My Daddy.
And he looked really angry.
Chapter Fourteen
Dion
I looked down at Emily's tear-filled eyes, her small body trembling against mine as she pressed her face into my chest. Behind her, Abby and Clare stood frozen, guilt written across both their faces.
"The apartment is alarmed," I said quietly, my voice deadly calm. "We knew the moment you left."
Emily pulled back to look at me, confusion mixing with her distress. "You were watching us?"
"An alarm sounds when the main door is opened," I replied, my hands gentle on her shoulders despite my anger at thesituation. "When there are active threats, we monitor all movement."
Clare stepped forward, her chin raised defiantly. "We didn't leave the building. Technically, we followed your instructions."
"Technically," I repeated, my tone making it clear what I thought of that argument. "And technically, you put Emily at risk by bringing her to a public space when she's supposed to be in hiding."
Abby's lower lip trembled. "We just wanted to help her feel better while she was worried about Zoe."
My expression softened slightly at her genuine distress, but my resolve didn't waver. "I know your intentions were good, baby girl. But good intentions don't negate poor judgment."
Emily looked between us, clearly picking up on the undercurrents. "I'm the one who agreed to come down here. If anyone should be in trouble, it's me."
"Oh, you're definitely in trouble," I assured her, noting how her breath caught at my words. "But so are they."
The elevator dinged behind us, and Gideon stepped out, his expression thunderous. Maddox was right behind him, looking equally displeased.
"Upstairs. Now," Gideon said, his voice brooking no argument.
Abby's eyes went wide. "But Daddy, we were just—"
"Now, Abigail."
The use of her full name had her moving immediately, Clare following with her head down. Emily looked uncertain until I placed a firm hand on her lower back, guiding her toward the elevator.
"What about Zoe?" Emily asked as we rode up. "Did you find anything?"
"She's safe for now," I replied. "We have eyes on the house. But we'll discuss that later."
“I want to talk about it now,” Emily said, her eyes flashing. I stayed quiet and silently counted to ten.
Back in the playroom upstairs, Gideon positioned himself in front of the couch while Maddox took the chair. I guided Emily to stand beside Abby and Clare, all three women looking appropriately contrite.
"Explain," Gideon said simply.
Abby launched into a rapid explanation about wanting to help Emily, about how they hadn't technically left the building, and about how they'd been careful. Clare added her own justifications, her voice steady despite the circumstances.
When they finished, Emily spoke up. "This is my fault. I should have insisted we stay here."
"Yes," I agreed, which seemed to shock everyone. I held my hand out to her. "You're not in charge here," I said firmly, taking her hand in mine. "You've been through a lot, Emily, but that doesn't excuse putting yourself in danger when I specifically told you to stay upstairs."
Emily's eyes widened. "I wasn't in danger. We were still in the building—"
"A building with multiple access points full of civilians who don’t have top-level security clearance," I cut her off. "People who could recognize you, report your location. People who might work for Rice."
Her face paled. "I didn't think—"
