is closest to this location—or fly to us.”
I sigh heavily because even when he’s right, it irritates me that Dad can’t just give me space. “Two hours isn’t enough time,” I say instead of greeting him.
“To an extent it is,” he argues. “There have been times when I only have thirty seconds to dismantle a bomb or an entire place, city, or country could disappear. If I wait, thousands or millions of people could die.”
“Drama doesn’t look good on you, sir,”
“The point is,” he continues, “that I understand your anger, but you never asked me about my motives.”
“You explained everything,” I remind him.
“No, I told you I couldn’t afford to lose you. Then, you began to give me all the reasons why you loathe me. You think I’m misguided and overprotective, yes?”
“Seriously, Dad, you’re ready to invalidate my feelings and tell me that I should be thankful for your services.”
“You’re putting words in my mouth, Grace Aiko!”
“Fine. Enlighten me, father.”
“It’s a well-known fact that you’re Gabe and Chris’ granddaughter. We always try to ensure that you guys live a normal life, but there are some limits,” he explains. I stay quiet. “Most of your cousins have security—unless they are well trained.”
“Is that why you trained us? So that we could protect ourselves?”
“In part. It wasn’t the original idea, but once everyone was learning, we all thought, what if…” Dad confirms. “You left home at sixteen, Grace. You know what can happen to a single woman on campus. You’ve witnessed it. Put yourself in my place. My underage daughter was heading to New York—by herself. That’s not everything, though. I’ve been careful since I started this company, but my entire family is in danger if someone ever figures out my real identity. I just added a layer to what I taught you.”
“You used Beacon to do it. My best friend.”
“He volunteered,” he presses. “He came up with the idea.”
“Dad, I need time to work this through,” I say with a calm voice. “Listen, I understand your ‘misguided ways.’ They make sense even when I don’t like it. You should’ve talked to me about all of this eleven years ago. We could’ve agreed, worked this out together. Now tell me, what’s going to happen in a year when Beacon’s sabbatical is over. Let’s not go that far. Are you already setting up a team to babysit me without telling me? Just because you think I can’t take care of myself?”
Dad growls. “They don’t watch over you all the time.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“If I feel like you need a bodyguard, I’ll contact you first, like we do with Too Far from Grace. You’ll get to choose your team,” he compromises.
I almost laugh if it wasn’t because I realize something. “So, all this time Beacon has been setting the security for me, not him. It’s not about his groupies but keeping me safe.”
Beacon flinches and nods.
“You two are exasperating,” I screech, staring at Beacon while I speak to Dad. “From now on, I have a say about my security. I’ll make the decisions. You two are allowed to make suggestions. Beacon is no longer my bodyguard. Do we understand each other?”
“I’m sorry,” Dad says.
“Sorry because you won’t allow it or sorry for undermining me?”
“For not including you when I made the decision,” he says. “For not trusting you at the time. I think you’re capable, but I also want to protect you. At the end of the day, you’re the three-pound baby girl I met twenty-eight years ago. The same I swore to protect.”
“Dad.” I sigh because his low, broken voice squeezes my heart and almost makes me cry.
“Why don’t we talk next week? I’ll come to visit you,” he suggests.
“That’s a good idea. Love you, Dad.”
“Love you, too, Gracie.”
I put my phone away and focus my attention on Beacon. Today I’m re-writing history. Putting together clues of a puzzle I had no idea existed. I don’t even know if I want to finish it. “Were your groupies ever dangerous?”
“They are,” Beacon says, shrugging. “If my house wasn’t under your name, I’m sure they’d be trying to break in and steal my stuff. It happened to Fish’s LA home. I have two layers of security. The first stops anyone who could get close to you, and the second is for my groupies. When the time comes, I can explain to you how everything works so you can take over if that’s what you choose.”
“What’s the alternative?”
“We make the decisions as a team.”
Tonight, I