Page 60 of Off-Limits Protector Daddy

The phone keeps ringing, filling the awkward silence. I sigh and glance at the phone, seeing Jameson’s name on the screen.

“Are you going to get that?”

“I don’t know that I should.” He sighs and runs a hand through his short beard. “This is bad, Aria.”

“You think? They could be tracking us.”

“They have always been tracking us.”

I swallow hard, pushing down my feelings about that. I thought he was keeping us hidden from the FBI and my family, but he’s been a tether to the authorities all along.

I don’t know how to feel about it and now isn’t the time to unpack those emotions.

“You need to answer that,” I say as the phone stops ringing. It starts again a moment later, Jameson’s name still flashing across the screen. “He won’t stop calling if you don’t answer.”

“I know,” Tyson says. “Just keep driving. I’ll deal with that.”

I nod and keep driving. Tyson sighs and slides his thumb across the phone. I don’t know what Jameson is saying to Tyson. I can see the way Tyson’s hand clenches into a fist in his lap until his knuckles are white.

“I don’t know if I believe that,” he says, his tone low as he glances at me.

I roll my eyes and reach over to turn the music up. If he doesn’t want me to listen to his conversation, then he’s going to have to try and talk while I entertain myself.

“And what about Aria?”

Tyson nods and mutters a few more things under his breath. When the call ends, he reaches over and turns the radio down. I look at him, seeing the frown set deep on his face.

“What’s happening?” I ask. “What did Jameson want?”

“Your father. He says that if I bring him in, the FBI is willing to look past all I’ve done. They may ask that I resign, but there won’t be a full investigation.”

I nod and hold the wheel tighter. “What does that mean for me?”

“I tried to ask him about that. He didn’t want to tell me.”

“Great. So not only are Salvatore and Gio helping my father, but I don’t know if I’m going to jail or not.”

Tyson reaches out and squeezes my thigh. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“You can’t promise shit, Tyson. And you know that you can’t trust them if they tell you otherwise. Your boss already wants to see me in prison.”

“Aria.”

“I swear to fuck that if the next words out of your mouth are that I deserve to spend time in prison, I will throw you out of this car right now.”

Tyson sighs and rolls his eyes. “Aria, you and I both know that you’re a criminal. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to let them throw you in jail.”

“I feel like there’s a but coming.”

“But I don’t know if I can do anything to stop them. Allowing me to walk free after I went rogue with an asset is a major ask.”

“But your girlfriend going to jail pregnant with your baby is a better option?” I shake my head and grip the wheel tighter. I can feel the tears starting to burn in my eyes but I bite them back.

“Aria, you have to understand that this is all one big mess.”

“I think it’s best that you and I just drive in silence for a little while.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “There’s a hotel about an hour from here. We’ll be safe there for the night. The owner owes me a favor.”

“Aria.”

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