Page 77 of Surrender (Angels Halo MC Next Gen)

Sighing, I tucked her head under my chin. With a strangled sob, she wrapped her arms around my waist. “My sweet, precious little psychopath. Anyone you care about is a lucky motherfucker. Abi is smart enough to know that.”

Sniffling, she lifted her head, doubt clouding her face. When she looked at me like that, I could feel my heart beating outside of my chest. It was there in her eyes. She owned me, but I wasn’t sure she completely understood that yet. Every time I started to tell her I loved her, she stopped me.

Samara wasn’t scared of anything except those she loved most loving her the way she deserved.

“No, I can’t chance it.”

Groaning, I pressed my forehead to hers, knowing she had to figure this out for herself. “Just be careful, Samara.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Don’t stalk him,” I warned, leaning back to frown down at her.

She pressed her lips into a hard line.

“Sammy, I mean it.”

“But I need to figure out what is going on with this guy. No one has any answers,” she argued.

“I swear to Christ. If you start stalking this prick, I’m going to edge you for a week.”

Her brows lifted skeptically. “That’s not much of a threat, Daddy.”

“Fuck’s sake, baby girl,” I grumbled.

* * *

Without taking my eyes off the blueprints I was working on, I picked up my cell phone as soon as it began to ring. “Hey, baby girl. I just need to finish this, and I’ll be home. Want me to pick up dinner, or are you eating with Abi?”

A heavy silence was my first clue it wasn’t Samara on the other end. Pulling the phone from my ear, I glanced down at the screen and swallowed a groan. Dropping my pencil, I squeezed the bridge of my nose.

Fucking hell.

After taking a cleansing breath, I returned the phone to my ear. “Anya.”

“Elias,” she greeted, her tone dry. “Who is Abi?”

It didn’t surprise me that she didn’t know who her daughter’s friend was. Piss me off, definitely. But surprise me? Not even a little. Honestly, I couldn’t fault Anya for how she’d raised Samara. She’d done what she thought was best, what she’d been taught herself as a kid. I didn’t doubt her love for either of her kids. But I couldn’t remember her ever showing actual affection toward Sammy.

“Is there a reason for your call, Anya?” I asked instead of answering. If Samara wanted her mother to know about her new best friend, she would tell her. If not, then I was certain she had her reasons.

“I’ve heard a few things and wanted to discuss them with you,” she replied.

I sat up a little straighter, wondering if I’d really heard a hint of unease in my future mother-in-law’s voice or if my mind was playing tricks on me. “What have you heard?”

“Relax. I know the two of you are basically living together. She’s not exactly discreet about her relationship with you. If I were displeased about the two of you being together, you would already be dead.”

I pressed my thumb into the center of my forehead, feeling a headache starting to pulse. “I’m well aware that I would have already met the angel of death if you were against our relationship. I’m simply curious what you have heard that caused you to call me, when I’m sure whatever is on your mind should be discussed with your daughter.”

Another pause on her end had my pulse jackhammering. Whatever the fuck had reached Anya’s ears that warranted her calling me couldn’t be good if she was bypassing Samara to do it.

“She’s digging into someone. Victor Vaughn. Why?”

“Ask her.” I wasn’t about to break my baby girl’s confidence, even to her mother—especially her mother. If Anya didn’t know about Abi, then she wouldn’t know that Samara was concerned about her friend’s crush on her new professor. I didn’t understand it myself. But I didn’t question it. I trusted Samara’s instincts.

She’d made a few calls but so far hadn’t found out anything about Professor Victor Vaughn, and it had been almost a week. Instead of getting answers, she was left with more questions. She was getting restless, and I knew she wouldn’t wait around patiently to hear back from the latest contact she’d called in a favor from. Abi was important to her, which meant she was important to me. Professor Vaughn would be getting a new shadow if Samara didn’t find out at least a few details about him soon.

Poor motherfucker.

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