Adam steps to my side, grabbing hold of the railing. “There you go proving me right,” he says. “I heard it all and I wanted to kill that bastard. I really wanted to kill him and I don’t even know Candace. You, you love her.”
“I let him walk because I can’t kill him here and now and win her back. I did, however, fantasize about ten ways to do it later.” I glance over at him. “Still think he’s a good guy?”
“No. No, I don’t. I think I just got an insider’s view of how he’d run the country. That’s not, however, a reason to kill him.”
“Give him time. He’ll think one up for you.” I turn on my elbow to face Adam and he does the same. “That fucker has something on her, which probably translates to her father.”
“You mean to Tag’s operation?”
“Tag pulling me into this says yes.” My lips press together. “But I should have been here a long fucking time ago.” A muscle in my jaw ticks. “I owe him a painless death for bringing me back. I need to get Candace alone, away from here. Tell me we arranged his departure tonight because I will kill him before he touches her again.”
“We did. And we have back-up. Asher just got in tonight.”
I scowl. I do a lot of scowling around Adam the fucking SEAL Team Six boy scout. “I say stay out of this and Walker dives in deeper. What dweeb made that call?”
He straightens uncomfortably in a tuxedo too small for him, a disadvantage for his agility should I decide to beat his ass. “You’re the dweeb if you think that you can protect her and take on Tag without help. Asher was Team Six with me.”
“How many times do I have to hear SEAL Team Six?”
“I trust him,” he says. “And he’s a hacker. Not as great as Blake, but he’s good. We need him.”
“What I need is off this balcony.” I turn away from him and start walking. By the time I’m in the hallway, he’s by my side. Bastard thinks I’m going to lose my shit and kill Gabriel. He might be right.
“You don’t have anything else to say about Asher showing up?” he asks.
I smirk. “You can’t fix stupid and apparently, SEALs are stupid.”
“Bastard,” he says.
“Boy scout,” I snap.
“Scrooge.”
“Bastard.”
We’ve made it almost to the roundabout when Candace is suddenly in front of me and to my shock, her hands go to my chest. I have about two seconds to revel in her willingness to touch me before she says, “Your dad’s here.” I feel those words like a knife plunging into my chest. “I didn’t know,” she continues. “I would have warned you. I haven’t seen him in years. I don’t know why he’s here.”
I don’t outwardly react, but it’s equivalent to a donkey kicking and squealing inside my brain right now. “Where?”
“He’s at a table near the stage.” She glances awkwardly at Adam.
“Adam,” Adam says. “I’m a friend.”
“A stupid as fuck ex-Navy SEAL on SEAL Team Six or some shit like that,” I say. “But a friend.”
“Oh,” she says, her eyes go wide and flick to Adam. “Thank you for your service,” she says.
“You didn’t thank me for my service,” I point out.
She pulls her hands away from my chest and folds her arms in front of her. A cold spot burns in my chest where she’d touched me and it burns hollow. “Thank you for your service, Rick,” she says.
“That sounded more like: fuck you, I hate you, Rick Savage.”
“I don’t hate,” she says, dropping her hands, “and I do very much respect your service.” She lowers her voice. “Have you seen him? Your father?”
“No, and I couldn’t give a shit about that man. You are another story. I’m about thirty seconds from throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out of here. I thought I should warn you.”
“Right. I need to get back downstairs before I’m missed.” She turns and I suddenly realize what’s going on here. My father was a big part of why I left. She’s afraid he’s why I’ll leave again. She doesn’t want me to leave. Thank fuck for that.
I step forward and catch her arm, lowering my voice for her ears only. “I’m not going anywhere without you, baby.”
She scrapes her teeth over her lip and whispers, “We’ll see.” She pulls away from me and then she’s gone.
Adam steps to my side. “What do I need to know right now?”
“My father’s a dick. Avoid him. I do.” I start walking and instead of heading down the stairs, I walk another path that leads me to the railing that overlooks the party. Adam doesn’t immediately follow.
And so, I stand there alone, as I have most of this night, and scan the crowd, seeking the most important person in the room, the only person who matters in this room to me now or ever: Candace. She’s near the stage where the orchestra is playing, talking with Gabriel and a group of three men. Next, I find my father mid-room, talking to a much younger woman. He looks old, his thick hair solid gray, his frame on the thin side, despite his love of the bottle. Maybe that’s changed, but I doubt it.