I heard him chuckle. “Alright, sweetheart. Whatever you want.”
I wanted this.Forever.
ChapterSeventeen
Silas
Where Daddy goes,I go.
It had always been that way, but the simple manta made my heart turn sideways.
I took a breath as I fastened my headset over my ears and positioned my fingers at my keyboard. They felt heavy in a way they almost never did—the tips of them pulsating with a heady mixture of anticipation and frustration.
Daddy had a dangerous job.
I knew that.I loved that.
Excitement nearly gagged me, and I felt it all the way in my toes every time I thought about what would happen tonight.
Daddy was going to kill his brother.
Finally.
Ezra had stayed hidden over the last seven days… or so he’d thought. I’d watched his every move like a hawk, stalking him at all hours of the day—logging his actions, conversations, and the miles he drove.
I couldn’t peel my eyes away from him, and each time I tried, panic would claw its way up my throat, suffocating me from the inside out.
Ihadto watch him… and I would keep watching him until I was certain that he wasn’t coming back—until the man who dared hurt my daddy was dead on the ground.
A freckled hand fell over mine, and I glanced over my shoulder to find Toby. He was sitting beside me in a chair of his own, feet tucked under him the same way mine were.
“Are you okay?” His naturally soft voice was even quieter with my headphones on, so I adjusted one side’s position just enough that I could hear him better. “You look nervous.”
Did I?
“I, uhm, feel a little strange.” I admitted, dragging my nails across my armrests. “I think I’m feeling two things at once. I don’t like it very much.”
Toby offered me a friendly smile. “Conflicting emotions are the worst. I trust Benji’s team, but I’d be lying if I said my stomach wasn’t clenching like it’s ready to spray vomit everywhere.”
Yes.That.
Was this what nerves felt like? Because I didn’t fucking care for them. Not one bit.
Ialwaysgot excited when Daddy went on a mission, and while I still felt that familiar buzz beneath my skin, I also worried I’d join Toby in barfing all over my equipment.
Gross.
“It’s all going to work out.” Toby said, but he started scraping at his nail beds the same way Thea did, and I wondered if he believed his own words.
Sure.The anxiety that circled me couldn’t be ignored, and neither could the wave of dizziness that swept through me every so often… but what combated those heinous sensations was an undeniable determination I felt deep in my soul. Tenacity rolled through me, and I fought back the uncertainty that tried to rip me apart.
Daddy didn’t fail.Ever.
And I didn’t suspect tonight to be any different.
Throughout the week, I stayed behind my screen, covertly assisting Mr. Thomas’ team while they carefully constructed a very delicate and deliberate plan that left not even aninchfor failure.
“Can I help you with anything?” Toby asked. His tongue slipped across his lip, and his fingers kept moving like he needed something to do with them.