She narrows her eyes at him. I know what’s going through her head right now. She thinks him asking her that is because he perceives her as weak, but it’s not. It’s because he loves her so much, he can’t bear to see her in pain. And no matter what he did, I can’t imagining that being a part of her father’s death is going to be easy for her. Especially not considering what my father and Jax do to their enemies.
“He used my own daughter to extort money from you, Alex. Yes I’m sure,” she snaps, her eyes full of fire as she glares at him. But there is a tremor in her voice too. She is terrified of what she’s about to do, and I can’t say I blame her.
“So we’re all clear on this?” my father asks.
“Yes,” Jax and I reply while my mom sits in silence.
He sighs softly as he looks at her. I know how much he wants to deal with this for her. If he had his way, he’d send her back to LA with my little brothers and go to New York alone. But she knows her father better than any of us and if he’s as smart as she says he is, then we’ll need her by our sides too.
Chapter33
Alana
Ipull Molly’s huge cardigan around me as I walk through the garden in the darkness. It gets kind of chilly here at night. I take a seat on the old wooden bench and glance around me. My husband’s men are scattered around this entire property, but I don’t see any right now.
Taking my cell out of the pocket of the cardigan, I open it up. My fingers tremble as I dial the number. It isn’t stored in my phone, but it is etched into my brain like one of those things from your childhood that almost becomes a part of you. I mean, I forget my computer password every other week, but I can easily remember the phone number of my parent’s house in New York, a place where I haven’t lived or called for years.
I take a deep breath as it rings. Suddenly, I hope he doesn’t pick up.
“Hello?” his voice is the same as it always was. Deep and soothing. It hits me in the chest like someone just punched me right in the heart.
“D-daddy?” the word gets stuck on my tongue. I haven’t used it in so long.
“Alana?” I hear the gasp as though he’s as affected at the sound of my voice as I am by his.
“Yes, it’s me,” I whisper.
“What? Why?” He takes a deep breath. “How are you, sweetheart? It’s been…” he pauses.
“Five years,” I finish for him.
“Feels like longer,” he adds softly.
My heart is racing and a whole raft of emotions wash over me. I feel like I’m going to pass out. But I need to do this while I still have the nerve. “I need to tell you something, Daddy.”
“Anything, sweetheart.”
“Alejandro knows about the five million dollars.”
Silence.
“He knows that you blackmailed him, Daddy. He’s going to kill you.”
That certainly gets his attention. “How do you know about this?”
I close my eyes. The man’s arrogance is astounding. Just because he shares nothing of his life with my mother, he assumes that all men treat their wives the same way.
“Because he told me all about it. He and Jackson are going to ask you to meet them at your lake house in Virginia. But it’s a trap, Daddy. They’re going to kill you.”
“And why are you telling me this? You chose your side, Alana. You chose him over your mother and me.”
“This isn’t about choosing sides, Daddy. This is about saving your life,” I snap. “No matter what you have done, you’re still my father.”
He’s silent for a little longer. “Thank you for telling me, sweetheart. I always knew you’d be there for me if I needed you.”
“I will always be your daughter.”
“Yes you will. So, it’s a trap, you say? They’re onto me?”