Page 13 of Danger Close

I felt like I was twenty years old, smitten, and willing to do absolutely anything to impress a pretty girl I’d seen posing by the Seine in haute couture.

“We have to go to a wedding,” I said, slowly as if I was talking to a very small child. A very small, stupid child.

She let out a quiet snort. “What doesyourwedding have to do with me? I’m not your wife.”

Did she think I was the one getting married? Cute.

I chuckled, ran my hand over my lips to wipe away a smile.

My last few decades had been empty, to say the least. I had no Mama, no Papa… just ol’ Uncle Sam. My pain in the ass half-brother, and rather indifferent half-sister, were the closest thing I had to a home. That emptiness was more obvious in the idleness of retirement. So me, getting married? That wasn’t anything close to a possibility.

“The bride wants you there,” I quipped.

Her eyes flared wide, with an anger that should have melted me on the spot. “Your bride means nothing to me!”

Her fists clenched.Oh, she was jealous!That was delightful.

“You sure about that?” Was I being an asshole? Yes. But I liked her jealousy.

I bit my lip when I couldn’t help the smile from forming. Ah, fuck it. I’d put her out of her misery, and get to the point.

“Trinity wants you there. As the father of the bride, it’s my job to make sure my little girl gets everything she wants on her big day.”

Whatever arrogance had kept Teresa upright melted to nothing. Her shoulders slumped. She searched my face for something—maybe for signs that this was a joke.

“Trinity?” she asked on a breath.

She was devastated. I felt for her.

I thought that I would feel triumphant after telling her I was invited, and she wasn’t. After all, she’d divorced me. She was the reason I had no home, and had been frozen out of my family.

I looked into her blue, almond-shaped eyes. I felt sorry for her. I wanted to protect her.

“That can’t be true.” She shook her head.

“It is.” I stepped forward, unsure if I wanted to tower over her and bellow, “What have you done to my kid?” or if I wanted to wrap her in my arms and comfort her.

Teresa flinched away. Her eyes shut, her arms came up as if to protect her from me. Like I was going tohither.Hit her!

I froze mid-step.

“I would never strike you, Teri.” My heart stuttered. “I would never hurt you.”

She had been struck before. Probably more than once. Probably too many times.

Once was too many.

I’d taken hits before. I’d been in plenty of fights where life and death were on the line. But that wasn’t what this was. This was the reaction of someone who’d been tortured.

“Never.” I swallowed the venom in my voice.

Who did it, Teri?The urge to demand a name was so overwhelming that it burned like acid in my throat.

“Our daughter is getting married in six days.”

“What do we know about that man? The one she’s marrying?” Her voice cut through me, angry. But beneath the anger was that undercurrent of fear that made my hair stand on end. “She’s too young to marry!”

And just like that, any promise I’d made to stop spying, and respect the privacy of those around me evaporated like smoke.Who do I have to kill, Princess?