Page 69 of A Touch of Crimson
“Lindsay?”
“Yeah, Dad.” Her voice was too husky. She cleared her throat. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
“A new customer who came in today. She asked me out after I changed her oil.”
“I like her already. She’s obviously smart and has great taste in men.”
He laughed. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Totally,” she fibbed. “I’d be mad if you didn’t go. You’d better have a good time, too. And wear the shirt and slacks I got you for your birthday.”
“Okay, okay. Got it: Go. Have fun. And don’t dress like a bum. But you have to do something for me, too—give Adrian a shot. A real one.”
She groaned. “You don’t understand.”
“Listen,” her dad said in his no-nonsense voice. “Adrian Mitchell is a big boy. He can take care of himself. If he doesn’t see a problem, don’t make one. You deserve to be happy, Linds, and no relationship is risk-free. I’m dipping my toes in the dating waters again. But you—you’ve never jumped in at all. I think it’s time you took the plunge.”
“I love you, Daddy, but the metaphors are killing me.”
“Ha! I love you, too, baby. Be good.”
“I’ll want a rundown tomorrow,” she warned.
“As if I kiss and tell. Talk to you later.”
Hitting the end button, she looked at Elijah, who met her gaze. Her dad was finally putting himself out there. She thought she’d be happy about that. She was…mostly. But there was a part of her—an admittedly childish part of her—that felt as if her dad was leaving her mom behind. Which was something Lindsay still couldn’t do.
“You’re close to your sire,” Elijah noted.
“We’re all each other has, if that makes sense.”
Nodding, he said, “Explains why Adrian has lycans guarding him.”
Her foot lifted from the gas pedal. “What? Why?”
“Adrian assigned lycans to watch your father. I didn’t know why. Now I do. He’s doing it for you because your sire is important to you.”
“When did he set that up?”
“In Vegas.”
Lindsay pushed harder on the gas, thinking it would be better not to be behind the wheel at the moment. “Why would my dad need guards?”
“Anyone important to Adrian is at risk of being used against him.”
Getting to her dad would get to her, which would get to Adrian. “If something ever happened?—”
“Don’t worry.” Elijah offered a reassuring smile. “Adrian asked me to pick the team, and I suggested the best of the pack. They’ll keep him safe.”
She might have kissed him if she hadn’t been driving. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You should thank Adrian, too.”
“Yes,” she said softly, her heart softening further. Adrian’s fall wasn’t the immediate concern; it was her own fall that was imminent. “I should. I will. Hell, everything’s a mess.”
“Yep.”
Which reminded her why they were driving to the Point in the first place. “Do you know what happened to your friend? Why he was missing?”
