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“Come in,” he called.
She pushed open the door and he stood. A cigar dangled from his lips and a short glass of scotch sat in front of him on his desk, next to his open laptop. Papers were scattered over the mahogany surface.
“Honey, I’m glad you’re back,” he said, his expression tense. “You’re early, though.” He looked at Toth accusingly.
Anger simmered in her blood. The fact that he stood there assuming she didn’t know about Brett made her temper flare.
She shut the door behind her. “What have you done?”
CHAPTER 23
Toth watched Danny’sdemeanor change under the weight of Savannah’s allegation. His smile quickly morphed into a frown, and his eyes became glittering stones. Danny had two personalities: doting father and cold-blooded killer.
No in-between.
Toth fought the urge to step between Savannah and her father’s unrelenting stare. Doing so might make the situation more tense than it needed to be. He’d follow Savannah’s lead and if he sensed something amiss, he’d intervene.
“What do you mean, honey?” he said, his tone passive despite his expression.
“You killed Brett.”
Danny’s jaw popped open. He snapped it shut and then straightened, his face guarded. “How the hell do you know about that?” He once again shot his gaze to Toth, instantly dismissing Savannah. “Your job was to keep her out of harm’s way.”
“That’s right,” Toth said, without wavering. “And I’ll continue to protect her no matter where the threat comes from.” Ah, damn. He’d just opened fire.
Danny’s posture turned rigid. “You saying I’m a threat to my daughter, Holmes?”
“I’m saying the threat hasn’t been clear since day one. Whoever you’re feuding with ran us over the edge of a mountain then somehow found us at my cabin. You”—he jabbed a finger in Danny’s direction—“and Lach are the only people Savannah spoke to while we were there. We were forced to leave, and seeing as we don’t know who the mole is, we had to keep our return quiet.”
Danny’s expression quickly changed to one of concern. He rounded his desk and pulled Savannah into a hug. “I’m sorry, Savvy. It’s all over now.”
Toth’s blood pressure lowered a fraction as Savannah’s stance relaxed.
“We need to find out who the mole is,” she said softly, as she pulled out of his embrace.
“I agree. I’ve called Lach and he’s on his way. I was going to tell you about Brett, but I wanted to be sure there weren’t any other dangers lingering.” Danny shifted his gaze to Toth. “You kept her safe and I’m grateful. Give us a few minutes and we’ll get payment squared up.”
The comment was like a boot to his solar plexus. As if he cared about getting paid anymore. He’d invested everything in keeping Savannah alive. His sanity, his life... and his heart, for fuck’s sake. But Danny didn’t know that. He had no idea Toth would take a bullet for her here and now and not ask for a penny.
He clasped his hands in front of him and locked gazes with Savannah. “Are you okay with me stepping out?”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “We won’t be long. Don’t go anywhere.”
The constriction around his heart loosened. He nodded at Danny, who was staring at him with disapproval, then turned his attention back to Savannah. She held his gaze for a millisecond, but her face was calm. Still, his feet grew heavy and his gut told him to stay. Summoning his willpower, he retreated to the door. “I’ll be outside.” He exited the room.
Mark stood outside the office next to the guard who’d greeted Savannah moments before. Toth looked Mark up and down. “Need a hand with something?” he quipped.
Mark’s scowl deepened. “Lach wants to see you in the main room.”
Toth scoffed and bumped past Mark, moving down the short hallway. He reached the main area, which had been bustling with the card game when they entered. Now it was quiet. Toth’s senses prickled. He started to turn around. “Where’s L—”
Whack
Something solid slammed into the side of Toth’s head. Stars erupted in his vision as he staggered. Rage shot through him, and he battled to focus through the rush of blood to his head.
Five men stood in front of him. Three of them had been playing cards. The other was Mark and his buddy.
Ah, hell. He’d been up against worse odds than with these coked-out losers, but back then he’d never had Savannah to worry about.