Page 264 of The Reluctant Hero

My shoulders sag as doom softly presses on me.

Jake and Cade see me pause and come back to take my hand on either side, interlacing our fingers. We’re suddenly a unit instead of a woman facing dread alone.

I should have grabbed Jakob.

I can’t turn back as they eagerly drag me to breakfast.

They’re so damn happy, and I can’t muster up a smile for them.

The three men at the table see us, and I can practically feel their eyes zero in on all the hickeys on Cade’s neck. Not to mention the bright grin he has on his face. I’ve never seen him smile so genuinely before.

Mikael and Ace sit upright and give each other smug looks.

Gabriel looks down at his plate. His knuckles turn white on his utensils.

We all sit down, four men chatting easily while Gabriel and I remain silent.

Cade confesses that he told me everything, which pisses Gabriel off. He doesn’t say anything about it, but the frigid glare he gives Cade speaks volumes. The others grumble a bit but accept it.

I can’t look at Gabriel while I try to eat. I keep my eyes on my plate and my mouth stubbornly shut.

They discuss things like his safety and how they’re going to ensure he’s ok. There’s the usual banter between Cade and Jake to keep things light. Ace is positive that nothing is going to happen to Gabriel. Mikael is getting everything lined up to make sure things stay public.

All this planning and I have the gut feeling it’s going to fall to shit. Hopefully, they can adapt accordingly.

This feels like a bad day all around. It started raining at some point last night. Good for sleeping but not so good for staring out the window and seeing hope on the horizon. If thatwasn’t enough to make me gloomy, my warning system has a continuous light buzz going on. It’s vague enough it could be paranoia or stress. I’m not brushing it off, though. Something is going to happen today. I’m sure of it.

But to who?

“Call it off.”

I blink, realizing I’ve just spoken out loud instead of keeping to myself. My tone was dark and full of doom, too. I’m blaming the rain.

“We’re gonna be fine, darlin’,” Ace leans back with a concerned frown.

My eyes meet his as my lips flatten. “Call it off.”

“We have a lot of experience with this, babe,” Cade tries to reassure me. He reaches for my hand on the table and squeezes. When he feels how clammy it is, his brows furrow.

“I get that,” I snap in frustration. “Something is wrong today, and I think we should stick together.”

“You can’t come with us to the meeting,” Gabriel says in a cold and final tone.

I spare him a no-shit look with an eye roll included.

“What has your paranoia up?” Jake asks me calmly, taking my other hand.

“It isn’tparanoia. It’s my warning system. It’s been nagging me all morning. I trust it, and I’m telling you to call it off.”

Ace glances at Mikael with a frown.

“Every time I’ve ignored this feeling, it’s gone bad,” I’m focusing on Gabriel intently now. “The letters. The stairs. The damn golf course. Your office. Whatever is going to happen isn’t close yet. We can change it.”

“Are you psychic, babe?” Cade teases with a chuckle.

I slowly turn to him with a dark glare that makes the laughter stop.

“This could be a good thing,” Mikael frowns thoughtfully.

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