Page 13 of Stone (Claimed and Protected #3)
She watched them go, trying to smile while I could see anxiety remaining in her eyes. “Dad doesn’t care about me.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Dani. He asked if I’d help.”
“I can’t believe he’d come to you after all these years. Why? Why bring you back into the picture again after…” She’d tilted her head in my direction and her unwillingness to finish the sentence meant she still held some animosity against me.
She should.
I’d failed her.
My hand was tightly fisted around the bottle, enough so my entire arm was shaking. “Maybe because I’m good at what I do and he knew he could at least trust me.”
“I wasn’t doubting you. I meant what I said. You guys are amazing and I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
“Don’t you know that no thanks are needed?” Or that I owed you that much? I couldn’t form the words much less say them.
Watching the way her body rocked was killing me. “I’m not usually this weak.”
“Weak? You held your own with French revolutionaries who’ve killed for their cause before. I’d call you one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”
“Sadly, you don’t know me any longer, Stone. Just like I don’t know you.”
Why did this feel like it was an impasse we couldn’t get through?
“I’m just a guy who wanted to save a girl. “
At least my words brought a slight laugh. “You still have a sense of humor.”
“Only every once in a while.”
“Is this safe? I mean the assholes won’t try and come after me. Right?”
“It’s safe here. There’s a security system just in case and we’re pretty far out of the city.
Interpol is going to clean up the mess, arresting the other perpetrators.
Even if they don’t catch them all, kidnappers almost never attempt to abduct the same person.
They won’t dip into the same well again. ”
She studied her bottle, nervously taking a sip. I couldn’t help studying everything she did. “That’s good. Maybe life can get back to normal.” Her words seemed as if she was lost in thought.
“Did the kidnappers say anything to you?”
“They said a lot including about how they were going to bring my father to his knees.”
“Any indication why, other than draining his bank account while taking the man’s only child?”
“No. But they were angry.”
“Self-proclaimed revolutionaries who like to bring empires to their knees.”
“That makes sense. They’ve been all over the Parisian news the past couple of years. I just never thought I’d become a victim.” She nursed her beer, never once looking me in the eyes.
There were so many things to say to her, so many questions to ask, but now wasn’t the right time. And honestly? I wasn’t certain there ever would be a right time.
“How’s your life in Paris?”
She brushed hair behind her ears. “I love it there. You would too.” Her hopeful look faded almost instantly.
I leaned forward, pushing the bowl of chips in her direction. “You must be hungry.”
“Not really. Just tired. Still anxious, I guess.”
“Then why don’t you get some rest?”
“I will in a couple minutes.”
I nodded as I leaned forward, shifting the beer bottle from one hand to the other. The air was too damn thick between us. There were too many questions that needed answers, something I’d convinced myself would never happen. “You still have the ring.”
She lifted her hand, twirling the band a couple of times. “Yes, I do. I don’t know why really because I figured I’d never see you again.”
Her words hit me like a knife, enough so my heart clenched.
“I’m sorry about the fact we lost touch.” Jesus Christ. That was all I could manage to say to her? How many times had I rehearsed what I’d say if I ever saw her again?
“Are you?” She snapped her head in my direction, finally looking me in the eyes with justified fury. “You made it perfectly clear you didn’t want to see me again. You made no bones about the fact I should forget about you and live my life.”
A speech shoved down my fucking throat.
“I didn’t handle it that way and those weren’t my words.” Ah, fuck. Why the hell had I opened my damn mouth? Now wasn’t the time or the place.
“Yes, you did say exactly that, only you couldn’t find the courage to do so over the phone.
At least not really. You sent a letter. What I’d like to know is if you changed your phone number before or after you sent the letter?
I mean it’s obvious you had a new girlfriend and wished me a happy life. ”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I said. That’s not how it happened, Dani. I was being sent overseas. It wasn’t fair that you should wait for me. All I wanted was for you to live your life and not to wait for me because it wasn’t fair.”
“You don’t remember what you said. Your words all but admitted you had someone else.”
Fuck. I fisted my hand, struggling not to blurt out the truth. That would only hurt her far worse than admitting something that never should have been allowed to happen in the first place. “I just wanted what was best for you.”
“You have no idea what was best for me because you didn’t have the decency to ask! So you broke contact, refusing to take my calls then disappearing off the face of the goddamn earth when I went to look for you.”
“I did call you back. Remember that? I left you messages.” Yep, open mouth and insert foot. I was damn good at doing that. “Then I was involved with the SEALs. I couldn’t contact you.”
She jerked to her feet. “You were always a stubborn bastard, Stone. You thought you could control the world, including me. Right? You were just stringing me along. I was just the sweet girl waiting for you at home. You were the big Navy SEAL exploring the world. I was hurt, Stone. You hurt me. I wasn’t even twenty years old at the time. You just blew me off.”
“That’s not what?—”
“I’m not the foolish little girl I was, Stone,” she interrupted.
“And honestly? You don’t need to worry about me.
I’m not going to fall hopelessly in love with you again.
I have a life of my own I intend on going back to.
I do appreciate everything you’ve done, but tomorrow, I’m returning to my life.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed. ”
“Dani, wait. We need to talk.”
I’ll be damned if she didn’t toss her hair over her shoulders and walk out. What the hell?