Dare to Rock (Dare to Love 5)

“Seriously?”

“I was worried and so was Rick.” She glanced over her shoulder at the bodyguard, who stood against the wall, arms folded across his chest. “I didn’t want to upset Olivia, her being pregnant, so it was either Grey or one of your brothers. I made a judgment call.”

Avery nodded. “I’m not upset with you. I’m angry with myself. I hate that I still let him get to me,” she said of her father.

“I have to ask you something.” Ella scooted closer on the couch and leaned in so they could speak quietly. “Have you ever had it out with him? Told him how you feel about what he did, how his actions affected your life?”

Avery shook her head. “My mom was my rock, and she made sure I got help. And he wasn’t around much, especially right after … By the time he tried reaching out to us again, I’d built up all these walls so I couldn’t be hurt again.”

Ella wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Then why did you go to his birthday party every year?”

Avery sighed. Her father held a yearly birthday bash at The Meridian Hotel, a formal affair for family, friends, and business associates. Avery and her immediate siblings always felt the event was more to show the outside world that things in the Dare family were fine, when in reality, all of Avery’s full brothers and her sister, Olivia, had their issues with Robert Dare.

“I know it’s hard to understand, but I just never wanted Sienna or the others to feel bad for something they’d had no control over.” Even if she and Olivia had to twist their brothers’ arms, they all made an appearance, usually to support each other.

“I always said you’re too good a person,” Ella said. “And in this case, I think you need to get those damaging emotions off your chest before you lose the things most precious to you.”

Avery’s cell rang. Noticing her bag on the table, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the incoming number. “Speak of the devil.” She wondered why he’d be calling now. “Might as well get it over with.”

She accepted the call. “Hello?”

“Avery, it’s your father.”

She didn’t mention that she’d already figured that out. “Hi, Dad.”

“Where are you?” he asked, sounding extremely stressed and unhappy.

“I’m home in my apartment, why?”

“Because we need to talk. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

“About what?” she asked, but he’d already hung up. She met Ella’s concerned gaze. “Guess he’s coming to talk.”

“Could this day get any weirder?”

Avery shivered, still cold from passing out and uneasy after speaking to her father. Ella rose and grabbed an afghan from the chair across from the sofa and wrapped it around Avery’s shoulders.

“Thank you.” She snuggled into the warm blanket and scrolled through her phone. “Wow.”

“What’s up?” Ella asked.

“That wasn’t the first time my father called this morning,” Avery said, glancing at three missed calls and one voice message with his name on it.

She tapped on the voice mail and played his message out loud.

“Avery, this is your father.”

“No shit,” Ella muttered, and Avery couldn’t help but grin.

Her father continued. “I don’t appreciate the fact that your new relationship is dragging up my ancient history, and you need to make this go away. Call me immediately.”

“Is he kidding?” Ella asked in disbelief just as a knock sounded at the door and Rick let Grey inside. As Grey entered, Rick turned to her. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

“Thank you.”

“And I’ll be in my room so you two can talk. But same thing. Yell if you need me,” Ella said. “Especially when you-know-who gets here.”

Ella and Rick both left them alone.