“I could ask you the same thing!” Wesley roared. “Where the hell is Mason Bennett? Has he stooped to hiring has-been cops to work as bodyguards?”
An anxious surge swept through Dakota. She uncrossed her legs and scooted her chair back. Stunned, she watched the man she had hoped to get to know better and her father square off like two bulls preparing for battle.
“There’s no way I’m dealing with some lowlife like you who gets his thrills by—”
A low growl came from Hamilton and he moved past his chair, knocking it over as he stomped across the room.
“Whoa, wait!” Dakota jumped from her seat, tripping over the leg of the chair and winced when her hip hit the edge of the table as she hurried after Hamilton. She jumped in front of him and pushed against his hard chest, struggling to stop him from attacking her father.
Hamilton stepped away from her and glared, looking as if he wanted to rip her apart. “This asshole is your father?” he growled, a lethal chill hanging on the edge of his words.
“Yes, and I take it you two know each other,” Dakota said, breathing hard, her hands planted on her hips. She didn’t know what had transpired between him and her father, but she had no intention of shrinking under his heavy glare. Earlier, his eyes held a bit of desire and mischief, but now his dark gaze was hard and unyielding. His stance, stiff and combative. Anger bounced off of him in waves, as if he would pounce at any moment.
Dakota’s attention went to the door where Egypt stood, her worried gaze darting back and forth at them. Next to her was a tall immaculately-dressed man who matched Hamilton’s height and build.
“What’s going on in here?” the man asked.
“That’s what I want to know,” Dakota said. She turned to Hamilton whose chest rose up and down as he continued to fume.
“I’ll tell you what’s going on!” Wesley yelled and approached Mason. “If this is the man I have to work with, I’m taking my business somewhere else.”
“No need,” Hamilton finally spoke.
Dakota remained clueless as to what had happened between him and her father. She didn’t really know Hamilton, but no doubt her father had made yet another enemy.
“As for me offering you protection,” Hamilton said, backing away from Wesley and heading toward the door, “there isn’t enough money in the world that would make me want to protect you.”
“Hamilton, wait,” Dakota said and touched his arm, effectively halting him and forcing him to look at her.
“Goodbye, Dakota.” He eased out of her hold and proceeded to the door but slowed and said something to Mason before leaving. Egypt followed, closing the door behind her.
Dakota whirled around, getting right in her father’s face. “You care to tell me what that was all about? First, you get me here under false pretenses, and then you rile up a man who could squash you with little effort.”
Her father was no slouch standing almost six feet tall, but he was no match for Hamilton’s muscular build or his youth. Dakota would put him in his late thirties, early forties and two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle.
“Start talking, Dad or I’m out of here. And start with what that was I just witnessed between you and Hamilton.”
Her father sighed and turned away from her, running his hand over his low-cut hair and letting it drop to the back of his neck.
“We had a run-in a long time ago when he worked for Atlanta PD. I haven’t seen or had to deal with him in years and I plan to keep it that way. That’s all I’m saying on the subject.”
Dakota folded her arms across her chest. “So what hap—”
“The subject is closed, Dee Dee. If you want to discuss the threats that I told you about earlier, we can do that, but I’m done discussing Hamilton Crosby.”
“Dakota, I’m Mason Bennett. Sorry for my delay,” he said.
“No problem.” Dakota shook his hand, glad that he hadn’t arrived sooner, giving her a chance to get to know Hamilton. Not that it mattered now. After what she just witnessed between him and her father, it was safe to say he’d want nothing to do with her.
“What the hell type of circus are you running here, Mason?” Wesley snapped.
Dakota rolled her eyes and reclaimed her seat while her father stood next to her, glowering at Mason. Her mind was still spinning at the sudden change of events in the past few minutes, yet Mason looked calm and collected.
“First you show up late for our meeting, then I find out you have that ass—”
“That’s enough, Wes!” Mason thundered and Dakota’s brows shot up. “You’re the one who called me for my help this afternoon. If you have a problem with the way I run my business and who I employ, then show yourself out.”
Dakota’s gaze volleyed between the men, making her wonder even more what the heck was going on. Very few people stood up to Wesley Bradford, but she had a feeling he had met his match with Mason. At least she hoped.
For most of her life, she had watched her father act as if he was some type of king, expecting people to bow down to his every whim. It drove her nuts and used to embarrass her when she was growing up. Now, his behavior only irritated her.
“I assume you and my father are friends,” Dakota said to Mason.
“No. We’re not.” Instead of sitting at the head of the table, Mason sat across from her in the chair Hamilton had vacated. “Wesley is an associate of my brother’s and called in a favor this afternoon. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I can grant it since I have no clue as to what I just walked in on.” Mason speared her father with a hard look.
“Yeah, me either,” Dakota mumbled, still thrown by Hamilton’s behavior. One minute they were having a great conversation with him almost asking her out for dinner. The next minute, he was behaving like a totally different person.
Dakota studied her father. Considering he was in his mid-sixties, he didn’t look a day over forty-five. Always dressed to perfection, today was no different. The dark gray suit with faint pinstripes, a crisp white shirt and expensive paisley tie was only a small example of the wealth he had amassed.
He had worked hard over the years, often sacrificing relationships to make the next buck. It didn’t matter that he had several homes around the country, dated some of the prettiest women on the face of the planet, and could probably financially support a small country. He was alone most of the time, and Dakota couldn’t be sure that he was happy.
“Since you’re not willing to share what the beef is between you and Hamilton, tell me why I am here?” Dakota asked, more than ready to leave. Maybe if she was lucky, she’d run into Hamilton before she left the building.
“I’m afraid your life might be in danger,” Wesley said to her and then turned to Mason. “I really need to hire security for both of us.”
Dakota shook her head. “I’m not agreeing to have someone follow me around, especially since this might be a whole lot of nothing. Why is this time different than the other times people threatened you?”
Wesley huffed, not looking too pleased with her.
“Let’s see the letters you told me about on the telephone,” Mason said.
Wesley pulled several folded pieces of paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket before claiming the seat at the head of the table. He handed the documents to Mason.
“You said that the police weren’t able to pull prints from them, right?”
“That’s correct. The cops have been useless, as usual. They claim there’s nothing they can do since the guy hasn’t actually done anything. They kept the envelope and original letters to see if they could pull some DNA from them. Then they asked me a few questions and after that they left my office.”
“How do you know these came from a guy?” Mason asked as he skimmed the documents.
Besides tall and good-looking, clearly, he was good at what he did because Dakota hadn’t caught that her father referred to the person as a guy.
“I have no idea who it is. It could be anyone.”
“Considering the letters don’t look the same, could it be more than one person having issues with you?”
Dakota snorted, but quickly covered her mouth, knowing a loaded question when she heard one.
“May I?” she asked Mason, nodding at the letters he set on the table. He handed them to her. “I’m not sure if my father has mentioned this, but this isn’t the first time someone has threatened him. Seems every couple of years he pisses someone off.”
She ignored her father’s scowl as she read the letters.
You will pay for what you did to me.
Your day is coming.
That last letter was what probably freaked her father out, prompting him to seek protection and insist on her getting some too.
No one associated with you will be safe.
Each letter was different in that two were hand-written and the last was done with words clipped from a newspaper or magazine. Dakota could see why Mason had asked if it was possible that two people could be involved.
She had tuned back into the conversation between the two men just as her father said, “This situation feels different, which is why I think we each need a bodyguard.”
“Unless I missed it, you still haven’t said why this feels different. You’ve received a few prank notes before and I’ve actually heard people threaten to kill you to your face, but nothing ever came of those situations.”
Her father remained silent as she and Mason looked on, waiting for him to say something that would enlighten them. Dakota hated seeing him so concerned. Though their relationship was rocky at best, she knew he had a good side. Her dad could be a nice, giving man when he wanted to be. Unfortunately, most people didn’t get to see that side of him. They were usually privy to the arrogant and entitled behavior he so often portrayed.
“Listen, Wes, I think it’s a good idea that you’re taking these seriously. Better to be prepared and safe. We can set you and Dakota up with bodyguards. I’ll just need some details. Like how many do you want? Do you need 24/7 service? If you want to move forward with this, I can have Egypt pull the paperwork together, and—”
“Wait. Dad, you still haven’t said why this time is different.”
“I don’t know, Dakota. It just feels different. I’ll admit over the years no one has ever followed through with their threats, but in those cases, I knew when I had pissed someone off. “With these,” he held up the papers, “I have no clue why I’m getting these threats.”
His voice grew louder with each word and his hands shook until he set the papers on the table. Dakota had sensed his concern during their phone call earlier and when she arrived outside. But there had been plenty of times when his overprotectiveness toward her was unwarranted.
“Also, I’ve never received handwritten threats. These showed up at my office, making me think it’s someone in the industry. Maybe a former client, or someone I fired, or someone who I didn’t sign. Hell, it could be anyone.”
“Have you considered hiring a private detective?” Mason asked.
Wesley nodded. “It’s crossed my mind and it’s something I’m seriously considering, but I’m a private man and would prefer not to have someone poking around in my business.”
Dakota and Mason shared a look and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was thinking.
He’s hiding something.
If Mason had the same thought, he kept it to himself.
“Listen, Dad. I can tell you’re worried, but I’m not convinced that I need a bodyguard. I haven’t had any issues with anyone that I can’t handle, and more importantly, I can take care of myself.”
Wesley shook his head. “Dakota, please don't start with that nonsense. Despite what you think, just because you risk your life every day in that perilous career, you’re not invincible."
“What do you do for a living?” Mason asked.
“She’s a stuntwoman,” Wesley supplied before she could respond.
Mason grinned. “Nice. Can’t say that I’ve ever met a stuntwoman before. I would imagine it’s pretty exciting work.”
Dakota smiled. “Never a dull moment.”
“Oh, please. Don’t encourage her. Every day she goes out and risks her life, and for what? Those measly pennies they pay you is nothing compared to what you could be making as an actress.”
“Dad, we’re not having this conversation. Despite what you might think, I’m grown, and I can make my own decisions. And I’ve decided that I don’t want someone tagging behind me all because of you being overprotective. I appreciate you looking out for me, but thanks and no thanks.”
“Dakota.”
She stood and turned to Mason. “Mason, thanks for your time. And since I’m sure my father won’t be apologizing for his rudeness earlier, please accept my apology on his behalf.”
“Knock it off, Dakota. I can apologize for myself, and though you might be grown, you’re still my baby. I would die if…” He stopped and cleared his throat and for the first time, Dakota heard real fear in his tone. “It would kill me if anything happened to you. I already lost your mother. I can’t lose you, too.”
That was the first time in a long time that he had mentioned her mother. Was he really afraid that he’d lose her too?
A stab of guilt punched Dakota in the gut. Lately, she’d been thinking about how it was just the two of them now. They really did need to figure out how to get along, especially since her grandmother, who was the buffer between them, had died months earlier.
Dakota had lost her own mother in a car accident when Dakota was five, and her grandmother, Wesley’s mother, had come to live with them.
Dakota glanced at Mason, wondering what his take was on her father and the threats.
After a long hesitation, she dropped back down in her seat.
“I want to know that you’re safe,” Wesley continued.
Maybe this was more serious than she first thought. If it wasn’t, this was the first time he had gone this far to hire an agency to protect them. Maybe she could bend a little.
“Okay. I’ll agree to a bodyguard.”
He released a shaky breath. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Wesley regained his composure, rubbing the back of his neck the way he’d been doing earlier.
“There is one condition,” Dakota said.
Wesley threw up his hands. “Of course there is. What’s the condition?” he grumbled, probably feeling the effects of having a daughter who was as stubborn as him.
Again, Dakota glanced at Mason who met her gaze. He’d been quiet for the last few minutes, listening without comment as her and her father hash out their differences.
“I want Hamilton. Or no deal.”
Wesley slammed his palm hard against the wood table. “Damn it, Dakota! I don’t have time for this nonsense.”
A slight grin lifted the left corner of Mason’s lips, but he remained quiet. Dakota had a feeling he had already known what she was going to say.
“No! I won’t have it. I don’t trust him, especially with you.”
Dakota studied her father. He was the most stubborn person she’d ever had to deal with, but his behavior was stranger than usual. This situation had him rattled. Or was it Hamilton that had him so flustered?
“Why not? You either tell me what you have against him, or I’m sticking to what I want.” She didn’t want a bodyguard, but if something really was going on that could cause her harm, she wanted to be prepared.
“Dee Dee, you’re the most important person in my life, and I will not allow a man like Hamilton Crosby to look after you. I don’t even want you talking to him. Better yet, I think we need to look for another agency.”
Dakota glanced at Mason to find him staring at her father. If Hamilton was so bad, why wouldn’t her father just tell them what the issue was?
Mason stood and buttoned his suit jacket before picking up the file he had walked in with. “I agree, Wesley. I think it best you seek protection from another company. Unfortunately, you won’t find one better than mine. As for Hamilton, I’m not sure what you have against him, or how your paths have crossed, but I can assure you, he’s the best at what he does.”
“I beg to differ!” Wesley snapped.
Mason shrugged. “That’s your right, but if you’re really concerned about your daughter, I’d think you’d want the best.” He turned his attention to Dakota and handed her a business card. “If at any time you decide you need a security specialist, give us a call.”
He opened the conference room door. “My assistant will see you both out. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Within seconds, Egypt appeared.
“I’ll be happy to show you out,” she said.
Wesley stormed out without a backward glance. His attitude only made Dakota more curious about the threats, and his behavior toward Hamilton had her puzzled.
“Egypt, I’m so sorry for all of this. I don’t know what’s gotten into my father.”
“No need to apologize. I’m sorry to hear how the meeting turned out, but Mason made it clear that if you need our services, feel free to give us a call.”
“What can you tell me about Hamilton?”
Egypt smiled, but was slow to speak, and looked at Dakota as if deciding on whether she was worthy of a man like Hamilton. “He’s a sweetheart. Kind, loyal, and protective of his family and friends. He’s super nice…until he’s not. Screw him over and you’ll regret the day you ever met him. He has a very low tolerance for bullshit.”
Dakota nodded. “I see.”
She silently walked with Egypt to the set of elevators. Twisting her lower lip between her teeth, Dakota debated on voicing her next request. “Um…is it possible for me to speak to him before I leave?”
Egypt gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, but he’s unavailable.” She glanced over her shoulder and moved in closer. “But I’ll let him know you want him to call you.”
Dakota smiled, feeling as if she had an ally when it came to Hamilton. “Thank you. That would be great.”
She didn’t know what happened between him and her father, but she had every intention of finding out. She also planned to cash in on that dinner he almost promised.