Page 109 of The Reluctant Siren
“Without the lawyer we so generously provided you with,”Chase pointed out. “Did you think Lucas left his home for funsies?”
“Well, I kind of thought he left so he could fuck with hisson.” Niall wasn’t going to let them run all over Jensen. They didn’t haveclean hands in this either. Especially Chase. “You’re the one who pushed herboundaries time and time again. I need you to understand that if I’m her man,I’m going to have a problem with that, Mr. Dawson.”
Chase’s eyes narrowed. “Then it’s a good thing you’re nother man since you’re here with him and not her.”
“Chase,” Ben began.
The man was intimidating, but Niall’d had a day. He got intohis potential future father-in-law’s space. “I do not intend to let her go. Iowe Jensen, and I know that hurts her right now, but she’s a logical, kindwoman and she needed some space. She’s not going to have it for long because Iintend to convince her to marry me, and when I do, I’m going to trust her. I’mgoing to support her. And I’m going to call her father out when he fails to dothe same.”
Chase’s face fell. “Damn it. Fine. Ben, I owe you twenty.”
Ben snorted as he sank down to the seat Niall had vacated.“I told you he wasn’t going to play dead.”
“Well, he’s been quiet up to this point,” Chase shot back.
He wasn’t going to be quiet forever. He liked to lay backand wait to see if he was needed rather than inserting himself into everysituation, but it was clear Chase needed more. “I love your daughter, and ifshe’ll have me it won’t matter that you don’t like me. What will matter is herhappiness, and she can’t have that if you’re constantly fighting her. She lovesyou. She also worries you think she’s an incompetent moron rather than thebrave warrior princess she is.”
“And now I like him.” Chase sighed again, a long-sufferingsound. “All right. My brother here seems to think our daughter can’t be happywithout at least one of you.”
“Both,” Ben corrected. “You know I said both.”
“We can’t pick one?” Chase asked.
Ben stared at him.
Chase’s shoulders came down, and he seemed to give in.“Fine. But it’s obvious to me they’re going about this all wrong. And killingthat asshole isn’t going to bother Harlow. She’s had to save more than oneyoung woman from his criminal organization. Trust me. She’ll sleep like a babywhen it comes to that.”
“But she’s going to be upset that she’s not with the men sheloves.” Ben sounded like he’d been thinking about the situation. “She’s angrywith Jensen for leaving her again.”
“I thought I was protecting her,” Jensen said.
“You should still do that. I can offer you a ticket toEurope since the whole witness protection thing isn’t going to work out foryou,” Chase offered.
Jensen’s gaze focused, and he flushed slightly. “I wastrying to keep her safe. I might have done it in a stupid way, but I love her.I love her so much I chose her over my revenge. I know that sounds dumb, and Iwish I had made different choices, but I’m here now. I know you won’t believeme but I made the decision to call her after I turned over what Jack needed. Iwas going to ask Niall and Harlow to come to Dallas and be with me when thefeds interviewed me. I was going to beg forgiveness. You were right. I didn’tthink I was worthy of her. Hell, I don’t think I deserve the support andfriendship Niall has given me, but I want to try. I want to change and be goodfor them.”
Chase sobered. “Changing for someone else… It’s a startingplace.”
Ben nodded. “A good intention, but it won’t work until youdecide to change for you. Another person can make you want to change, but inthe end you have to love yourself enough to do it for you.”
Chase stood at the foot of Jensen’s bed and stared him down.“So this is how it’s going to go. Your car is outside. When we spring you fromthis place, you’re going to The Club. There’s a hotel there, and you have aroom for however long you need it. You’re going to work as a dungeon monitorbut only after you pass all of our tests. I’m going to warn you. I will bestrict. It’s part time, so I suggest you find another job, too.”
“I’ll ask some friends around town,” Niall promised.Something was happening, and he was starting to think it was good. “I might beable to get him a job at a gym.”
“He can work at yours,” Ben suggested.
“I don’t want to make Harlow uncomfortable,” Niall replied.
Chase seemed to think about that for a moment. “What are youwilling to risk to give her what she needs?”
An easy question to answer. “Anything.”
“Then it’s time to top her,” Ben explained. “She doesn’thave to accept Jensen right away, but keeping him in your life is important.Seeing him and understanding that he’s not leaving this time will go a long wayto fixing the situation.”
“You’re going to help us?” Jensen asked.
That was wrong. “They want to help her, and our gorgeousprincess is stubborn. She’s capable of burning her own house down when she getsmad, but what she needs is to meet the brick wall. My brick wall. The one thatdoesn’t move or shake when she’s upset or loses her cool. The one that won’tcrumble or fall. I’m not letting her spend a single night without me.”
Ben gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s how to roll, Niall. If youlet her sleep on it, she’ll tell you she wants a break and she’ll overthinkthings and let her fear and pride keep you apart. Jensen is a different story.She does need a break from you. She needs you to show her you can change, thatyour priorities are different this time, and that means loving her from afarfor a while. You want her happy?”
