Page 13 of Beyond Rosy Irish Twilight

“He’s the only one you’ll need,” he said confidently. “And you’re not going home with your father. You’ll come home with me.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “With you? But we’re not married.”

“Whoever came after you did so because of your father. If you plan to stay alive long enough to get married, you’ll make the smart choice and come home with me.”

Choice. That was an interesting way to put it. “It doesn’t sound like you’re giving me a choice.”

“You always have a choice,” he stated frankly. “If you go home, I can guarantee I won’t be able to protect you. If you come home with me, you’ll be guarded at all times unless you’re in the safety of my home. This won’t happen again.”

My father shoved the door open and walked inside. Just one look at him and I knew immediately what my answer was. “Okay. I’ll go home with you.”

5

ASHER

“You always have a choice,” I bit out. “If you go home, I can guarantee I won’t be able to protect you. If you come home with me, you’ll be guarded at all times unless you’re in the safety of my home. This won’t happen again.”

I studied her face while she thought it over. My fists clenched in anger at the fact that she was even attacked in the first place. At first, I couldn’t figure out why her father wasn’t going after the guards, but then it all became clear the moment I saw her wrists.

He fucking set this up.

And if he didn’t, he just didn’t care that his daughter almost died. The guards disappeared and he did nothing. She was injured and he didn’t allow her to have pain medication. She had been through so much, yet instead of having a comforting presence, she was terrified as hell. I knew he was controlling because of the fact that he offered her to me without her consent, but there was something else going on here, and I wasn’t about to let her stay with her father when I knew I could at least make her life comfortable.

The door swung open behind and I felt him at my back. She looked at him and her face instantly changed from one of hope to fear.

“Okay, I’ll go home with you,” she said, swallowing hard.

“Like hell you will,” Ambrose snapped as he walked further into the room. His eyes narrowed on his daughter and the fear that rippled off her was palpable. It was bad enough that she’d been nearly killed, but then to be scared out of her mind because of her father…I fucking hated him.

I turned to him and kept myself in check as I talked to him. I couldn’t afford to blow this for myself or for her. “Logic dictates that she was attacked because of something to do with you. If she comes home with me, no one will be able to reach her. Very few know of the engagement, so it will make it impossible for your enemies to come after her.”

“And what’s in it for you?” he asked, inclining his head.

“As you said, my life is tied to hers. My motivation is clear. I like my head where it is.” It took everything in me not to call him a piece of shit, but I somehow managed.

He didn’t like that I was taking over, but he couldn’t deny that my argument was sound. If this was really an attack from his enemies, then she was safer away from him. If he had anything to do with it, he couldn’t very well take her home without looking like a massive dick.

“Fine. I’ll see you at the wedding,” he said to Jade.

Then his eyes locked on mine. “A moment.”

I nodded and followed him out of the room. Whatever he had to say to me, it was clear his daughter wouldn’t be in the loop. “I expect you to keep her on a short leash. She can’t be trusted.”

“Does this have anything to do with how she disgraced the family?” I asked.

He gave a curt nod. “I have a feeling she set something up for today that went horribly wrong.”

“Any ideas?”

His eyes narrowed on me. “Just make sure you never say anything around her that you don’t want repeated.”

“Noted.”

He turned to walk away, but I stopped him. “Please, let me know if you find anything out about the attack from today.”

He turned slightly, cocking his head at me. “Just remember who you’re working for,” he threatened.

I knew all too well that this wasn’t a business arrangement so much as him using me as a tool in his belt. I could deal with that as long as the ends justified the means. However, there was a woman in the other room that was caught up in all this, and she didn’t deserve to be treated like a toy to be traded.

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