Roped In (Armed & Dangerous #2)(63)

I joined in his exhilaration, giggling at my actions. “Well, that happened.”

“That it did, you little vixen. I never knew you had it in you.” He pulled out of me and turned me around.

I broke into laughter when I saw him standing there in a T-shirt, with his pants and boxers around his ankles, in a hospital room that wasn’t even ours.

A knock sounded on the door and my eyes went wide. The door started to open and I pushed Blake into the bathroom and shut the door. Dr. Reese poked her head inside and I spun around to face her.

“Hadley, your father’s awake. He’s asking for you.”

“Oh! That’s wonderful news.” I glanced down to make sure my dress was covering everything. “Blake, honey, did you hear that?” I called to him in the bathroom.

He came out of the bathroom all zipped up and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I did. Is he fully alert?”

“Yes, he’s wide awake,” the doctor said, holding the door open for us. Heart racing, we followed her down the hall toward my father’s room. “We have crutches for him so he can get up and walk around. The leg wound is healing nicely.”

We stopped outside of his door. I wasn’t ready to go in just yet. “Are there any complications from the drugs I should know about?”

She shook her head. “Nothing I could find. I think he’s just sick with worry over you.”

“Thanks, Dr. Reese. When do you think I can take him home?”

“Tomorrow,” she replied with a smile. “I gotta run, but I’ll check on you guys later this afternoon.”

Taking a deep breath, I propped against the door and watched her disappear down the hall.

“Do you want me to go in there with you?” Blake asked.

“Yes. He owes us both an apology.” I found the courage to press the handle down and open the door. My father watched us walk in with tears in his eyes and it broke my heart.

Blake nudged me forward. “Go to him,” he whispered, standing back as I closed the distance, taking a seat beside my father’s bed.

His skin was pale and he looked older than his usual self. The last time I saw him so vulnerable was after my mother died. After that, he’d turned into a powerhouse who had to control everything around him.

“I’m so sorry, Hadley.” He broke down in sobs. “I never wanted to hurt you. All I wanted was to keep my baby girl safe.”

“And look where that got us,” I countered.

He nodded. “I know. I put everyone’s lives in danger, mostly yours. The one person I wanted to protect ended up being the one I almost destroyed.”

“If it wasn’t for Blake, I’d be dead. He’s the one who found me.”

His gaze landed on Blake. “How did you find her?”

Blake’s jaw tensed. “I have my ways, Mr. Rivers. I wasn’t going to rest until I found out what happened to her.”

My father held out his hand. “I owe you an apology, young man. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you after what you did.”

Blake stared at his hand, then shook it. “I accept your apology, but I don’t accept the fact you tried to take Hadley away from everyone, from me. It was selfish.”

“Blake,” I hissed.

Holding his hands up, he backed away. “I’m done. That’s all I wanted to say.”

“No, he’s right,” my father agreed. “I know you won’t forgive me now, but I hope in time you’ll understand my reasoning. You’re all I have left in this world. When Tristan told me he was responsible for all the threats, I felt like a fool. I played right into his hands.”

I gasped. “What all did he tell you?”

He reached for my hand and I let him take it. “Everything. He said he was going to have me killed as soon as you left for Ireland. When I arrived at the house, I could feel that something wasn’t right, especially when they wouldn’t let me see you. I tried to find you and that’s when everything went blurry.”

“They drugged you just like they drugged me. Connor was the one who told me everything,” I revealed.

“Where is he?” he asked.

I glanced back at Blake and he nodded. “Connor’s dead, Dad. Just like everyone else who was involved.”

“He never hurt you did he?”

“No,” I gasped. “Connor was actually one of the good guys. He might have been on the bad side, but he protected me.”

“So what happens now?” he murmured, squeezing my hand. “Do you think you can forgive me?”

Tears fell down my cheeks. I was still angry at him for what he did, but he was my father. I loved him more than anything. “On one condition.” He lifted his brows in response. “I want you to let me live my life. No more finding me bodyguards, or trying to make decisions for me. All of that is done. If someone calls threatening my life, you tell them to eat a dick.” Blake snorted and my father chuckled. “What I’m saying is, I’m going to live my life the way I want to live it. No more interference. Can you do that?”

Closing his eyes, he nodded. “I promise.”

“There’s one other thing,” Blake interrupted. My father and I both focused our attention on him. “Our stories need to be straight. If word gets out about your involvement with the mafia, you could face jail time. For the sake of Hadley, and your reputation, you need to say you had no part in it.”