Daddy’s Law by K.C. Crowne

Chapter 29

Ava

It took about twenty minutes to say goodbye to Cory. He had a vice grip hug on me, trying to delay the inevitable. He was basically in tears by the time Theo managed to pull him off me.

“Please be careful,” he said to me. “Promise me.”

“I promise, Cory. Don’t worry about a thing.”

“Who’s going to teach us art now?”

“I’m not sure, but you have to listen to whoever gets assigned, okay? I fully expect to see your work when this is over.”

He nodded before taking his father’s hand and meeting Mrs. Thompson out by the curb. The second they were out of sight, Theo returned and locked the front door. He wasn’t dressed in his usual jeans and plain shirt, but in a tailored back suit and tie. He was all business from head to toe.

“We’re going through the garage,” he explained. “Jesse has the follow car waiting.”

“Okay. Lead the way.”

“No, you walk ahead of me.”

“Why?”

“I need to be able to see you at all times.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “A little over the top, isn’t it?”

“It’s proper protocol. I’ve been too lenient with you.” And then, under his breath, “Among other things.”

“Right,” I said slowly, turning on my heels. “Among other things.”

Three vehicles were waiting for us in Theo’s driveway, all identical black SUV’s. A handsome man in his late forties with cropped brown hair and sharp green eyes held the door open to the vehicle I’d be occupying. He was sharply dressed, a pair of aviator sunglasses hanging from his suit jacket’s breast pocket.

He nodded his head as I approached. “Miss Cruise. Jesse White. Let’s get you secured.”

It was interesting to finally get the chance to meet him. I knew him as Uncle Jesse, thanks to Cory. Seeing him in the flesh finally gave me an image to work with. He was a lot more serious looking than I expected him to be.

I mumbled a quick thank you as I climbed into the backseat. Theo normally always offered me a hand while getting in, but today I found that he was nowhere nearby. I strapped in and pretended that his absence didn’t sting as badly as it did.

Jesse got behind the wheel while Theo took the passenger seat. All three vehicles were already running. The car to our right moved out first, followed by us, and then the last car in a sort of sandwich arrangement with us protected in the middle.

Even though I knew I was in good hands, my stomach didn’t seem to get the same memo. It kept churning, nerves fraying deep within my core. A creeping sensation crawled up my neck and caused my shoulders to tense. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched. I peered out the tinted windows in the backseat but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. On the surface, it looked like a regular old suburban neighborhood, but my gut told me something wasn’t right.

Who knew my father’s paranoia could be so contagious?

We drove for an hour, maybe two. It was hard to tell because I had no idea where we were going. We drove through the busy streets of Chicago and circled back around a few times as a precaution, so that threw my sense of direction off. We wound up near the waterfront and pulled up to a gated community not unlike the one my father lived in.

I didn’t know the first thing about security work, but I supposed the water acted as a sort of barrier. The likelihood that someone would approach using an amphibious attack seemed over the top and impractical. It seemed rather strategic to put me in a house with only one front to truly worry about.

The house in question wasn’t as huge as Dad’s, though it had a very similar feel. Manicured lawn, plain beige walls, simple tiled roof. There were large windows out front, all of which notably had their curtains pulled shut. None of our neighbors seemed to be around, likely all out getting stuck in traffic on their way to work.

I was about to get out of the car myself, but Theo ordered, “Wait.”

He got out of the vehicle first, rounding the front to open the door. He placed a hand on the center of my back and gave me a gentle nudge toward the house. There was a perfunctory element to his touch, like I was a chore instead of a person. I swallowed, unused to his rigidity.

The inside of the house was just as mundane as the outside. Fully furnished, but plain. It lacked the lived-in quality of Theo’ s home. Lacked history. This place gave me hotel vibes. Perfectly functional and comfortable but lacking charm and coziness. The white walls were clinical, the tile floors were equally as cold, and there wasn’t a picture frame or needless decoration in sight.

A suited man waited for me in the living room. He was already standing, hands folded neatly before him. He was in a suit similar to Theo’s. The man had lanky arms and legs and a wide chest. He didn’t look as good in a suit as Theo did, but I was probably just biased.

“Miss Cruise,” the man said. “I’m Wilson. I’ll be your daytime security detail. You’ll meet Miles later when we change shifts.”

“Uh, hello,” I replied. “Nice to meet you.”

Theo cleared his throat. “The windows are bullet proof,” he started, “but we request that you stay away from them. You won’t be permitted to go outside without Wilson by your side, and you will not be allowed to go out after dark. Should you require groceries, just give your new bodyguards a list of things you’d like to have purchased.”

Your new bodyguards.

His words were clipped and to the point and cold. Impersonal.

“Alright,” I said, picking at my nails. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“I think that’s it, Miss Cruise.”

Miss Cruise.

I struggled to hide a shiver. Back to formalities, apparently.

I clenched my teeth. This was it. No telling if I’d ever see Theo again once he walked out those doors. I wanted to give him one more kiss goodbye, but I was hyper aware that we weren’t alone in the room.

“Thank you, Mr. Phillips,” I said stiffly. “For everything.”

He lingered where he stood for a second longer, mouth falling open just to close again. Theo nodded curtly before turning and leaving the way he came.

Jesse nodded as well, but with a courteous smile. “The senator’s already been secured, Miss Cruise. Rest assured you’re both in good hands.”

“Thank you.”

And Jesse left, too. I tried not to wince as the front door swung shut, the echo reverberating through the halls.