And just like that, the blanket of darkness surrounded her once more.
“Wolfe, any word on Marilyn?” Caleb asked.
She half-turned to look up at Wolfe who was frowning and shaking his head. “No one has seen her. When Hux w
ent to her apartment, it was still full of her stuff but she wasn’t there. They’re trying to track her down. But I don’t understand how she disappeared. It’s like someone tipped her off or is hiding her.”
The others frowned and started talking through possible ways she could have been tipped off. Vivi remained quiet. Truth was, she had bigger things to worry about than Marilyn.
* * *
“So that’s how he’s playing it,” Caleb said thoughtfully as Aleki turned off the television. He’d hooked up his laptop so they could view the feed through the camera that Micah’s guy wore. She hated to think what it was costing the guys to have people watching her father. It was especially frustrating when they were getting no answers about what was going on.
After the funeral, her father had held a brief press conference. He’d looked haggard. Exhausted. She might feel sorry for him, if he hadn’t put her through hell these past eight years.
All the questions had been about William’s successor, who he’d said he would name soon. And about her.
Where was she? Why wasn’t she at the funeral? Why hadn’t she been seen?
“He made it sound like I had a breakdown,” she said.
“The only way he could explain your absence and why you won’t be seen for a while,” Caleb told her gently. He looked over at her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze.
She wasn’t sure why she was so out of sorts. She shouldn’t be upset by William’s death. He was almost as bad as her father. Or why she was upset at her father’s lies. He was hardly going to say she’d run from him and he couldn’t find her.
She rubbed at her chest, her heart was beating over time.
Wolfe moved beside her. About halfway through the funeral, he’d reached out his hand to her. She’d wrapped her pinky around his, keeping a tight hold of Piggles with her other hand.
“What if my father finds out I’m here?”
“Nobody will get to you,” Wolfe told her. His eyes darkened. His face was like stone. People underestimated Wolfe. They saw Aleki with his big, powerful body. Caleb with his muscular build. But they didn’t notice Wolfe.
That was their mistake.
Caleb came and sat on the coffee table in front of her. “I don’t want you to worry about this. I know it’s hard and you’re working on faith here. But we are going to do our best to keep you safe.” He grabbed hold of her chin, tilting her face up. “What most worries you?”
“Something happening to the three of you,” she said immediately.
Aleki swore quietly.
“Always worrying about someone else,” Caleb murmured. “Our gorgeous, sweet girl. We’ll be fine. We can take care of ourselves and you.”
She knew that. She still worried.
“I know we made a mistake trying to keep you in the dark,” Caleb told her. “We’re trying to keep your stress levels down while you’re building up your health. But if you need to know anything, ask.”
“All right.”
“And remember, we’re badass motherfuckers. Wolfe’s a sneaky fuck, Caleb has mad sniper skills, and I can crush skulls with my hands.” Aleki flexed his muscles and to her shock, she giggled.
“I’m not sneaky,” Wolfe protested. “I’m stealthy. There’s a difference.”
“If we stick together, then we’ve got this, okay, jelly bean?” Caleb asked.
“Yes, okay.”
An alarm went off on Wolfe’s watch. “Time for bed. It’s late.” He got up.