3. Miceli #2
“Did you know the school cut me off?” She didn’t look up from her tablet.
Even from here, I could see the fire in her ebon eyes.
So much like her mother. Her mouth was set in a frown.
Her grip on her tablet tense with anger, as if she held herself in check for me.
I’d laugh if the situation wasn’t serious.
“I did,” I replied, sitting on her bed. It’s part of the protocol I had put in place should your life be put in danger.” Though, it shouldn’t have started until I called the school to inform them I’d found someone to tutor Rocca.
She turned her head ever so slowly to look at me.
This perfect doll. The one person I cherished above all else was about to rip my heart out.
Whether or not she realized it, I’d rather she be angry and alive than happy and dead.
Yes, a horrible comparison, but until I could find who was trying to kill my daughter, I couldn’t chance her life.
Sure, I had my suspicions, nothing tangible though.
“The sins of the father should not be placed on the daughter.”
Arrow straight to my heart.
I agreed with her. My past was mine and mine alone. She was perfect. Innocent. Rocca had nothing to do with my life before I started Daidone Holdings, LLC. “You’re right.” I blew out a breath. “Did Benny explain why you came home as you had?”
Rocca blinked, then glanced at the man standing at the door. In my eyes, they were best friends. Of all those who guarded Rocca, Benny and she were the most compatible. My daughter shook her head. “He wouldn’t tell me because he didn’t want to scare me.”
“Someone snuck into the school and tried to kill you,” I stated. Not my finest hour, but blunt was best. If Rocca wanted to stomp around the house and make things hard on everyone around her, then she needed a dose of reality to counterbalance her.
“Because of you.” Her venomous tone didn’t surprise me. I expected it.
“Yes.”
“I hate it here.” Her eyes narrowed. Her bottom lip trembled. “I have to hide and can’t go to school while you do whatever you want. I hate you even more because I can’t be with my friends.”
I took her words with a grain of salt. She didn’t hate me.
She just didn’t understand the situation we were both placed in.
The sooner I found the person responsible for killing Rosalina and putting the contract on my daughter, the sooner things could go back to normal.
“I know things are not the best, but I have found you at tutor. I think you’ll like her. ”
“Another one of your flings?” Rocca arched her little brow in accusation. The cut of her words sent a bolt of anger through me.
“Where are your manners?” I snapped, forgetting about pretenses.
“Why should I have manners when I’m not allowed to have anything?” she yelled, her pitch reedy and unhinged.
“You have everything in your room. You’re not locked away. Rocca, you can go anywhere on the property within reason as long as Benny is with you. Do not play the pathetic, hidden princess with me, Rocca.”
She flinched, looking away from me as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t want a tutor. I want to be with my friends, and I want my mom.”
Pain lanced my heart. If she only knew how much I too wanted her mother back, but death was infinite and nothing we could do or say would return her to us. “Do you think I enjoy worrying about you? Or keeping you from where you want to be?”
“It doesn’t matter because you’re already doing it,” Rocca cried. “I have no one. You’re isolating me.”
I glanced at Benny, who shook his head. “Who told you I was isolating you or, better yet, where did you learn that word?”
“Isolation,” she began, “to be or remain alone or apart from others. Gina said that’s what you are doing.”
“The girl in her class,” Benny said, stepping up behind me.
“She said you’re an evil man, too.” Rocca sniffed. “You hurt a lot of people to get rich. She said you were mean and ugly, and you hated me most of all. It’s why you were isolating me, so I’d never learn the truth.”
Benny sighed. “I’ve told you, Roc, she’s a bully who will say anything to make you feel bad. It’s what bullies do.”
“Everything she said is true,” Rocca yelped. “Look at where I am.”
“Because someone tried to kill you.” I was exasperated, and we hadn’t even discussed Collins.
“What kind of father would I be if I allowed you to get hurt? I can’t lose you too.
” The vulnerability of being laid bare by my daughter left me exposed and feeling weak.
I didn’t like it. This wasn’t me. The old me would have killed anyone who got in my way and not cared if I died.
As a father, I couldn’t allow my old ways to corrupt the life I chose all those years ago when I said, “I do,” to Rosalina.
“I don’t care,” she sobbed. “I don’t care what happens anymore. My life is ruined. I probably don’t have any friends either.”
“I doubt that,” I murmured. “If they aren’t your friends because you have a tutor now, then they didn’t care about you to begin with, Rocca.
With our kind of money comes status and power.
Some kids see that as a stepping stone to better things.
Perhaps you should ask yourself, whether your so-called friends liked you because you’re a great kid with a wonderful sense of humor mixed with sarcasm, or because they saw the Daidone name and thought they could earn favor with you and in part, me. ”
“That’s not true.” Hurt and rage flashed in her tear-stained eyes.
“But you just told me you’re going to lose all of your friends because they believe Gina over you.
” Her chin lifted in a cute, obstinate way and I chuckled to myself.
“I haven’t said you can’t chat with your friends or invite them over.
I just ask, for now, until we can find the person responsible for trying to take you away from me, you stay home and go to school here. Work with me, Rocca, not against me.”
“What if I hate my tutor?”
“Then I get you another one until you’re happy,” I replied, though I believed Collins would be the perfect fit for Rocca.
“I still don’t like you very much,” she pouted.
“That’s okay. If it means you’re alive, I fulfill my promise to your mother.” I stood then. “Your tutor’s name is Collins. You’ll meet her in the morning unless you can persuade Benny to take you to the cottage to meet her on your own. I think you and her will have fun together.”
“What kind of name is Collins, anyway?” Rocca stared up at me, defeat etched across her soft cherub features.
“Interesting, if I had to wager a guess,” I said before turning. “Come down and get some lunch. I’m sure Mrs. Petry has it already waiting for us.”
“Fine.” Rocca hoisted herself off her canopy bed. “I’ll eat.”
“Wonderful.” I placed my hand on her shoulder as we walked out. Maybe I’d averted one catastrophe.
When I returned from spending a few hours at the office because of some meetings I’d almost forgot about, I found Collins roaming around the downstairs portion of the house.
By the lateness of the hour, Mrs. Petry would have been the one to let her in.
Benny would have gone home, and Rocca would also be in bed while one of the other men watched over her.
Collins looked so out of place in my home.
So anxious as she nibbled on the corner of her thumbnail while she tried to figure out a troubling puzzle.
Curious, I watched her for a moment, waiting to announce my presence.
What was she looking for? Did it have to be anything or just something?
She eased through the house, going toward the front room.
Her gaze skimmed the plentiful books tucked into their places on their shelves.
“Most of those are classics,” I said, finally giving myself away.
She yelped in surprise, placing her hand to her chest as she shook like a leaf.
Her body tensed, and her eyes went wide with fear.
Was I missing something deeper than simple startled fear from shock?
I prided myself on being able to read people, but Collins.
.. I couldn’t tell whether she was about to laugh or beg for her life.
The former would be more appropriate. The latter, well, the latter left a sour taste in my mouth and churned up more questions than could be answered, standing there in the middle of my house.
“You scared me,” she finally whispered, after taking several deep breaths. “I thought I was the only one awake.”
“Ah, well,” I said, trying to ease her worry while pushing away my inquires. “I was at the office until a little while ago.”
“Obviously,” she replied with a small huff. “Mrs. Petry said as much.”
“Were you looking for anything in particular?” I pointed to the books, changing the subject. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, but if you have a specific... Genre, I could help you.”
“They’re all classics.” She smirked, repeating my words.
“I was hoping to find something to put me to sleep. I suppose I could drop one of them on my head. Although, after that shock...” Collins gave me a once over, and I swore I could feel her heated stare straight through my clothes.
I should be ashamed of myself for finding pleasure in the singular action, especially when the woman standing before me was so young—by almost twenty years.
“You could,” I replied. “Or you could...” What?
Do what? Follow me up to bed? No. I wouldn’t be that type of man.
Yes, I had wants and needs, but I had a system.
I had women I could count on to fulfill such, with a single phone call.
I wouldn’t take advantage of the situation Collins was in, no matter how appealing she was to me.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” She laughed as she stepped closer. “Remember, we’re not supposed to lie to each other.”
I grunted.
The temptation was there. I could easily feast upon the growing attraction between us without fear of repercussions.
Collins seemed willing as well. The dance of lust in those timid, though strong, grey eyes of hers was a magnetic pull for me.
Unfortunately, for both of us, there were extenuating circumstances.
I had someone out to murder my family and Collins was a young woman who could easily be my daughter.
The cold splash of reality tempered my arousal.
“I was going to suggest a cup of tea or perhaps some warm milk.”
Collins gasped. “Oh... Oh shit. I read the situation wrong. Oh fuck.”
Laughter rumbled in my chest. The first genuine emotion besides rage and grief I’d allowed myself to feel since Rosalina’s death.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Gazing at her, I took in the soft curves of her too thin body, causing me to wonder just how long she and her brother had gone without a lot of things and why.
“I appreciate the offer, but, uh, I think I’ll take a book, along with my embarrassment, and turn in. Goodnight.” Without hesitation, she hurried to the back door, letting herself out and forcing me to reset the alarm while she ran all the way to the smaller cottage.
Strange. I stared after her until the front door of the smaller home opened and a boy, her brother, I assumed, waited for her to step inside before closing the door behind her.
Blowing out a breath, I ran my fingers through my hair.
What was it about her? A fuzzy feeling of déjà vu or, more precisely, a memory I couldn’t fully recall rubbed at the back of my mind.
What am I doing? I had more pressing matters to attend to, like trying to figure out who was trying to murder my daughter.
Not pining after a young woman who was specifically hired to help Rocca until she could return to school.
I stepped away from the door and went to my office.
Ellory called with some updates about who might be after my family.
I’d hoped he might have more on Collins, but nothing yet.
Pity. I looked forward to learning about the young woman who kept me in knots all day.
Or had grasped my attention in such a way, I couldn’t not be distracted.
The last person who’d captured me so intensely was Rosalina.
The notion should have scared me, believing there might be two women in this bastard of a world who might indulge me.
Challenge me to be a better person... Messed with my head.
My phone rang, and I stopped midway to my cellarette, needing a drink after running numbers and signing contracts for most of the afternoon.
I grabbed the device and glanced at the screen.
Surprised by the lateness of the hour for Ellory to be calling, I hit accept.
“What do I owe the honors of a late-night phone call?” I continued on, opening the standing hutch so I could pour a finger or two of single malt scotch into a crystal tumbler.
“Got some information you might like to see,” Ellory muttered. “Figured if you were awake, you’d want to look it over instead of me talking to you on the phone.”
“Sure.” I finished the drink in a single gulp. Fire raced down my throat and warmed my gut. Whatever Ellory had to show me, I’d probably need three more of these to make it through the night. “When can you be here?”
“I’m right outside.” Asshole. Of course he was.
“I’ll get the door.” Hitting end on the call, I started for the front door.
Whatever he had to say, it must have been important.
Ellory didn’t come off as a guy who liked to do the in-person type meetings.
He let his work speak for itself, which people paid a hefty sum for, because he was the best in the business.
Ellory waited at the door when I opened it.
After ushering him inside, I asked, “Want something to drink, or will you not be staying long?”
“I’ll be here for a while. This is the biggest cluster fuck if I’ve ever seen.
” Ellory went straight for the refrigerator and grabbed a beer.
“I thought Collins was going to make me work for it too, but I might be on to something on her front.” He leaned against the kitchen island as he twisted the cap off his bottle, then drank down half the contents of the imported beer. “Should we do this in your office?”
“By all means.” He entered first. I was right behind him. As he made himself comfortable, I grabbed the bottle of scotch and brought it over to the table. “This is purely about Rosalina, then?”
“Yes.” Ellory nodded. “I have someone I trust inside the Valentino family as we speak. This, though... This is only the tip of the iceberg.”
Interest piqued, I sat back in my chair with a freshly poured drink in my hand. “Do tell. I’m all ears.”