tracing a gentle stroke against my shoulder blade.
Tonio didn’t miss the movement. “Is this what you want, Darby?” he asked, his voice softening almost imperceptibly. “Him? This club?”
The direct question caught me off guard. I’d expected arguments, threats, perhaps even an attempt to forcibly remove me from the compound. Not this quiet request for confirmation of my own desires.
“Well, I don’t know much about the club, but they let me in with no questions and gave me privacy when I needed it. So, yes,” I said, the single syllable carrying more vulnerability than I’d intended. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Yes. This is what I want.” I didn’t fully understand the truth of it until the words were already out, hanging in the air between us like a confession. I wanted to add the obligatory “for now” qualifier but couldn’t manage it.
The funny thing was, I thought I saw approval in his gaze. For the briefest of moments. “I see.” He straightened his already immaculate suit jacket. “I won’t force you to return with me. But this doesn’t end our connection, Darby. You’re still my daughter, regardless of where you choose to sleep at night.”
“I don’t need a father,” I said, but the words lacked their earlier venom. And, Goddamn the man, he recognized it too.
“Perhaps not. But you have one nonetheless.” He turned his attention to Sully. “I’ll be checking in regularly. And should anything happen to her while in your care, you’ll answer to me personally.”
“Understood,” Sully replied simply.
Tonio nodded once. “My men will handle the situation with Jenkins and his associates.” This he directed at neither of us specifically, as if sensing Knuckles or another club member might be listening. Wouldn’t surprise me. One only had to look at Knuckles to know there was nothing that happened within his home he didn’t know about.
With a final, lingering look at me, he moved toward the door. “The offer remains open, Darby. When you’re ready to know your family, I’ll be waiting.” Then he was gone, his footsteps fading down the hallway, leaving behind only the faint scent of expensive cologne and the ghost of a connection I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
For several long moments, neither Sully nor I moved. I remained in the circle of his arms, face pressed against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. I wasn’t sure what to say, how to process everything that had just happened.
Sully broke the silence first, tugging me along back the way we’d come. “You okay?” he asked, his voice gentle in a way that made my chest ache with unfamiliar emotion. Off in the distance I heard the men speaking but didn’t really care what they discussed. All I knew was Sully was taking me away from them.
“I’m good.”
We hurried back across the yard to his apartment. Sully didn’t let go of my hand at any time during the short walk. Once inside his home, he pulled me back into his arms and held me.
“That was… unexpected,” I admitted after we’d stood there a moment.
“Which part?” A small smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Your father showing up, or me claiming you in front of him?”
“Both?” I found myself returning his smile despite everything. “Especially the part where I didn’t punch you for making decisions about me without consulting me first.”
His smile widened. “Figured the punch might be coming later. Besides. Sometimes it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” His hand cupped my face as he grazed his thumb gently over the bruise on my cheek. “For what it’s worth, I meant what I said. You’re with me now. If you want to be.” The words hung between us. I should have felt trapped, cornered. Instead, I felt something dangerously close to hope.
“I think I want to be,” I whispered, the admission dragging itself from somewhere deep inside me.
The kiss, when it came, was tentative at first, a gentle press of his lips against mine. He was careful of the cut on my lip, the pressure soft enough that it didn’t hurt but firm enough to make my pulse quicken. I slid my hands up his chest to his shoulders, fingers curling into the cotton fabric of his shirt as if anchoring myself to him.