She blew out a breath before lifting her chin high enough that she met his gaze. “Yes. Bastien is a family friend. Sort of an honorary uncle, I guess.”
“Uh-huh.” Despite everything, he felt a quick flash of irritation for Nick Coretti. Yet how could he blame the man for trying to save his daughter? Rico or any of the Kings would have done the same for one of their family. Though it burned that the older man had almost put one over on him. Would have, if Teresa hadn’t chosen to stay.
“So your father arranged this escape.”
“He’s worried about me,” Teresa told him with a heavy sigh of frustration mingled with exasperation. “He can’t find Gianni or the dagger.”
“Are you certain that it is you he’s worried about?” he asked. “Or is he more concerned with the idea that he and his sons are going to prison?”
She flushed and a spark of anger lit her eyes briefly. “Of course he’s thinking about that, too. But sending Bastien was about me.”
Scowling, Rico said, “Maybe. But it was a foolish thing to do.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket, handed it to her and said, “Call him.”
She took a deep breath and held it. Then she punched in her father’s number and listened to it ring. “Papa?” She flicked a glance at Rico. “Yes, Bastien was here. I wouldn’t go with him.”
Rico heard the older man’s shout and almost smiled. He, too, hated it when a plan fell apart. As his own plan concerning Teresa had, he thought grimly. But he’d consider that and the ramifications later. For now…
“Let me talk to him.” He held out one hand and waited until Teresa slapped the phone onto his palm. Dominick was still shouting at his daughter when Rico interrupted him.
“Do not try something like that again,” he warned, holding Teresa’s gaze while he listened to Nick Coretti sputter.
“She is my daughter. I want her safe,” Nick said finally.
“I understand that,” Rico told him, and he meant it. He would do whatever he had to do to keep a member of his family safe. But that didn’t mean he was going to let Nick off the hook. “Teresa is safe with me. But if you try to get her off the island again, I’ll make sure you and your sons are locked up forever.”
The man on the other end of the line was quiet for a long moment, then said, “Agreed.”
“Good.” Rico looked into Teresa’s eyes and added for both her and her father’s benefit, “I am a man of my word. At the end of the month, once I have my dagger, I’ll hand over the evidence I hold.”
“And,” Nick said firmly, “you will release my daughter.”
He should. It was part of the deal he’d made. Not to mention the fact that he had spent the last five years working to get his errant wife out of his mind and heart. But now, looking at Teresa, Rico knew that he couldn’t let her go.
Yes, he’d given his word. But he couldn’t, wouldn’t let Teresa leave him and disappear again. She was a part of him. A part of his life here on the island and without her…no.
It was unthinkable. But he couldn’t very well say that to her father. So instead he said only, “We made a deal. I will stick to it—as you should.”