Gripp drove away, feeling certain about his decision. He knew he was doing the right thing, no matter how much it hurt.
TWENTY-SEVEN
APRIL
The morning after her lunch date with Gripp, April woke very early. Even though she was safe and warm in her own bed, something of her adventure remained in her. She looked around the room as if assessing the place for threats.
In her first few waking moments, April almost forgot where she was. She could hear the buzzing of insects very close by, and the gentle sigh of the water was so real she could almost taste the spray.
And the mud. Come on, don’t forget what it was really like.
She hadn’t forgotten the mud, the pain, or the terror. The exhaustion and the constant danger had stripped her nerves bare until she felt she couldn’t take another step.
I don’t miss any of that!
So why am I still looking around the room as if something is missing?
April missed Gripp. As difficult as it had been out there in the jungle, waking up with him had been wonderful. She’d never felt so safe or so free.
She continued to look around the room for a few minutes as if her gaze could force Gripp to appear if she looked hard enough. Eventually, April sighed, swinging her feet out of bed and onto the floor. She couldn’t delay this moment any longer.
She’d been summoned to her father’s office first thing this morning. After she’d arrived back with the military ship, he’d welcomed her briefly before moving on to official business. April hadn’t been surprised by his lack of emotion at the time.
Now that he wanted her to come into the office, he’d have more to say to her, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Even so, she dressed quickly and headed out because being late would only make things worse.
Even at a very early hour, the office building was busy. April made her way straight to her father’s office, and she was dismayed to see that he was waiting for her.
If he puts aside other business, then he wants to have a long talk. This can’t get any worse.
“April,” he said, his voice a sharp, loud sound. April jumped just a little but tried to stand at attention in front of his desk and take what was coming to her.
“Hi, Dad.”
“I hope you understand the difficult situation you put me in,” he said, his voice firm. He was angry but also well controlled. That meant he’d thought about what he wanted to say, and he was going to give her a real serve.
“Yes, sir,” she answered, not sure of what the difficult situation was but sure it was her fault.
“By getting kidnapped like that, you created quite a ruckus. It’s been an incredible hassle for me. Do you understand?”
April nodded, feeling a small splinter of anger cracking through her quiet, obedient shell.
Hassle? For him?
She was still healing from all the beatings and injuries she’d sustained and recovering from exhaustion and malnutrition. She’d been shot at, threatened, and almost died in an underground river, and her father was berating her for creating aruckus?
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, young lady,” he said firmly. “I want you to take a seat.”
Her father gestured to a chair, and April sat. She was trying to keep her face impassive and maintain her calm, but that tiny splinter of anger had worked its way under her skin, and it wasn’t going away.
“Now that you’ve finally come to your senses, I’d like you to look at this position,” he said, pushing a folder of notes to her. “I’ve also emailed everything you’ll need for your new job.”
“New job?” she echoed.
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “I’m authorized to offer you an ambassadorship. It’s only for a very small country, but they are important. I’m sure you can’t wait to get started.”
April watched her father with complete disbelief. He kept talking, encouraging her to open the folder of notes and go through her email so he could set her up. Not only did she detect a note of triumph in his tone that she would finally have complete control over her, but she could also sense him grooming her to be a pawn in her new position, as well.
The little splinter of anger grew bigger. It dug deeper into the thick skin of passivity she’d grown over her entire being after years of dealing with this selfish man. His voice seemed offensive to her, the way it went on and on, cajoling her and ridiculing her with tone if not words.