Urgent: An ABCs of Love Novel by Ember Dante

Author:Ember Dante [Dante, Ember]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

MATT

The ringing phone stopped and started three times before I located the device. I didn’t have to check the caller ID to know it was Vince. I braced myself for what I assumed would be an unpleasant conversation.

I took a deep breath and swiped my thumb across the shiny glass surface. “Vince. Good morning.”

“What the fuck happened last night, and why did I have to hear about it from the goddamn bartender?”

Deacon and I were going to have a talk later. “I planned to tell you myself, but I thought it would be better to do so in person. I was also a little busy trying to contain the situation.”

“I trusted you with my daughter, you son of a bitch.”

My free hand tightened into a fist. “Yes, you did. And that’s what drove my actions last night.”

“Is she safe?”

“I can promise you I wouldn’t be this calm if she wasn’t.”

His sigh of relief echoed through the connection. “I probably haven’t properly explained the reason behind my concern for Chiara’s welfare.”

Yeah, no shit. “With all due respect, no, you haven’t.”

“I’m on the way back from St. Louis. Come by the house around three. I should be home by then. We’ll talk.”

“St. Louis?” I asked, even though I knew he wouldn’t elaborate over the phone. It was the same reason I didn’t want to talk about Claire’s mishap the night before—too many ears listening.

His tone was gruff, giving no room for argument. “We can talk about that later as well. Three o’clock. Don’t be late.”

The call disconnected before I could comment further. I wasn’t under the illusion that Vince told me everything, but he had always kept me in the loop. His mysterious trip to St. Louis raised several questions—ones I hoped he would answer when we met at three.

I stood in the living room, lost in thought, and debating whether I should send a quick message to Roland when a pair of delicate hands slid around my torso to rest over my stomach. I tossed the phone onto the sofa and turned to face Claire.

She looked up at me and smiled. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. That was Vince.” My hands settled on her shoulders and squeezed.

Claire’s brows furrowed. “What did Dad want?”

“Apparently, Deacon told him about last night.”

“Shit. That’s not good. Now I’ll never hear the end of it.” Claire pulled away and took a few steps backward. She was wearing my shirt again but hadn’t bothered to button it, making it difficult to pay attention to what she was saying. She propped a fist on her hip and wagged the index finger of her other hand in the air. When she spoke, she adopted a thick Italian accent that mimicked her father. “Cucciola, how many times have I warned you? The world is a dangerous place for a young woman such as yourself. This is why you need protection.”

It wasn’t meant to be funny, but I couldn’t contain the harsh laugh that burst from my mouth. “Don’t worry. I’m going to explain it to him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.