Daddy's Girl: Cape High Book Five Read Online Free Page A

won't," Trent says.  "But we can still see what happens!"  He gets to his feet, only to stop as America's Son looks at him.
    "Fifteen minutes into it and she'll be seriously hurt," America's Son says.  "If what I've been told is correct?" he asks me.
    "I can totally beat him in fifteen minutes!" I declare rashly.  I mean, I've still got the couch held over my head, it weighs nothing!  I'm a walking tank--
    "No you couldn't," all three males say.
    "I could!"
    Jack snorts.  He actually SNORTS.  Like I'm asking for something ridiculous-- "You really think it'd make Aubrey happy if I accidentally hurt you?  Now any of the others, sure, but she'd dump me for sure if it's you.  Besides, don't you need to talk with... Dad?" he asks.  He seems to trip over the word "dad" as if he's unfamiliar with it.
    I put the couch down so I can glare at Jack for a moment.  "I don't need to be first--"
    "I would rather you were," America's Son says.  It's pretty obvious by now that that's who the blonde guy is, regardless of his shirt choice.  "If there's a room we can go to?" he asks Banshee.
    "I've got an office at the end of that hall," Banshee says.  "Feel free to use that."
    "Thanks, Banshee," he says.  "Jeanie, honey, I'm going to get started."
    "Okay!  I'll spend some time with the kids, then!  Does anyone want chocolate?"
    I look at the kids, nodding at them as they look to me.  It's not like Star Spangled is going to poison them.  I practically jump, though, when America's Son drops a hand on my shoulder.  "It's this way, right?" he asks, starting forward.  I have no choice but to walk with him, even though I should have his invincibility right now.  He doesn't seem to feel vulnerable or worried at all by that fact.
    Who is this guy?  No, really, he's a full grown super that's practically invulnerable, a walking tank, and he's been deprived of everything that makes him that way--but he hasn't even winced away from touching me again.  We head into the office and he looks at the chairs before heading behind the desk.  He doesn't sit down behind the desk, though, he just pulls Banshee's desk chair around the desk and turns the other chair so they're facing each other.  Then he drops down in the chair that had been meant for me.
    "Shouldn't you take the desk chair?" I ask.
    "Think so?" he says curiously.  "I thought you'd want to do the questioning this time."
    "What?"
    "You're going to be trusting me with your entire team," he says.  "I'd think you'd want a very good idea of who and what I am before that happens.  We all know that even if Banshee and Blackjack live here, you're the one that's really in control, right?"
    I hesitate for a moment before walking over to the desk chair and sitting down.  My feet barely touch the floor, because Banshee is taller than I am, and I feel somewhat dwarfed by both the chair and the large man sitting in front of me, but... I'm in charge of this conversation.  It's a heady thought.
    "I'm not... exactly in control," I start out hesitantly.  "It's just I'm one of the oldest, and... they choose to listen to me, I guess."
    "You're a natural born leader, according to Banshee," he says.  "The kids really respect you, and I don't think it's just for your powers, is it?"
    "I... I try," I say.  "I mean, a lot of the time I bluff my way through things.  And it's getting harder.  Like, before we decided to bring you in we had a fight start--Justin and Ward--I... well, I had to bluff to make them stop, pretty much."
    "That isn't how Banshee described it.  She said you came up with an effective way to keep them from using their powers on one another, without hurting anyone."  He grins slightly.  "Have you met Mastermental?" he asks.  He's changing the subject?
    "Um, for a bit."
    "He's not very big at all.  If it was a physical competition I could possibly beat him," he says.  "But he's, without a doubt, the perfect leader for the Hall at this point.  He's intelligent, a great