Page 23 of Daddy's Desire

“I don’t know why. I left you a letter, and I’d bet you read it. So why all of this?”

“Because you don’t know what you’re doing, Dear,” Diana said.

“I might not know everything, but I have friends who willhelp me,” Courtney said.

“Let’s go home and we’ll talk about it,” Diana said, reaching out to take her hand.

Courtney immediately took a step back and was stopped by an immovable object. She looked over her shoulder to see Ronin. He’d been at her back the whole time.

Any other tension she’d felt drifted away. She shook her head. “No. I’m going home with these guys. I’ll call in a few days, and we can talk then.”

She saw her mother’s lips thin in aggravation. “Courtney…”

Courtney shook her head. “No. Mother, stop. I’m twenty-three years old. You can’t make me do anything.”

“Can we speak alone for a moment?” Diana asked.

Darian stepped forward. “That’s not going to happen. You need to say goodbye to her, and she’ll call you when she’s ready.”

Her mother’s brows snapped together. “Who are you to tell me—”

“Ma’am,” the man with her interrupted. “That’s Mr. Marsh and Mr. Blackwood.”

Her mother’s eyes widened, and a look of delight crossed her face. “Oh, my.”

Courtney couldn’t keep from being disgusted now that her mother was all smiles and trying to be charming because she realized she was standing in front of two of the top elite men she knew.

“Well, then, I won’t worry,” Diana said.

Courtney heard Ronin snort behind, and it almost made her smile.

The man who came with her mother took a step forward to shake Darian and Ronin’s hands.

“It’s nice to see you both again.”

“Mr. Stewert,” Darian said. “It’s been a while. How’s yourgolf game?”

The older man chuckled. “Oh, it’s better. Just watch the next time we get together. This time, I might win.”

Some of the people in the room chuckled.

“We’ll have to see about that. When I win, I’ll want a bottle of that Russian vodka you have,” Darian said.

“When I win,” James said and grinned. “I’ll take a bottle of rum you’ve got.”

“It’s a deal,” Darian said.

“Let’s go, Diana,” James said. “There’s no need to worry about your daughter with friends like this.”

Courtney’s mother looked at her one more time and nodded. “Very well, Dear. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

Courtney just nodded. She was a bit shocked. Was it over? Would her mother really leave her alone?

Larkin came up to her and grabbed her hand. “See, I told you. You should always listen to me.”

Courtney looked at her friend and giggled. “Why does itmake me nervous?”

Darian grunted. “Maybe because you know she likes to cause trouble.”

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