In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2)

It took three attempts before she managed to punch the right button to bring up her father’s contact and connect the call.

“Ari,” her father greeted in an affectionate tone. “How was your last day of school?”

“D-d-dad,” she stammered. “I’m in trouble.”

Her father’s tone immediately changed. She could feel the tension vibrating through the phone as if she were standing right in front of him. She could well imagine how swiftly he’d shifted gears from thinking this was a casual call to knowing his daughter was in danger.

“Tell me,” he clipped out. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? Where are you?”

She took a breath and related the events in as concise a manner as she could, knowing that time was of the essence. And then a horrible thought occurred to her because Derek still lay unconscious on the ground in front of her. Had she killed him?

Holding the phone to her ear with one hand, she bent down, nearly moaning with the effort it took, and pressed her fingers into his neck to feel for a pulse. Relief coursed through her veins when she felt a strong, steady pulse against her fingertips.

“Get in your car. Lock the doors. I’ll be there in five minutes,” her father said tersely. “If anyone and I mean anyone approaches you or you feel threatened in any manner, you get the hell out of there.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “But Dad, what about Derek? Should I call an ambulance? I can’t just leave him here. Even if it was self-defense, I can’t leave him to die.”

Her father’s voice was implacable, steel laced in his words. “Do as I said. I’ll be there in five minutes and I’ll take care of everything.”

The call ended and Ari swiveled in all directions, looking to see if anyone was watching or had witnessed what had happened. Mercifully for her, Derek and his friends had hidden behind the stone enclosure that connected the parking lot to the fence surrounding the school grounds. Derek lay out of sight to anyone walking by on the sidewalk, but Ari herself was in plain view.

Her father was right. She needed to get into her car before someone saw her standing there bleeding and came closer to investigate.

Even though he’d tried to kill her, regret for what she’d done lay heavy on her. It went against every personal moral code to just leave him there. What if he’d suffered a serious head injury? What if he died because he wasn’t promptly taken to a hospital? No matter the kind of person he was, he didn’t deserve to die in the parking lot, alone and abandoned by his friends.

Confident in her father’s ability to take care of the matter as he’d said he would, she shakily dialed 911 and then, in a low voice, she identified herself as a teacher at Grover Academy and reported a student lying unconscious in the teachers’ parking lot.

Exactly four minutes later, her father’s Escalade roared into the parking lot and came to an abrupt halt beside Ari’s car. He was out and striding around to the driver’s seat of her vehicle before she could even open her door.

When she stepped out and couldn’t control the wince when her ribs protested, her father’s face became stormy, his eyes like stone, his jaw clenched and ticking with agitation.

“I called 911,” she said in a low voice, knowing her father wouldn’t be pleased that she hadn’t heeded his instructions. “I couldn’t just leave him there.”

“The little bastard is fortunate he’s still out,” her father said coldly. “I’d kill him for what he did to you.” Then he put a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. “Are you all right? Are you in pain?”

“I hurt,” she admitted. “I’m scraped up, but the kick to the ribs is what’s bothering me the most.”

Her father’s gaze became glacial, but he bit back whatever response was burning on his lips.

“Get in your car and follow me. If you called 911, an ambulance will be here soon and probably the police as well. I want you as far away as possible when that happens.”

“Dad, the school has security cameras,” she said, her voice trembling.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’m already on it, honey. Now get in your car. We need to leave now.”

She breathed out in relief. Her father would handle it. He would protect her just as he’d always protected her. She turned and hurriedly slid back into the driver’s seat, ignoring her body’s protest. They likely only had minutes until medical personnel and the authorities converged on the parking lot.

There would be questions. She’d made the call to 911 and then left the scene. Most people would have remained, rendering aid or at least ensuring the safety of the victim until medical help arrived. And she’d have to answer for why she hadn’t done just that.

But she had absolute faith in her father. He’d never failed her.