Page 10 of Dark As Coal

“I’m Hank, Olivia’s dad.” I smiled up at him, stood up, offered him my hand, and knew that he loved his daughter deeply.

Anyone who introduced themselves as someone’s father, for some reason, it just didn’t hit the same way it did when someone introduced themselves as someone’s dad.

“I’m Miss Adeline. Please take a seat.” I gestured for him to take one of the grown-up chairs that were right beside a small kiddie chair.

He looked down at it, looked at me, and quirked his brow. I chuckled, “I know. I know. They are crazily uncomfortable, but it makes the kids feel a little more grown up.”

Once he took a seat, I pulled Olivia’s folder out and went over things we were going to be working on and the like.

Just as I explained a few methods he could work on with her i’s and her s’s, he opened his mouth, and before he could get a word out, my phone rang.

“I’m so sorry, I thought it was still on silent,” I told him as I reached for it, checked the display, and then bit my lip once I felt my heart flutter.

He never called when school was in session, and he only called once it was over to let me know about something. And I always tried to take his calls.

Also, why would he be calling me while they were having a family dinner?

I looked at Mr. Grant and smiled, “I know this is extremely rude of me, but I have to take this call.”

When he winked and nodded, I answered the phone, “Hey, what’s up?”

And the moment I heard his heavy breathing and his words, I felt my spine straighten, oh no, “Where… Are… You?”

“Parent-teacher conferences,” I told him in a soft voice, knowing that was one way I could get him to calm down.

But I knew it hadn’t worked, not when he gritted out, “Need… You… Here… Now.”

“Okay, umm, let me see what I can do,” and as I said those words, I got nothing but dead silence.

I didn’t let those thoughts enter my mind.

Nope.

It wouldn’t do me any good.

I went to my contacts, tapped Asher’s name, and brought the phone back to my ear and before I could get out a word, he asked, “Where you at, darlin’?

I sighed, “Parent-teacher conferences, I’ve got,” I looked at my paper and sighed, “One more to do.”

Asher cursed, “Fuck. I forgot that was tonight. Okay, we will do what we can, need you to get here as soon as possible.”

I nodded, “Okay, I’ll do my best.”

I looked at Mr. Grant, “I’m terribly sorry about that.”

Placing my phone back on the table, he nodded, “Everything okay?”

I smiled, “Yeah, just a friend who’s in a bind right now.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I get that, I…”

Dammit all too fucking hell.

My phone rang again. Flipping the phone over, I saw it was Gabby.

Taking the call, I said, “Hey, I need to…” and nothing else came out of my mouth when I heard that growl followed by a roar so loud, I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked Gabby.

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