Page 38 of My Best Friend's Dad

My pussy clenched tight.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, my voice surprisingly steady, albeit a bit sassy.

He seemed to relax slightly at my agreement, but his eyes were still filled with concern.

“This isn’t just about keeping you safe, Jenna. It’s about keeping all of us safe. Until I know who’s behind this and what they want, you’re not leaving this house.”

“I understand,” I said softly.

I could probably send my parents a text letting them know I was staying at Bella’s place for a few days, just so they wouldn’t worry, not that they would probably even notice in the first place since they were never really home anyway.

Plus, I kind of blew off Sophie the night before, so I was going to have to fix that with a lame apology text or something so that didn’t raise any questions.

Despite my fears, something deep inside me felt safe with him. The man I had grown up knowing had always been protective of me and of his daughter.

Even when I was little.

I remembered a summer day when Bella and I were about ten years old. We were playing at the park near our neighborhood, carefree and oblivious to the dangers of the world. We had spent hours on the swings, laughing and seeing who could go higher, when a group of older teenage boys approached us.

At first, they seemed friendly, but their behavior quickly turned to something much more menacing. They started teasing us,making crude sexual comments that made us uncomfortable. Bella and I tried to ignore them, but they grew bolder, crowding around us and blocking our path when we tried to leave.

It was terrifying.

We had been trapped, and there was no one around to help. Just when I’d thought things couldn’t get worse, I’d heard a familiar, authoritative voice.

“Get away from them. Now.”

Vincenzo had appeared out of nowhere, his expression fierce, his anger written all over his face. He strode up to us and immediately put himself between us and the boys.

The boys hesitated, sizing him up, but one look at his face and they scattered like frightened rabbits. He had that effect on people—an undeniable presence that commanded respect and fear. Now I knew where it was from.

He had rushed over to us, his eyes full of concern as he knelt down and checked us over. He’d run his hands over us, making sure we weren’t hurt.

“Are you girls alright?” he’d asked, his voice gentle yet firm.

We’d nodded, more than a little scared out of our wits.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

That day, he took us back to his house, where he made us hot chocolate and let us talk about what had happened. He listened patiently, reassuring us that we were safe and that he would always be there to protect us. From that moment on, I knew that Vincenzo was someone I could always count on.

As I looked at him now, the same man who had protected me all those years ago, I felt that same sense of safety and trust. He had always been there for me, and I knew he always would be, even if he wasn’t exactly who I thought he was all these years.

He was still my Vincenzo.

“Do you remember that day at the park?” I asked softly, my eyes searching his.

Vincenzo’s expression softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. “How could I forget? I was so angry when I saw those boys bothering you two that I could hardly see straight.”

“I’ll never forget how you stood up for us,” I said, my voice filled with gratitude from the memory.

“I promised myself I’d protect you and Bella, no matter what. I still mean that.”

We sat in silence for a moment, the quiet between us easy and relaxed. Vincenzo broke the quiet first, his voice soft and filled with a mix of pain and longing.

“You know, Jenna, losing Maria was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. She was my rock. When she died, a part of me died with her.”

He looked down, his shoulders slumping a little as he did so. I squeezed his hand in mine, letting him know that I was there for him.

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