Page 52 of Rescuing Ally: Part 1

My father’s voice draws me back. “At least come home and pick up some of your things. Your medication. Clothes.” A pause. “Unless you’d rather I send Harrison with a car.”

The offer surprises me. It’s almost… accommodating.

“Actually,” I say slowly, “that would be helpful.”

“I’ll send him right away. And Ally?” My father sounds relieved.

“Yes?”

“I’d like to see you. Even if it’s just for a little while.”

Naked concern in his voice makes my chest tighten. He nearly lost me. Twice. And now I’m pulling away again, though in a different way.

“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll come. But just to pack some things.”

“That’s all I’m asking,” he says, though we both know it isn’t.

After I hang up, Hank and Gabe exchange a look that contains an entire conversation.

“You’re going home?” Gabe asks.

“Just to get some clothes and… talk to my dad.” I twist my fingers in the hem of Hank’s shirt. “I should have some things here… if I’m staying.”

“If?” Hank’s voice carries a hint of challenge. “Luv, you’re ours now, which means this iswhere you live.”

“Yes, Sir.” I wink, knowing precisely what those two little words do to him.

Their expressions darken simultaneously, a subtle shift that makes something warm unfurl in my chest.

“We’re going with you,” Hank declares, decision already made. Final.

I shake my head. “Not a good idea. My father will be… difficult enough just with me. Adding you two to the mix?”

“We don’t like you going alone,” Gabe counters, sliding the plate in front of me. “Not after everything.”

“I’m not going alone. Harrison will be there—he’s been with my father for years.” I take a bite of Gabe’s sandwich, humming with appreciation. “Besides, I need to set some boundaries with my father. I’m not his little girl anymore.”

“That’s right,” Gabe says. “You’reourwoman.”

They don’t like it. The set of Hank’s jaw, the tension in the line of Gabe’s shoulders, tell me everything. But they don’t argue.

“A few hours,” Hank finally concedes. “Then you come back to us.”

It’s not a question, and I don’t treat it like one.

“I will.”

I exhale slowly, trying to savor the moment, the quiet understanding between us, but something tugs at the edges of my mind—an unfinished thought, a missing piece. My fingers toy with the edge of my napkin, and I lower my gaze.

“Um…” I clear my throat, unsure how to bring it up. “About my USB…”

Gabe lifts a brow, interest sparking in his eyes. Hank leans back, arms crossing over his broad chest, watching me with that quiet, assessing gaze that makes me feel like he’s peeling me open piece by piece.

“You said you found it, but I haven’t… I mean, I haven’t seen it.” My voice is thinner than I intend, betraying how much this matters. I glance between them, fidgeting.

Hank tilts his head, considering me. “That little USB means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

I nod quickly, heat creeping up my neck. “It’s—” I stop and exhale sharply, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “It has everything. My thesis, my research. Years of work, late nights, revisions, data. I don’t have it backed up anywhere else.”

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