Page 266 of Unexpected Hero

I hate when he does this shit. Looks at me like I’m going to crack under his intense scrutiny, if only he can wait me out.

How does he always know when something is wrong?

Did he have us all implanted with neuron chips or something?

It’s not going to work this time. I’ve waited him out before.

“Mm-hmm,” he mumbles, nodding at me and hardening his gaze even further. If he squints much more, both eyes will be sealed shut.

Three seconds more. Then five.

I snap at ten seconds.

“What?” I bark out.

“You’re not yourself lately. You’ve been up and down for the last several months. I know something is going on with you. I’m concerned. I keep waiting for you to come and talk to me, but you haven’t. I’m done waiting.”

Holding silent, I stretch out my lower lip, clamping it with my top and jutting my jaw forward. His words have no effect on me. His intuition won’t prove accurate today.

But on the inside, I’m screaming at him.I’m in love with your daughter, who you don’t know exists. And she’s probably going to break up with me because I crossed lines I don’t understand, all in the name of caring for her. Or what I thought was caring for her.Oh and she might be pregnant, but I already fucked that up too. No big deal.

Five more seconds of his scrutinizing silence, and he makes me snap again. Damn him.

“Boss, I’ve got some personal shit going on. That’s all. But it hasn’t affected my work in the least.”

“I know your work is fine. I’ve never doubted that for a second, and I never will.”

My eyes shoot from side to side, my teeth grinding. “Then why are we talking about it?”

His nostrils flare with a deep inhale. “Tomer, I know family is a touchy topic. This is a reminder that your Redleg family is here for you.” He leans forward, arms resting on the table. “I’m here for you. Same as I always have been.”

His words make my breath catch, bringing up memories of my blood-soaked hands holding my father’s near-lifeless frame.

I clear my throat to play it off.“I know that, Boss.”

He’s Big Al now, not Boss. There’s a difference, and by calling him that, I’m aiming to keep that distinction front and center.

“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about? Get it off your chest, whatever it is. I’d never judge you.”

No one has ever held less judgment of me than him. And he’s seen me at my lowest. But he didn’t turn away from me that night. Saving my ass and probably my life.

I look down at my thighs and notice I’m picking at my jeans. “Nothing is bringing me down.”

He quirks his head to the side. “Didn’t say anything about bringing you down. You said that. In fact, you’ve seemed happier lately, but there’s something underneath all that. Call it a gut feeling, but it’s like you’re conflicted.”

His famous fucking gut. If he could bottle and sell that instinct, he’d be retired and living out his days with Madeline in Hawaii by now.

With a shake of my head and a roll of my eyes, I shift forward in my seat. “Did we have any work to discuss? I need to get back to the kids before they break something.”

His dimple pops a second before one of his belly laughs starts low and slow, then bellows louder. “Kids? I like that.” He drags his weathered hand over his beard, tinged with more gray streaks than it was when we first formed Redleg. “All right. Shop talk. Tell me about the kids. How is it going? And don’t sugarcoat it.”

“They’re good. Workwise, I’ve got no complaints. Mia’s technical skills are unsurpassed. In many ways, she’s far better than me. Cocky, but it’s deserved. She’s handled four CPD cases so far, which resulted in new leads for them. And the client dossier work I’ve given her is outstanding.”

“You trust her?”

“As much as I trust most people I’ve known for a short period of time.”

He arches one brow. “How much digging did you do on her?”

---