With perfect clarity, she recalled the profile she’d put together on one Griff Daniels.He was a walking dream, with long black hair and blue eyes as bright as the sky on a sunny day.She’d bet he had all the girls swooning over him.Hell, she hadn’t even met him in person, and she was swooning.
She shook her head.She was lonelier than she’d realized if she was fantasizing over a stranger.She shouldn’t have let her walls down so quickly with Vince.Maybe, she wouldn’t have if she hadn’t kept herself so isolated.She should have gotten out more, dated around, had one-night stands and casual sex.Maybe, then, she would have seen through Vince’s façade.That wasn’t her, though.Never would be.When a girl’s father hunted bad guys for a living, she grew up seeing the worst of society.It made it hard sometimes to remember decent people existed.She sighed.Look what had happened when she’d tried to think the best of people for once.
She focused on the road, cranking up the radio and singing along.The sooner she arrived, the better she’d feel.She’d called her dad a dozen times out of pure panic when she’d first realized what was happening.She should have known better.If he didn’t answer, it was because he couldn’t.When her dad was in the middle of something, it usually involved life or death.He’d get back to her as soon as he could.That was logic, though, and emotion had her by the throat.Still, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from calling.She worked behind a computer, not in the field.She wasn’t used to having her life threatened—at least, if it ever had been, she’d never known about it.
As intellect resurfaced, she knew she had to protect her dad.Whatever Vince wanted, she was only a means to an end.Her father was who Vince really wanted to hurt.
Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.She glanced down at the screen on her console.The integrated phone system was great, but she’d tinkered with hers a bit to get it just the way she wanted it.It functioned more like a computer, even above what a police squad car would have.She liked having information at her fingertips, no matter where she was.Tinkering was something she excelled at.
Seeing the displayed name, she sighed with relief.It was her dad, which made the little girl in her want to cry with relief.His name alone was enough to make her feel safe.Even more, it reminded her how strong she was.She’d fallen into Vince’s grasp, and she needed to get herself out of it.Not by bringing her father right into the other man’s range, but by being smarter.Honor wasn’t a trained field operative, but she knew had to track someone, how to dig for answers.
She also had Stace and the group of people she now worked with.Honor trusted Stace.Plus, she’d done her research.Jack Madigan and the others behind Midnight, Inc.could help her.She just had to get to Stace and let her know what was going on.Honor would be damned if she let her panic be the thing that got her father killed.As long as he stayed away, Vince couldn’t get to him.
Taking a deep breath, Honor connected the call.
“Sir.”
His sigh came through her sound system loud and clear, as if he were in the car with her.
“Will you ever just call me Dad?”
He’d spent her entire childhood informing her she was to say “yes, sir” or “no, sir” when she spoke to him.And now, he wanted her to call him Dad?She sighed.Yes, he was going bat-shit crazy.
“Yes, sir.Hey, Dad.”
Silence.Dead silence.She’d hit the mark with that one.Bull’s eye.
“Where are you?”
“On the road.”
“Why?Did something happen?”
“I decided to take a road trip; that’s all.”For all his badass ways, she loved him.He was the only parent she’d ever had.She’d fight tooth and nail to protect him.So, she took a page out of his book and chose not to fill the silence stretching between them.One of these days, maybe, he’d realize the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
“Honor.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Where are you headed?”
“Don’t know yet.I’ll contact you when I do.Until then, use this number to reach me.My cellphone is secure.”
“You called a dozen times.”
“I apologize, sir.I wasn’t thinking.”
“Exactly.You always think.What’s going on?”
She said nothing.
He sighed again.
“I’m not state-side and won’t be for a bit longer.Are you okay?”
She fought the need to spill everything.If she told him about Vince, her dad would hightail it to her, dragging Vince’s attention from her to him.While she knew her dad was more than capable of dealing with the threat, there was a tiny piece of her that worried something would go wrong.If she lost him… She refused to be the reason she lost him.With Stace, Midnight, Inc., and any help they’d give, Vince would be taken care of before her dad got back.Otherwise, she’d have to tell him.She couldn’t let him return unaware.
“Yes.”Not a lie.She was okay.She’d be even better when she got to Legacy.
