Page 82 of Timeless

He thought I’d give up my family up without a fight?

Amber ripped her arm from his grasp, just as I was about to pull her back from him.

“I told you, Tae. Every time you ask me to marry me. I told you. Every time you asked me to pick. I told you.” Amber’s voice was calm but I knew that calm.

“Yeah, Jack comes first! And I know how serious you are about that now, picking me over Johnston.” Tae reached out for her. And she stepped back into me. “Amber, what are you doing?”

I couldn’t predict Amber’s actions right now.

“Jack’s father is Jackson. I’ve told you that over and over! But you never fucking listened!” Amber shoved him back. “You want me to pick? You really want me to pick Jack’s father over you! I told you when Jack was born, Jax was Jack’s dad. You want me to pick. Fine! I pick Jackson! There, you happy now?”

“You didn’t say that.” Tae’s mouth dropped open. “You pick him over me?”

The boys had walked over to us. And I think they had picked up on the conversation.

“After everything we have been through? You are going to pick him?” Tae took a step closer to her. “He hasn’t even met Jack!”

Amber ran her hand through her hair. “You wanted me to pick. I picked.” She lifted her head. “So there, Tae, you got your answer. Now you can do what you have always wanted to. What you’ve always threatened. Lift the protection. See if I give a fuck.”

“You have made a lot of enemies, Amber. You sure that is the right move?”

Wait a sec, was Tae blackmailing Amber?

“Are you threatening our sister?” Cole heard what I heard. Cole’s eyes flashed to Amber. “What did he mean about the protection?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Amber shrugged, not wanting to explain her and Tae’s agreement. “Guys, I want to go home.” Amber glanced back at me. “Can you drive?”

I didn’t move. Still wasn’t sure what was happening. Had she just picked me over Tae?

Amber kept staring at me and sighed when I didn’t move “Or I’ll just drive.” Amber shook her head and walked past her brothers.

“Amber, come back here,” Tae yelled after her.

Amber spun around. “Tae, I’ve had a fucking long night. I got told that my son is second class. I then broke up with my partner because I realized what he thought of my son. I was nearly executed. I nearly killed myself. I had a fight with Jackson. Because I listened to you about the two options. And then you wanted me to pick. I picked. Now all I want is to go home.”

Tae’s eyes went off Amber onto me. “Well, Johnston. She is all yours now.” Bitterness coated his every word and with that said, he walked around the car. “You know, Amber, I also picked you as being smart. You were smart when you took my offer in England all those years ago. But right now, you picked the wrong man to be in your life.”

“You wanted me to pick who Jack’s father will be. I’ve told you when Jack was born, Tae. Jackson will always be Jack’s father. My brothers will always be his uncles. And you would have always been his godfather.” Amber crossed her arms. “But you made me pick. I picked.” Amber walked to her brothers. “You always told me Jack’s life would be better off without my brothers and Jackson. And I believed you.”

“Wait a sec, this fucker encouraged you to keep us out of your life!” Troy pointed a finger at Tae. “All this time, it wasn’t just you keeping us out of your life? He told you keep us out?”

“Yeah, Shield, I did.” Tae crossed his arms, not denying it. Which I think was a fucking mistake on his behalf. The boys were emotional wrecks right now. “Amber and Jack were under my protection. Amber had to follow one rule and that was keep all of you out. Hell, she didn’t take much convincing. She fought me over the years.” Tae glanced at me. “Don’t know how many times I had stop her from taking Jack to you.” He looked back at Amber. “Hunter will care for Jack for another hour. After that, my protection and care for him is gone. As for you, my protection stops now.”

Tae was still looking at Amber. Like he was hoping she would stop him.

Troy put his arm around Amber and she curled into his side, not saying a word to Tae. She wasn’t going to stop him. She was letting him walk. She wasn’t panicking about his protection disappearing. Was that because she knew I would protect her?

I slowly started to walk toward her.

“Oh, Tae.” Amber stopped him just as he was about to get in the car. “Forty-five degrees with…” Amber put her hand out, as if she was feeling for something. “Two-point-five variation.” She stepped out of Troy’s arm. “Let’s face it. I am your biggest fear. You never wanted me to work for the competition. I’m going to do the respectful thing and let our disagreement be that. And I won’t go out of my way, because I know all your weaknesses. Like Church Street.”

I could see from here Tae was gripping the door tightly.

Amber never backed down when there was a threat. Maybe she had let Tae look after her for all these years. But everyone knew Amber could look after herself. Always has been able to.

“We part on good terms then?” Tae’s voice changed, emotion gone. He was in business mode. Amber had just made him realize something. She wasn’t just a nobody that you pissed off and threatened and got away with it. Amber would, with pleasure, rise to any threat.

“Keep Jack safe until Jackson’s men get to him. And I’ll consider us parting as friends.”

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