An Act of Persuasion - By Stephanie Doyle Page 0,46
felt foolish stating the obvious, but he hadn’t wanted to take the chance of Ben possibly questioning him about what was the source of the no doubt nearly anguished expression on his face.
He knew what he looked like because he actually felt anguish. His daughter didn’t want to know him.
“What do you have her doing these days? Still just keeping her to the computer work, I hope.”
Right. Anna. That’s all Ben would ever want to talk about with him.
“Not quite, I’ve got this unsolved serial killer case. Seems the guy only goes after pregnant woman. I make Anna wear one of those Baby-in-Here T-shirts—you know, the ones with the arrow down her belly—and I send her about the city hoping to lure the murderer out of hiding.”
Ben didn’t as much as blink. “I’m sure there are others who find you entertaining, Sharpe.”
“But you’re not one of them. I know. She’s dropping off some packages for me.” Gifts he’d picked out for Sophie in advance of their meeting. Like any good strategist, as soon as he’d learned of his daughter’s feelings for him, he’d set upon a course to win her over.
He planned to start with pink Uggs. If need be, he’d end with a car she wasn’t old enough to drive yet. A desperate man had to take desperate measures.
“Thank you.” Ben eyed the certificate in Mark’s hand. No doubt trying to read it. His eyes narrowed as he obviously made out her name. “Is that Anna’s birth certificate?”
Mark opened the drawer of his desk and put the paper inside.
“It’s Anna’s business. That’s all you need to know.”
“She told me she made the decision to find her birth parents.” Ben frowned. “I didn’t realize you were involved.”
“It’s what I do.”
“It’s what I do. You can stop the investigation. I’ll take it from here.”
Mark laughed. At least this was a distraction. “You have got to be the most arrogant SOB on the planet. Your days of giving me orders are over, Tyler. Anna asked me to do this for her, and I’m doing it. Frankly, you stepping in here and trying to play the part of her hero is a little...dramatic for you.”
“I’m not trying to be anything. I’m going to marry her—she’s going to be my wife. If anyone should be involved in finding out about her past, it should be me.”
“Hell, I’m surprised you haven’t already. Not like you to leave questions unanswered about the people in your life,” Mark said. “But did you say marry her? Didn’t you guys have your first date this weekend? That’s a little bit of a stretch.”
“Not when she’s carrying my child it isn’t. It gives me...a head start, I believe you would call it.”
Mark assessed his former boss. The ruthlessness he’d seen during his days with him on the Farm was still there. Civilian life may have tempered it, but it hadn’t squashed it. He had no doubt now Tyler had simply listed Anna as a prime target. An asset to be cultivated with any means necessary.
Only love and relationships weren’t like war. Well, not exactly like war anyway.
“If you push her too hard, too fast, you’re going to lose her,” Mark warned.
“I don’t need love advice from you.”
No, and Mark wasn’t really sure why he was trying. He knew Ben would reject anything he had to say about Anna, but he couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut.
“Maybe not. Hell, I wasn’t really any better at relationships than you. Other than the seduction part.”
“Yes, that habit you formed of identifying any woman I was attracted to and seducing her before I had a chance. Quite a skill that.”
Mark couldn’t apologize for it. He’d taken too much satisfaction in it, even if it did make him a jerk. “Look, my point is I know you. I’ve seen you hunt down targets for months, hell, even years, with a merciless single-mindedness that always seemed to work. That was fine for terrorists. It won’t work for Anna. I’ve known her now for—”
“Three months to my six years,” Ben interjected. “We’ve had this conversation, remember? Please, though, do educate me on the subject of Anna.”
Mark sneered. “You know, at first I was worried about her. Worried she was at risk from being played by someone who is a master manipulator.”
“And you’re not?”
“No, but I’m not trying to fool anyone into thinking I love her just so I can get my hands on my kid.”
Ben made a sudden motion forward as if he wanted to attack,