His to Steal

Ch. 21: Moving Day

Sutton

I still can't believe that tomorrow, I'm moving to Jason's for an unspecified amount of time while my dad "takes care of business" in Sicily. Is this real life? I'm still pissed off at Jason, still weirded out by the kiss, haven't talked to Nicolai again since the other day and I'm not sure I ever will again. Not that he'd want to after what I said to him on the way out the door. I'm still kicking myself for bringing up what happened with Jason as if it were enjoyable for me.

There's a knock at my door and I turn to see my dad right outside in the hallway.

"Hey Dad, come on in. I'm just packing up some stuff."

"Need any help?"

He looks so helpless, so regretful about everything, that I quickly think up something for him to do even though I've got it handled.

"Yeah, you could pack up that stack of books for me. There's a box there in the floor."

"No problem, Sutton. It's the least I can do for making you pack up and leave at the last minute like this."

We're working in silence for a few minutes when I finally speak. "Is everything okay? With the business, I mean."

He tilts his head back and forth and raises his eyebrows. "In this business, things can turn on a dime, Sutton. You know that. As of this moment, everything is okay. But if I didn't go to Sicily to take care of this, things could take a turn that we really don't want."

I can tell by the look he gives me that the business is in major trouble. And I bet it has something to do with that money in the offshore bank accounts. Because that's the only money I couldn't account for.

My heart seizes in my chest as I finally give voice to the worry I've been so scared to express. "Dad? Is this my fault?"

My dad's head snaps up immediately and he moves to my side, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "No, Sutton. No. This has nothing to do with you. The books you've kept for the club are immaculate." He grips my chin and turns my face to his. "Do you hear me?"

I nod. "Yes, I hear you. But you're not going to tell me what is wrong, are you?"

He shakes his head. "It's better if I don't. But what you can do to help me, and help the Ring, is to be safe while I'm gone. And I almost lost you again the other day. You can't blame me for wanting to be better safe than sorry, can you?"

I look down at my lap and fiddle with the strings on my pajama pants. "No. I can't."

"Okay then." He leans forward and kisses my forehead. "Now, Dominique will come over to Jason's every day just like she does here. But she's going to go home every night, since I promised her when she took this job that I'd never take her away from her family. I want to keep that promise."

Shit. I hadn't even thought of that. Nights alone with Jason in the house? Oh my God, how much more awkward can you get?

But before I can say anything, my dad keeps talking. "And I have to take Henry with me, so you won't have a driver. Jason will hold everything down at the club, and unless you want to go with him every single day—" I wrinkle my nose in disgust, and he nods. "I thought you might feel that way. So I had Dominique hire a driver for you. They'll serve as extra security as well when Dominique is at her home for the night."

"Wait, they'll be live-in security? Is Jason okay with that?"

Dad shrugs. "He doesn't really have much of a choice. It's what's best for you, and we owe you at least a driver to take you where you want to go and round-the-clock security. There are nights when Jason doesn't get home until really late, especially with me being gone."