Page 13 of No Way Forward

“You were good enough to track her down. Keep your eye on her. She’s headstrong, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t try to run off again. I’ll just have to convince her this is where she belongs.”

“Does that mean you’re not going to push her to get married?”

Novette strained to catch her father’s response.

“Send her in here on your way out, will you?”

Novette swore under her breath. Leave it to her dad

to end a conversation rudely if it served his means. He didn’t choose to let Zaid know if he still planned to try to marry her off, so he just didn’t answer. God, that man, and he called her headstrong? Yeah, right.

The door opened, and she tumbled forward, almost falling on the floor. Zaid’s hands shot out to catch her in an instant. Behind him, her dad eyed her like he knew she was at the door the whole time. She jerked out of Zaid’s arms and strolled over to a chair to flop down into it.

“Good morning, Daddy. I expected you to join me for breakfast.”

“Zaid.” Her dad gestured for Zaid to leave them alone, and Zaid excused himself before shutting the door. Novette ground her teeth together. Her dad wasn’t impressed. “I have an important case, Novette.”

“There’s always an important case.”

“And having you home safe is all that matters.”

“It’s not all that matters to me. You couldn’t even be bothered to come ask me to come home yourself.”

“Zaid gave me a full report.” Her father frowned. “Do you realize how it would have made me look if the press got a hold of how you were living?”

She glanced at his desk and was surprised to see an open folder with several photos of her apartment building and the inside of her apartment itself. Who took the photos? Zaid? Embarrassment crept along her spine.

“No one knew my real name. Your precious reputation is fine.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Isn’t it? You don’t care about me. I thought at the very least you would say Novette, I’m so glad you’re safe. No, I can’t get even that.”

“Don’t be a child. Of course I’m glad you’re safe. I’m your father.”

“Could have fooled me.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and then walked around his desk. “I don’t have time to argue with you.” He drew her up from the chair into a rough hug. Emotion threatened to take her calm, but she stuffed it down. His fingers tangled in her hair, and then he drew back frowning as he looked at her head.

“Why is your hair like that?”

“It’s called being Black.”

“What?”

She snorted. “I couldn’t afford to keep up a perm, so I cut it off and let it grow out natural.”

He peeled a few bills from his wallet and dropped them on the desk. “Make an appointment to get your hair done properly. If this isn’t enough, then have Zaid cover it. You won’t be getting new credit cards until I’m sure you’re ready to behave yourself.”

“Daddy, I… You know what? Never mind.”

There was no sense arguing with him. Hair wasn’t a big deal. She would pick her battles, and right now, she had decided to pretend to give into him. Since he wasn’t ready to give her new credits cards, then it might be a while before she could assert independence.

Of course she could just get a job again, but something told her he would consider it an affront to his idiot reputation and bully her boss into firing her. No, she had to be smart about any plans she came up with.

She forced a smile. “Okay, Daddy. Thanks for the money. I’ll make the appointment right now.”

“Don’t pretend to be agreeable, Novette. It doesn’t suit you.”

---