Page 80 of The Reluctant Siren
Her dad nodded like she’d made his point. “I did know he hasno real relationship with his family. He’s looking for a woman to take care ofhim.”
“No.” Niall stared her father’s way. “You’re wrong. I’m notlooking for Harlow to take care of me. I want to take care of her. Me giving toher, ensuring she has what she wants and needs and that she has a safe space isimportant to me. I know I don’t come from money, but everything I have ishers.”
“Well, that’s easy to say when you don’t have anything,” herdad said, completely forgetting what he’d talked about.
“Uhm, apparently I have a million dollars,” Jensen pointedout. “Do I get to keep that?”
Jack looked like he was getting a headache. “No, Jensen. Youdon’t get to keep the obviously criminally attained blood money. Unless youwould like to admit to what you did to earn it.”
She shot her cousin a nasty look. “He’s not saying anythingat all. He’s getting a lawyer.”
“See, never once when I thought about the man you wouldmarry did I think he would need a lawyer,” her dad righteously announced.
“Every word out of your mouth is pure hypocrisy. I am tryinghere, Dad,” Harlow pleaded. “You want to tell my guys about how many timesyou’ve gotten arrested during a case because you went somewhere you weren’tsupposed to go? Got mouthy with the cops? Physically assaulted a client?”
“I only assaulted them if they were assholes,” her dadreplied. “And the job sometimes requires a certain moral flexibility.”
She gave her dad a smirk. “Yeah, I know. I do it a lot. Themoral flexibility part. I learned it from you.”
Her dad’s eyes narrowed. “Then you can unlearn it.”
“Jensen, how about we go inside and make a pot of coffee andtalk this thing out?” Jack gestured to the house. “I still have to be back inDallas for my shift tomorrow night. Hamilton is coming in, and I need to beready. I would love to arrest the son of a bitch if I can.”
Jensen actually nodded.
And she needed a keeper? “He is not talking to you withoutan attorney present.”
Jack’s jaw tightened. “Well, call one up then, cousin. Doyou expect a lawyer to appear from out of nowhere? Want a knight with a lawdegree to ride up on his horse and save your boy there?”
That was when she saw the headlights coming down the dustyroad that led to the house.
It was either someone coming to murder them all or it washer other dad trying to save his more obnoxious half from completely decimatinghis relationship with her.
“Papa’s here.” The assassin would be more subtle. Heprobably wouldn’t be driving at a breakneck speed in the middle of the night.
“Damn it.” Dad frowned and watched the car pulling up. “Itold him I would handle this and he said he was okay with it.”
Jack had his rifle up against his chest again. “How the helldo they know where we are? Also, we can’t be sure it’s them. It could beHamilton’s men.”
Her dad sighed. “Nope. I can feel him. Lying liar. He neverwas okay with it. He knew I couldn’t be talked out of it, so he agreed and thenfollowed me.”
“I thought you knew how to ditch a tail,” Jack said, thewords tinged with accusation.
“He didn’t really follow me. He sent Nat in to ask Big Tagpolitely for the address so she could save Harlow from my tyranny. Or somethinglike that. If Ian wouldn’t give it to her, Ruby would.” Her dad started to walkaround the house toward the front lawn. “We’re about to have a throwdown, mytwin and I. He’s putting you in danger.”
“Don’t scream, baby.” Niall put his hands on her shoulders.“We talked about this. He’s afraid.”
“He’s an asshole,” Jensen proclaimed and then frowned. “Ikind of like him. The Russian mob prison thing was a pretty cool move. You haveto admit it.”
“I admit nothing except that this is a complete clusterfuck.My dad brought my cousin out here to arrest you and now my papa is going tospend the rest of the night trying to talk sense into him and we’re sittingducks.” Did no one understand? “We’re going back to Dallas tomorrow. Jensen, ifyou want to have any shot at a relationship with me at the end of this, you’lldo what I tell you.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m talking to Jack. I would think youwould want me to cooperate with the authorities.”
“She does, but she also knows her cousin is a shark, and shewants you to be protected,” Niall tried.
He was the smarter of the two. “What he said. I love Jackbut if he thinks turning you over helps his case, he’ll do it and tell me tothank him for saving me.”
“That’s not what he said,” Jensen pointed out with a sigh.
