Page 61 of Cold Hard Kisses (London Mafia Kings)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hallie

Iwas nervous aboutthat evening. I hadn’t seen my father since the day he’d dropped me off here. He hadn’t been in touch, even to ask how things were going. I assumed he thought that he’d hear pretty quickly if things hadn’t worked out.

I hated that I still wanted to please him, despite the way he treated me. Deep down, was I just daddy’s little girl, wanting to make him proud? I remembered the pet name Tam used for me sometimes, and it gave me reason to pause. I didn’t want to think that Tam and my father were anything alike, but it couldn’t be ignored.

It might only be my dad who was coming, but I wanted to make a good impression. If—when—Tam and I were married, this place would be my home, too, and I wanted my dad to see it as such. I wanted him to look at me and realise I was an adult now, a woman who was marrying a powerful man and who would one day be the matriarch of our own family. Tam and I hadn’t discussed such things yet, but I pictured, several years into our future, that we would have children of our own one day. My father might want my brother, Jayden, to be the one to take over our family business, but from the way Jay was heading, it was clear to me that I should be the person to do that. With Tam at my side, I had no doubt that I was more than capable.

The kitchen wasn’t exactly my strong point, and so I brought in a chef to prepare our food—scallop starters, a filet mignon steak for the main course, and a chocolate soufflé and berries for dessert. I had a florist fill the house with fresh flowers, and ensured we had a different wine to go with every course.

Finally, I chose my dress—a wraparound number that was mature enough for my father, and sexy enough for Tam—and matched it with a pair of Louboutins.

“You look stunning,” Tam told me.

“So do you.”

He’d made an effort in a dark suit, the white shirt beneath open at the neck for a more relaxed attire. He hadn’t shaved since that morning, but the dark hint of stubble at his jaw was sexy rather than scruffy. He’d promised me he’d behave, and I believed him. Even though he’d never hidden the fact that there was no love lost between him and Marlon Wynter, I knew he was going along with this to make me happy.

The buzzer rang, and my heart lurched. Oh shit. He was here.

I ran to the video doorbell that gave me a view out onto the other side of the gate where the car my father’s driver used waited. Dad must have decided not to drive himself so he could have a few drinks.

I hit the buzzer to open the gates and turned back to Tam. “Best behaviour,” I told him.

He made the sign of a cross. “Cross my heart.”

I opened the front door and went out to greet my father.

“Dad!”

“Hallie,” he greeted in return.

Despite everything, I was pleased to see him. He was still my father, after all, and I did love him—I would never have put myself in my current situation if I didn’t. Luckily, it seemed things had worked out for the better, but there had certainly been moments where I’d thought I’d made the worst mistake of my life.

I’d been poised to be scooped up into his arms, and while I didn’t expect to be lifted off my feet, I’d definitely thought he’d give me a hug. Instead, he held me at an arm’s distance and kissed my cheek.

I forced the smile to remain on my face. “Come in. I’ll get you a drink.”

It hadn’t even been a month yet, but I was sure he appeared older.

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