Chapter 1
1
STELLA
R olling over for about the hundredth time since I went to bed, I grabbed my cell from the nightstand and glared at the screen. I had plenty of notifications, but none were from my dad. “Dammit.”
With how I was raised, I wasn’t one to panic. But I was definitely headed in that direction this morning.
My childhood wasn’t like other kids. My parents’ divorce was probably the most normal thing about it, except for the lack of animosity between my mom and dad. She’d gotten tired of the toll his job had taken on our small family, and he didn’t blame her for wanting to walk away. Which had been tough to explain to my friends since I couldn’t talk about my dad’s job with anyone.
When I was thirteen and he sat me down to fill me in on the family secret, I thought having a spy for a dad was so cool. Not being able to tell anyone that he worked for the CIA quickly dimmed my excitement, though. And knowing he was out there keeping our country safe and saving lives only helped so much when he missed milestones in mine.
But when he was home, my dad put so much effort into being the best father possible that I always forgave him. He did everything he could to make sure I knew how much he loved me, and when I went off to college four years ago, we made a pact that we wouldn’t grow apart. Even if we just fired off a quick text letting the other know we were alive, we always touched base with each other every other day.
When he was in the field for work, those messages usually only consisted of a safe word so that I knew he was okay. No matter what kind of assignment he was on, my dad had never missed a check-in with me. Not even when he’d been shot in the line of duty last year. Since the op was over for him, he sent a photo of his bandaged arm along with a joke about it merely being a flesh wound. Then he got pissed that I was upset about him being shot instead of laughing over the line from his favorite movie that he’d made me watch about a dozen times.
I was more scared now than I’d been then, though. Worst-case scenarios raced through my brain, each more awful than the one before. And my fear intensified when another two days passed without hearing from him.
One missed check-in was bad.
Two meant something had gone horribly wrong.
Dad had warned me that there might be rare times when he had to go completely dark while on a mission, so I wasn’t supposed to immediately assume he was in trouble. But he had promised that even in those scenarios, he would do whatever it took to get word to me that he was okay by the next check-in.
That hadn’t happened, which meant it was time for me to head to the bank to open the safe deposit box he told me about. Both of our names were on it, and we each had a key. He got it at a branch neither of us used, so I wasn’t sure where to go when I walked through the door.
“Can I help you?”
At the question, I turned to look at an older woman seated behind a desk to my left. Pasting a smile on my face, I replied, “Yes, I need to access a safe deposit box.”
“Oh, you’ll need to see Harold for that. He’s the assistant manager and the keeper of the guard key while our manager is out,” she explained as she pointed toward an office behind her. “I’ll buzz him to let him know what you need.”
“Thanks.”
“While you wait, I just need to confirm your identity, my dear. May I see your driver's license please?”
A few minutes later, Harold came out of his office. After confirming that my name was on the account, he guided me toward the back of the bank, where the safety deposit boxes were kept in a vault. As we walked inside, he asked, “You have your key?”
“Yes, sir.” I lifted my hand to show it to him.
“Good.”
We unlocked the box by inserting both keys and turning them simultaneously. Then he pulled it out and walked me over to a private booth.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, my palms getting sweaty as I wondered what awaited me.
As soon as I was alone, I lifted the lid and peered into the box. All I found were two envelopes, one addressed to me and the other to someone named Connor Kingsley. My curiosity was tangible, but I didn’t want to open my envelope until I was in the safety of my car and didn’t need to pretend everything was okay as I walked through the bank lobby.
After tucking the contents of the box in my purse, I slammed the lid shut and jumped out of my seat.
Harold was waiting for me when I opened the door. “All done?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
I followed him back in the vault to lock the box, even though it was now empty. Then I headed outside and slid into the driver’s seat of my SUV. My fingers trembled as I pulled the envelope with my name on it out of my bag. I would’ve preferred to read it at home, away from any curious passersby, but I couldn’t wait that long to see what my dad had to say.
Ripping the envelope open, I tugged a slip of paper out, tears welling in my eyes at the familiar scrawl in black ink. I wasn’t much of a crier, but this was an unusual situation.
I sniffled them back as I traced a finger over the letters, then pulled myself together so I could actually read the note.
Stella my bella,
When I placed these envelopes in the safety deposit box, I hoped that you would never need to follow the protocol I put in place to retrieve them. But you know what I always say about backup plans…always have a bunch of them. It’s better to be prepared than caught unaware.
Writing this, I have no way of knowing what went wrong or who I can trust. Which is why I need you to go to the address on the other envelope and ask for Connor Kingsley.
He was always a man of his word, even more so after he left this world. Betrayal will do that to a man.
Getting in to see Connor might not be easy, but you’re a smart girl. I know you can do it.
He learned the hard way that trust shouldn’t come too easily, so don’t take it personally if he isn’t very welcoming at first. He’ll understand when you tell him Guardian.
I’ve done a lot of things during my time with The Company, but none of those accomplishments measure up to the pride I have in you. Being your dad is my most important mission. There’s nothing more important to me than making sure you’re protected.
Be safe,
Dad
I had no clue who Connor Kingsley was, but if my dad trusted him, then so did I.
Punching the address into my map app on my phone, I grimaced at how long it would take to get there. Ten hours on the road meant I needed to head home and grab some of my stuff before I left since I wasn’t sure if I’d be gone for a day or a week…or longer.
I called my mom as I drove back to my apartment. It was a good thing she was an early riser because I forgot to take into account the four-hour time difference, so it was only six o’clock her time. “Good morning, sweetie. What a nice way to start my day, with a call from my beautiful daughter.”
“Staying warm?”
“It’s supposed to be a gorgeous summer day. I’ll be plenty warm,” she assured me.
There was a good twenty-degree difference between her summer weather in Alaska and mine. “Only because your wood-burning stove is probably running.”
“True.” She laughed, but only for a moment before she asked, “What’s wrong?”
My mom knew me very well, so I wasn’t surprised that it only took her a minute to realize something was going on. She’d divorced my dad eight years ago, and I didn’t think it would be fair to drag her into this mess. So I chose to tell her only the parts that wouldn’t worry her. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m taking a road trip to Georgia.”
“Really?” she squealed. “I’m so glad to hear that you’re taking some time to have fun before you decide what career path you want to take. And a road trip? You know how much I love them.”
Considering how many hours I’d spent in the back seat of a car during family vacations, I was very much aware of her fondness for them. “Yup, and I’m going to stop off in a little town called Riverstone to meet one of Dad’s old work friends, Connor Kingsley. Do you know him?”
“The name sounds vaguely familiar, but you know how closed-lipped your father is.”
Her answer didn’t surprise me, but I was relieved to know that the name at least rang a bell for her. It was confirmation of what had been in the letter. If my dad had mentioned this Connor guy to her, then he definitely trusted him. He wouldn’t have risked cracking that door open otherwise. Something I kept reminding myself during the long drive…even more so when I pulled up to the address I’d been given.
A tall, electric gate surrounded the property, with a manned booth in front. A guy stepped out when I pulled up, and he gestured for me to roll my window down. “You lost?”
I beamed him my biggest smile, hoping to dazzle him into letting me through. “That depends. Is Connor Kingsley inside?”
“You mean King?” he asked, brows drawing together.
It wasn’t a stretch to assume that was Dad’s friend’s nickname. “Yup.”
“Lemme call the clubhouse and see if he’s available.”
I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel while he turned his back on me to have his conversation. Unfortunately, he spoke low enough that I didn’t hear what was said, so I wasn’t sure how to argue when he spun around again and announced, “Sorry, but no can do. The prez isn’t expecting anyone, and we don’t allow strangers inside.”
“Then I guess you have a problem.” I crossed my arms against my chest and quirked a brow. “Because I’m not going anywhere until I speak with Connor.”
Shaking his head, he heaved a deep sigh. “So fucking weird hearing his first name.”
“Connor, Connor, Connor,” I chanted, hoping to throw him off his game. All that accomplished was getting me ignored for the next ten minutes.
I had the air conditioner cranked all the way up since it was hot outside and the window was still down. Which meant I got to hear the guy mutter the entire time. Finally, he huffed and stomped back over to my SUV. “Are you really just gonna sit there until you get your way? ’Cause I gotta tell you, it ain’t gonna happen no matter how long you wait.”
“Well then I hope that nobody else shows up who’s actually expected because I’m more stubborn than anyone you’ve ever met before,” I warned. “He’s going to be pissed that you’re not letting me through. I have information he’ll want.”
“ Fanculo .”
“ Mi dispiace .”
I didn’t really mean my apology since I was feeling pretty smug over the fact that he felt as though he was fucked, but it was satisfying to see the stunned expression on his face when I replied in Italian. And it earned me another call to the clubhouse. Not that it did any good.
Another twenty minutes later, I decided to pull out the big guns. One of the first lessons my dad taught me was that a girl had to use every weapon at her disposal. A woman crying made most men uncomfortable, so it was a handy tool when needed. So I turned on the waterworks, hoping I’d finally get through that gate.