Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
The answer to that question has my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. It's enormous, more than either of us are ready for, I think. I shove it away, refusing to go there right now.
I push off from the bed, rising to my feet so I don't wake Mila. She mumbles incoherently in her sleep but doesn't stir. I stare at her for a long moment, just drinking in the sight of her in my bed.
She's a goddess awash in a sea of red. And she's mine. Her body is mine. Her smart mouth is mine. Her defiance and cries of pleasure are mine. She belongs to me. I'd fucking kill anyone who tried to tell me differently.
"Are you okay, Daddy?" Tahani asks.
"Yeah, kiddo. I'm good." I clear my throat, tearing my gaze away from Mila. Juggling the phone between my ear and shoulder, I yank on a pair of sweats and head out of the bedroom, away from temptation.
"Are you sure? You've been…weird the last couple of times we talked," Tahani says, far too fucking perceptive. She gets that shit from me. Until Mila, I was proud of how intuitive she is. Hell, I'm still proud, but her intuition is very fucking inconvenient at the moment. "Is it Mila?"
My heart stops beating for a second.
"She'll leave if you really want her to," Tahani continues, allowing me to breathe again.
"No." The word is too sharp, too hard. "No," I try again, jogging down the stairs. "I don't mind her being here, sweetheart. I've just got a lot on my mind."
I'm such a fucking liar. The only thing on my mind is Mila. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to find a way to tell my daughter that I’m fucking her best friend. I know this. She deserves the truth. Just...not yet. I can’t risk sending Mila running, and if Tahani flips, Mila will bolt. I’m not ready to let her go. I fucking can’t let her go.
I make my way into the kitchen and hit the button to start the coffee pot.
"Is it work?" Tahani presses.
My eyes narrow, my lips turning down into a frown the second the question is out of her mouth. "I'm not talking to you about my job, Tahani," I tell her firmly. There's very little I won't do for my daughter, but talking to her about my job? Not fucking happening. "You know the rules."
The coffee maker begins clicking before it finally starts spewing hot coffee into the pot.
"I hate your rules," she gripes. "I'm not thirteen anymore."
She sounds so much like Mila bitching about my rules. It catches me off guard. She's right, though. She isn't thirteen anymore. She's grown now, an adult. That doesn't change the fact that I don't want her anywhere near my job.
I told Mila about my partner blowing his cover and our case because I had to tell her. I needed her to know for reasons I still can't even explain to myself. But Tahani? She's my kid. It's different for a whole lot of fucking reasons.
"Work is fine," I tell her, lying again. Work is far from fine. Finn’s still not sure if my cover was blown or not, and we still don’t know where the guns are. But Tahani doesn't need to know any of that.
I rake a hand through my hair and prop my hip against the counter, staring out the windows at the beach beyond.
The ocean stretches out, an expanse of cerulean blue that meets the horizon in a blurry line. The sun reflects off the waves, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and shadows. Seagulls soar in the sky, their silhouettes against the clear sky like small black specks.
"Fine," Tahani grumbles. "Don't tell me then."
I can't help but smile at her tone. She hates not getting her way, but she'll get over it.
"How's Sacramento?" I ask as the scent of coffee permeates the air.
"It's so awesome," she breathes, instantly perking up. "Trent took me to tour the stadium yesterday. It's fucking huge! I'm so proud of him."
"When's his first game?" I ask, endlessly fucking relieved Trent was traded to the Kings and not a team halfway across the goddamn country. I hate that Tahani's fucking dating, but Trent's good for her. He worships the ground she walks on. That's all I can ask.
She rambles off the date, chattering a million miles a minute. When the coffee machine beeps, I pour a cup, and promise her that I'll come to his first game if I can.
My phone vibrates as she continues rambling. I pull it away from my ear, and sigh when I see Finn Bethel's name on the display.
"Hani? I need to go," I tell her gently.
"Okay. We'll talk soon. Tell Mila to call me. Love you!"
"Love you too, kiddo," I say before swiping to answer my boss's call.