Claire: The Forced Virgin Of The Billionaire

“You’ve been like a Dad to me. He’s only biologically my father, Cal. You’ve been there for me, helping me with my homework even, being stable and reliable…”

Lines crinkled around his eyes and he nodded, “Thank you. I’d be happy to.” Then his gaze swept over to Azriel and I bet he was thinking that he’d rather me not be marrying at this age and not be marrying this guy.

I looked at Azriel and smiled and patted the side of the bed that was opposite where everyone stood. Azriel rounded the bed and sat on the edge and put his hand on mine.

Rose and Cal both looked a little confused. Rose’s face was red.

“You have another visitor, baby.” Azriel said as he leaned over and kissed my temple.

“Who?”

“Your father,” he said and my expression dropped.

“If you don’t want to see him…” he started.

“I don’t,” I said.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“Kay.” Azriel rose and left the room.

Rose winced as she watched him leave, “He’s intense.”

“Did you guys call my father?” I asked.

Rose turned her attention to me and nodded, “He came up with us. We wanted to talk to him about your… situation on the way here.”

“And what did he say?”

“Very little,” Cal said and lowered his voice, “First he tried to brush things off when we described the visits from the police who were acting like thugs, made me suspicious if they were on a payroll for some gang leader. Then he admitted that he’d gotten involved with some unsavory mafia types some years ago. He was cryptic but said he hadn’t given up on finding a way to get you out of this mess but was still working on it. We asked him to work together with us to help get you out of this safely and he told us he’d rather continue on his own, try to see if you were okay, but not involve us with the unsavory people he was talking to. Said that he’d already tried to barter, negotiate, but said this Clarke family was sort of above the law. We thought we’d come here and make sure you were okay and then see what he was like and go from there. We’re very worried about you.”

“You can’t believe a word out of Greg’s mouth,” I said stiffly, “He lies. I don’t know yet what happened with him and Azriel’s uncle (I was almost sure there was a connection now no matter how absurd it seemed) but you don’t have to worry about me. Azriel and I…we are fine.”

“You have a lovesick look about you,” Rose said, “And it’s very different from the way you were at the store last week as Lily so colorfully told me.”

I smiled, “I’m fine. I’m happy. A lot has happened since then, Rose. My father is hiding something, I don’t know what yet, but please don’t work with him, don’t trust him. You don’t have to get me out of this. I am fine.”

“You hardly know him. What sorts of illegal activities is he into?”

“I think it’s probably not all that Hollywood hype, Rose.” I rolled my eyes. Inside, I saw flashes of that cargo plane, that pink canopy bed in that dank basement in Mexico and then the bullet holes on the bedroom door back at Azriel’s house with the dead men in the hallway, and my b***d ran icy cold.

A man in scrubs entered the room and brought me a tray of food. I guessed it was lunch time. I thanked him and cautiously lifted the lid and then stuck my tongue out, “Eww.”

“We should go,” Cal looked at his wristwatch, “We will go have a word with your fiancé about getting together. In the meantime, we’re just a phone call away if you need us, day or night, okay?” He leaned over and kissed my forehead, “No surf and turf for you!” He smiled.

I smiled, “Thank you so much for flying all the way up here.”

He left the room. Rose leaned over and kissed my cheek, “I suspect you’re not telling me everything but what can I do? You tell me to back off and I trust you. You’re really okay?”

My heart constricted for a second, “I am.” I said, “Azriel can’t control who his uncle is any more than I can control who my father is. It doesn’t mean that Azriel’s a bad guy.”

“But your father said…”

“Don’t trust my father. He is a lying liar who lies out of his lying liar hole.”

“And those people who visited us back home and tried to get us to stop talking to the police about searching for you — and them stopping you from talking to Lily at the supermarket…”

“Rose, I’m fine. A lot is going on. It’s too much to explain right now. Please trust me.”

“Why not move home? If he wants to see you, date you, go from there? My parents were so looking forward to having you.”