Page 217 of The Reluctant Hero

“Stand down, Mikael,” Father barks.

I glance back as Mikael advances on him without pause.

“Imagine how loyal people would be if you stopped treating them like pawns,” I shake my head and make my way upstairs. I want to check on Amanda, but the likelihood of Jake shooting me is almost one hundred percent.

Instead, I trudge back to my cold bed and lie awake, wondering what it would be like to have her in it with me.

46

Headspin

Amanda

A weight is holding me down.

It’s heavy but not uncomfortable.

Faint puffs of warm air hit my hair from behind. A hard body cradles mine.

I’m languid with warmth. The male presence behind me has a trickle of desire running through me. The last time I was asleep with a man…

My eyes open in confusion and widen with surprise.

An arm is tucked under mine so a hand can rest on the mattress by my chest. That hand is holding onto a gun that’s familiar and very close to my face. Uncomfortably close. It isn’t pointed at me, which is its own blessing. But I can count the ridges along the barrel way too clearly to be comfortable.

It strikes me that this is Jake cuddling me. He’s holding the gun as if it’s a security blanket. Not that I can say anything. I’m doing the same thing with the baton. It’s pressed into my chest as if I was afraid someone was going to take it away in my sleep. Jake’s grip looks casual in comparison.

He’s not awake yet, I don’t think. His breathing is steady against the back of my head. He’s pressed against me so hard that my body is tilted to bear some of his weight. Someone is a cuddler, and I’m here for it. Maybe a little snuggle will soothe my anger to a more passable level.

Except he’s a pillow hog. I’m barely holding on to my spot, and I’ve got a crick in my neck. How long has he been sleeping like this? I wonder how numb his arm is from bracing my headup. The thought makes me smirk. I get a sore neck and he gets a numb arm. I call this petty vengeance good.

I stay where I am, pretending that I’m worried about waking him when he’s had so little sleep. In reality, I’m soaking it up for as long as I can. I can go back to being a badass when he wakes up.

It’s still dark outside. Why aren’t the metal shudders up again? They were active when I went to bed. Strangely, I don’t have a sense of alarm about it so I let it go.

I wonder what time it is? How much sleep have I gotten? Not enough, I bet. My body is in lazy mode, but my brain’s wheels are spinning without mercy. For a second, I think about going downstairs and wearing myself out in the gym. It’s a pipedream. There might be Matthias stooges out there still.

That’s what I’m telling myself, but I just don’t want to get up. I’m comfy, and bullshit can stay outside those doors.

“I can see the steam rising from your ear.”

I startle at Jake’s soft voice. He doesn’t sound asleep at all. Or even groggy.

“Why are the shutters gone?” I ask in a dull, lifeless tone. I clear my throat, hoping it will help me sound more badass.

“It’s past five. Everyone is awake and getting ready for another wonderful day.”

Yay. Look what I’m not doing.

“Did you have an energy drink before bed? Tell me your secret.” He’s seriously starting to piss me off. Did he even sleep? Is he running on fumes? I need proof he’s not superhuman.

He chuckles softly. The arm beneath my head shifts until his hand comes around to cup my shoulder. It has a cocoon effect that’s pretty pleasant.

“How long are your arms,” I wonder out loud. Is he part octopus? He and Ace have a lot in common.

“Longer than your little frame,” he assures me.

I scoff. “Little.”

---