Mastered(74)
Evangeline panicked, avoiding Drake’s gaze, because she wasn’t going to be presumptuous. Not when he, as he’d bluntly told her, called all the shots.
“Soon,” Evangeline said vaguely. “But there’s more. He didn’t like me working at the pub.”
Before she could continue, her father interrupted.
“Good. Sounds like a man with a good head on his shoulders and like someone who’ll look after my little girl. I’m glad he talked some sense into your head.”
Drake chuckled, covering the sound with his hand while Evangeline glared at him.
“When he insisted on knowing why I worked such long and late hours there, I told him that I was working to help my family.”
Her mother emitted a sound of distress and Evangeline closed her eyes, knowing how important her pride was to her. Something she and Evangeline’s father had passed on to her.
“He wants to help,” Evangeline continued, trying to cover the awkward moment. “He’s adamant that I no longer work there, and so he’s going to wire money into your account tomorrow. I wanted to call to let you know so you didn’t think it was a mistake or draw the wrong conclusion.”
Her mother gasped in surprise but recovered quickly. “Just how well do you know this man, Evangeline? Does he treat you well? You can always come home. You know that. We’ll get by. We always have.”
It was then that Drake surprised her and picked up the phone, turning off the speaker as he put the phone to his ear. Before she could demand he give the phone back to her, he began speaking to her mother.
“Mrs. Hawthorn, my name is Drake Donovan and I care a great deal for your daughter, and where she was working is a dangerous place.”
Evangeline launched a protest only to be immediately silenced by a firm squeeze from the arm surrounding her body.
“Not only that, the apartment building she lived in is not in a good neighborhood and is not well maintained. She lived on the seventh floor and the elevators haven’t worked in at least a year. Her locks were so flimsy a child could break in. I was not going to idly stand by and allow her to continue endangering herself when I am in a position to help in any way I can, and I intend to do just that. My first priority is Evangeline, and as you are her first priority, then you are important to me as well because I want her to be happy, but most of all I want her to be safe. She was working herself to the bone, exposed to men who would think nothing of hurting her, and that I will not allow under any circumstances. I understand your concerns. I share them. But rest assured, Evangeline will be perfectly safe under my protection and care, and I think we can all agree that if you are provided for financially, that will be one less burden she has to bear.”#p#分页标题#e#
There was a prolonged silence on Drake’s end as he intently listened to whatever her parents were saying, and she was squirming with frustration and impatience at being left out of a very important conversation concerning her! The longer she sat there, trapped by Drake’s hold, the angrier she grew until she was seething with it.
“She will be under my constant protection, and she will be residing with me from now on. She will be safe at all times and her happiness is of utmost importance to me, something I think the three of us share. I would not be much of a man if I did not do everything possible to alleviate Evangeline’s worry and stress, and part of that is ensuring that the people she loves most are provided for. In the past, she took on that task single-handedly. That’s going to change starting now. Now she has me. I will gladly provide you with all my contact numbers as well as the phone number of our residence, and you should have Evangeline’s new number now that she has called you. You are welcome to call at any time; however, if you should have any concerns and especially if you have need of anything, I would prefer you go through me, just so Evangeline is caused no unnecessary worry.”
Evangeline gave Drake a stricken look. Was he cutting off her communication with her parents? Was he restricting her access to them?
He hugged her to him and brushed a kiss across her brow as he listened to her parents’ response.
“Good,” he finally responded. “It would appear we are all in agreement in this matter.”
Evangeline felt the burn of helpless tears. Everyone but me. But the words remained unspoken, only echoing in her mind.
“Yes, sir, I completely understand, and in your position I would feel exactly the same, and I make you a promise. Evangeline will always be safe with me, and I’ll move heaven and earth to make her happy and not regret her decision to give me her trust.”