Chapter 13 Seth
SETH
Kayla’s father answers his phone on the first ring.
“Is she okay?” He’s anxious at seeing my number outside of our scheduled calls.
I think about Kayla’s soft body pressed against mine last night, the low mewling sound she made as I licked her, and the way she gripped my arms until her knuckles turned white.
“She’s fine,” I tell him.
He sighs down the end of the phone. “When I saw your number, I thought…”
I cut him off before he can go into whatever he worries about happening to her.
“She’s more than fine. Kayla’s doing well. She’s living her life. I don’t feel right tracking her anymore.”
There’s silence down the end of the line.
“You’re giving up on the job?”
He sounds surprised and irritated, and I try to see it from his point of view. He’s a father worried about his daughter. He wants to make sure she’s safe, but this isn’t the way to do it.
“It doesn’t feel right to tail someone when they don’t know about it. She’s not doing anything dangerous. She’s making good choices.” At least I hope she is. “You brought her up well.”
“Does Bronn know?”
I rub my hand over my temples. I haven’t spoken to Bronn yet. He doesn’t know what I’ve been up to with Kayla, but he didn’t want to take the job anyway. I’m confident he’ll back my decision to pull out.
“Not yet. But he’ll agree with me. Trailing young women without their knowledge isn’t what we do.”
“Not even when that young woman is in danger?” He’s getting angry now, and I have to appease him.
“I don’t believe there is any threat to Kayla. She hardly goes out. She doesn’t meet anyone.” Except me, I silently add. I’m the stranger you’re worried about. Only I’d never do anything without Kayla’s consent. Although even as I think it, I know it’s not true.
I hacked into her phone, her TV, her laptop. I’m the man her father warned her about.
“It’s not about going out these days. She could be being groomed online.”
He sounds desperate and upset and like a man fiercely trying to protect his daughter.
“She’s not.”
“How do you know?”
I want to give him reassurance without letting him know how far I’ve gone.
“When you came to my office, you saw the set up I have,” I say cautiously. It’s why we held the initial meeting at my place. Bronn knew my expertise would be needed and my wall of computer screens is impressive.
“I’ve been able to monitor some of Kayla’s online activities, and I haven’t come across any signs of grooming.”
I don’t mention that at her age it’s not grooming he should be worried about. Kayla’s old enough to be on online dating apps, meeting men in all sorts of legal ways. But she’s not.
“I’m not happy about this.”
“I’m sorry. But I’m no longer comfortable doing this job.”
There’s silence on the other end of the line, but he doesn’t let his anger spill over. Patrick is a good man, and he accepts what I’m saying.
“I just don’t think your daughter needs that level of surveillance.”
We hang up the call, and I’m left wondering what he’ll do now.
I tried to reassure him that she doesn’t need watching, but I have no idea if he’ll employ someone else to do what I’ve been doing. I can only hope that he considers what I’m saying and leaves Kayla to live her own life.
But there’s no telling what an overprotective father will do.