Page 95 of Hot for Hostage

He glanced over my shoulder with a grimace. “She was supposed to come find you. Just talk to her soon. She was pretty upset.”

“In a second,” I said through a tight jaw. Turning back to my father’s smug face, I thought about all the ways he could’ve upset Sadie. There were too many to count. “What did you do?”

He had the gall tolaugh. “You’ll have to be more specific, son.”

My steps were measured as I approached his chair. “Pop. What did you do to her?”

“Relax.” He waved a hand, dismissing me. “It’s nothing to get worked up over. I barely touched the girl.”

I had him yanked up from the chair and shoved against the bookcase before I knew I was doing it. The books rattled on their shelves as I pinned him by his throat, getting up close.

“You touched her?” I pressed, not recognizing the venom in my voice.

My father’s amusement only grew.

“Careful, Davian,” he rasped, wrapping a hand around my wrist. “You’re showing your cards.”

I pushed harder, cutting off his air. “If you so much as laid a finger on her?—”

“He told her about Daniella,” Antonio said behind me.

My blood ran cold. I hadn’t heard that name in ages, and now it’d come up twice today.

“What’s there to tell?” I scowled, easing up on his windpipe just enough that he could answer. “I’m not going through with your bullshit marriage scheme.”

“Well, it’d be good for business if you did,” Seb said, voice hoarse under my hold. “Daniella isn’t so bad. A couple surgeries will fix that nose right up.”

My scowl deepened in disgust, but we didn’t have time for this. Sadie was prone to freaking out, and the longer it took me to find her, the higher the chance she’d convince herself never to speak to me again.

“Don’t go anywhere. I’m not done with you,” I told Seb, shoving him roughly before letting go.

I rounded on the door, and Antonio fell into step behind me.

“Leaving so soon?” my father called. “You haven’t even poured me a scotch yet.”

“Get your own damn scotch,” I said before swinging the door shut behind us.

“He knew about Sadie before he came over,” I said to Antonio, lowering my voice. “Someone’s relaying my moves to my old man. Find out who.”

He nodded curtly. “I’m on it.”

As he disappeared down the hallway, I headed for the backyard to start my search for Sadie—just as Vince rounded the corner with a bowl in his hand.

The contents drew me to a stop. “What the hell are you doing with a bowl of ice cream?”

He glanced down at it with a shrug. “Sadie asked for some. Apparently, I’m an errand boy now.”

“I’ll take it to her. Where is she?”

“Up in your room.” He handed over the bowl, and his gaze strayed to the door behind me. “What did Seb want?”

“Nothing good,” I said, walking past him. “I’ll fill you in later, but this is time sensitive.”

He grunted, and I took the stairs two at a time up to my room.

From the hallway I could hear the water running for the tub, and a plan began to form—this talk could go a lot better if we were both naked during it.

But all thoughts of hopping into a bath with Sadie vanished when I walked into my room and found the sheets stripped off the bed. The balcony doors were wide open, and a blanket was tied to the railing.

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