Midnight Kiss (Men of Midnight #7) - Lisa Marie Rice Page 0,87

my father. That’s why I called. You know him and know what he is capable of. Is he capable of this?”

Black’s face tightened. “Never. Never in a million years would Bard have been capable of hurting Lucy in any way. And hurting his own daughter? There’s just no way. But I’ll bet you anything his father would be capable.”

Luke shot her a quick glance. “Court Redfield?”

“Yeah. God, Bard hated his father’s guts, still does. The old man is a psychopath.”

“That psychopath is gearing up for a run for the Presidency,” Hope said dryly. “And he just might win. If he’s the one responsible for all of this, he does not want anyone to know about me and he’s shown that he is willing to kill. But I refuse to lie low, in hiding, because of him.”

Suddenly her shoulders were taken in a strong grip. Luke’s arm around her. He was a warm wall of strength by her side. She leaned into him.

Black nodded sharply. “Understood. I’m going to call Bard. Right now. He’s Stateside, the last I heard. He’s going to be absolutely stoked at your existence and enraged at his father.”

Luke glanced at her and she gave a small shake of her head.

“Absolutely not.” Luke’s face hardened. “Not going to happen. Hope will decide when and how she contacts her father. Not anyone else.”

Jacob Black was immensely powerful and rich. His company essentially had the resources of a small country and Black was its king. Luke had no money and no power. And yet there was no question who would win this. Luke was like a force of nature.

Black held up huge, calloused hands. “Okay, okay. But tell him soon. That guy has missed Lucy almost all his adult life. He needs to know about his daughter. About — what’s your name?”

“Hope. Hope Ellis. That guy — or his father — had my mother killed,” Hope said sharply. “I’m not going to expose myself to him until I’m certain who is responsible for my mother’s death and my friend’s death.”

“Well, it wasn’t Bard. You need to talk to him soon.” The force of Black’s will seemed to come through the screen. Hope could almost see magnetic lines of power emanating from him. Man, this was one powerful dude.

“Fuck that.” And then Luke stepped forward and it was like the battle of Jedi warriors because she could see his lines of male power meeting Black’s halfway and there was almost a shimmer in the Force. “Hope will talk to him when she feels safe doing so. And not a second before. I’m not going to risk her safety because you think Bard Redfield is a good guy. A lot of good guys go bad. You know that as well as I do.”

There was a male staring contest, like an elk battle only without antlers, and Black stood down. “Bard would be incapable of hurting Hope, and I know for a fact that he’d welcome her with open arms. But I respect that you can’t take my word for that. Not when her safety is at risk.”

Luke nodded and his taut body language relaxed. “I have your word you won’t say anything to him?” Luke asked.

Black bent his head slightly. “You have my word. But I’d like to give you two his private cell. It’s a number he will always answer and only he will answer it.”

“Yes.” Hope surprised herself by how much she wanted that number. A portal maybe, to another world. Or the engine of her death. But a number that would at least end this feeling of being a molecule lost in space that had accompanied her for her entire lifetime. “Please. I’d very much like his number.”

“I’m texting it to you,” Black said. “And consider me at your disposal. If you want to arrange a meeting, I can be there as a sort of guarantor. Say the word and I’ll be there as fast as I can get there. I owe it to him.”

Considering he was in the field, and was a very busy man, it was quite an offer.

Hope glanced at Luke and ran a quick finger across her throat.

“Okay then.” Luke brought the screen back to his own face. “Thanks for your time, sir. We really appreciate it and we’ll be in touch. Thanks for sending Redfield’s cell number.”

“Call him,” Black urged.

“We will. We just don’t know when.” Luke broke the connection.

Silence. Hope was trying to assimilate all this information. Jacob Black was known as