Page 29 of Untamed Protector

“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. Give me your phone so I can call my dad.”

Lena pulls out her cell and calls my father. It’s almost noon, so Dad’s probably buried deep in his workshop. He doesn’t come out until around four when he gets famished. When I’m there, I usually make him a sandwich. Huh, is Dean going to take care of that now? Thanks for messing up my life, Gabriel. I won’t forgive you for this.

“Hey Lena, what’s up, honey?” I hear my dad answering.

“It’s not Lena, it’s me, Dad. Lena and I went out for lunch, and I left my phone at the office.” I’m not happy lying to him, but it’s for his own good.

“Oh! Hi, sweetheart. How are you? I haven’t heard from you since yesterday morning. How was the ball?”

“It was a charity gala to raise money for a hospital, Dad.”

“Still. Any event in that gorgeous Casino is like a ball. Did any prince sweep you off your feet?”

Lena smiles. Dad’s always loud, so she can hear everything. I make a face and continue. “Dad, just so you know, you’re going to have a guest. He’s cool. He’ll be there later this evening.”

“A friend of yours? He’s welcome.”

“Well, he’s not exactly a friend. He works for Peter Maier. And he’s coming to stay with you for a while. I’m sure you two will find a lot to talk about.”

Lena flips me a thumb down. That’s basically to say my explanation sucked. But I don’t have a better one.

“How long is this friend of yours going to stay?” Dad asks.

“A few days, maybe. He’ll tell you more. He promised not to bother you.” But can I count on Gabriel to keep his word on this? Apparently, his MO is taking over his clients’ lives and calling all the shots.

“I’m not worried about that. I just wanted to give him a letter for you. It came yesterday. Maybe something from the university? Let me open it now and tell you what it says.”

“No, Dad. Don’t.” Too late. He probably put the phone down to open the envelope. What if it’s another threat? My heart starts pounding.

“Dad? Can you hear me? Come on, Dad, talk to me.” Silence. He’s probably reading, terrified of the threats. How did I let this happen?

Lena’s eyes widen as my voice explodes on the phone. I struggle to hear the muffled sounds from Dad’s end. What’s going on?

“It’s a note,” Dad says as he picks up the phone again. I hold my breath, waiting for his next words. “It’s on a blank sheet of paper, no stamp or letterhead. Let me put on my glasses.”

It’s a threat letter. It must be. And Dad’s all alone. If only Dean could fly. This can’t be happening, not to my dad.

“It’s actually for me,” he says. “You’d better keep your daughter close. She doesn’t belong in the city. Unless you want empty chairs at the dinner table forever.” He reads from the letter and then pauses before talking to me. “Lexi, what’s going on? Did you do something?”

“No, Dad. This is about Peter. I helped him with some stuff, and some people got upset. But Peter’s taking care of me, so I’m safe. It’s temporary; just precautions.”

“Lexi, I thought you and I agreed you’d only use your skills in school to become a professor or a scientist. Not for small, petty things.”

“They’re not petty, Dad. I helped Peter. He was losing money; people were stealing from him. You know he was good to us.”

“I don’t like it when I can’t trust you. You kept looking for that car, didn’t you? I want us to put this story behind us, Lexi, and live our lives, not stir up misery and resentment. Please stop, you promised me.”

“I can’t, Dad. How do you expect me to forget? Every time I close my eyes, I see you drenched in blood, and I taste the grit of dirt and feel the brutal impact that split my lip. That engine roaring, closing in, and then… gone! Just the dust settling. It’s like a horror movie that I can’t turn off! My blood boils every time I see that damn car in my head driving away. How do you get over something like this? I don’t. I’ll make them pay.”

“Nothing good will come of this, Lexi. Please stop. And above all, be careful, sweetheart.”

“I’ll call you, Dad, I promise. And I’ll be careful. You’re safe with Dean. Everything will be over soon, and I’ll come and see you.”

“Lexi, please think it over. This is a bad idea. You know how they say, You reap what you sow? It’s true. I don’t think we can handle much more.”

“I can handle it, Dad. Trust me. But I need to ask you something while Dean is there with you. Please don’t tell him about my childhood or Mom. He wouldn’t be interested, and it’s a sad story.”

“I thought you said he was a friend…”

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