Page 216 of The Reluctant Hero

“You aimed a gun at Amanda. Andyou, Jin,” Mikael turns on my Father with a heavy frown. “You prompted it. An innocent woman under our protection. For what?”

“She’s no better than his mother,” Father snaps, flinging a hand at me. “All it would take is some money, and she’ll be gone.”

He’s a liar. My Mother could have packed me up and left at any point. She had her own money. It was love that kept her true, no matter the mistresses. I witnessed a lot of tears that became clearer the more I grew. She would never have left him.

“She’s no better thanus,” Ace assures him with a snarl. “She wants blood and pain, not money. And she’s going to get it.”

“Do you honestly think you’re going to manipulate her? She’s already seen through all of us in a single glance. You won’t be spared that. Believe me when I say it’s the most raw and humbling experience,” I huff a laugh. I’d give anything to have that back.

“Then bring her back in here,” Father gives me a sneer. “Let’s see where she stands after my offer?”

Ace starts chuckling. Mikael breaks into laughter after a second of it. My lips twitch into a grin. If someone tries to force her back in here, she’s going to beat him to death with Jakob. Jake would be a cheerleader for her at any time. She stared down the barrel of a gun as if it was pathetic instead of terrifying.

“She’s already seen you,” my eyes narrow as I take him in. “And you know it.”

His expression turns uneasy at the assurance.

Oh yeah. He knows.

“She ain’t gonna fall for your games,” Ace settles down.

“Yet I’m supposed to believe she has nothing to do with what’s happening here?” Father rallies quickly. “If she’s so impervious to manipulation, she would have seen this all along. Can’t you understand that?”

My gut clenches. I know why she didn’t, but I don’t want to tell him. I want to wipe any evidence that Justin Blake existed off the face of the Earth.

“Love makes people do stupid shit,” Cade says blandly, his eyes on me more than anyone else.

The two guards startle and spin in his direction, weapons drawn. He takes the guns away easily with a scowl. Well-trained versus fresh recruit.

“You would know, Jin,” Mikael adds roughly. “You turned Shade’s mother away in the hopes it would keep her safe. Didn’t you?”

Father’s face pales. The extent of his inadequacies with women is unparalleled. I’m doing my best not to follow in his footsteps. And failing.

“I won’t be doing that,” I tell him gruffly. “Amanda stays until she chooses to leave. No more, no less.”

Ace glares at me for it. Cade raises a brow as if he’s reminding me I’ll have to go through Jake to give her freedom. He doesn’t realize it’s a lie. I don’t think I could push her away again, even if she begged.

“With all of you?” Father looks around at the men with me and smirks. “Are you going to be like Andi now?”

I’ve had several relationships just like Andi’s with Mikael and Ace. I’m a little surprised he doesn’t know that. Not anything as serious as we feel for Amanda. But I’m familiar.

“We’ll make our own way, don’t worry,” I mock him. “Since you’re obviously incapable of assisting my current situation, there’s the door.”

“Don’t come crying to me when she takes everything from you.” His baleful stare is accompanied by a sneer.

“I wouldn’t come to you for anything. You have nothing I want.”

When I say it, he’s in the middle of standing. When he straightens, his surprised look is genuine.

“You don’t mean that. You’ve been around Evan too long.”

“I mean it. And I’d prefer it if you left my brother out of any further discussions we may have. I think you’ve let him down enough, don’t you?”

“You should be pleased with what a tight-knit unit your children are,” Cade says with a grin. “They’re all in this together. Without a single helping hand from you.”

I stand and turn to Mikael. “Please make sure they leave. And then get some sleep, all of you.”

“Yes, sir,” comes back to me in a trio of voices.

---