Page 108 of When He Protects

“Enough.”Tyler lunged across the room and pressed his gun to Thaddeus’s temple. “You stop fighting right now, or I will blast a hole in your head.”

Thaddeus stopped fighting.

Esme slammed the butt of her gun against the FBI boss one moretime.

“Sweetheart,” Tyler said softly. “Come stand beside me.”

She did. But she glared at Thaddeus the whole time.

Tyler kept his weapon on the Fed. Shoved against his temple. “Are you hurt at all?” he asked Esme.

“I broke a nail.”

His jaw tightened as he studied the dirty Fed. “That really pisses me off, Thaddeus. She broke a nail.”

“Fuck. You.”

“How did you find us?” Tyler demanded. He’d asked that question too many times. If he didn’t get an answer, he just might have to pull the trigger.

Thaddeus smirked. Like he had some big secret.

“Did my father send you to kill me?” Esme asked.

Thaddeus’s gaze cut to her. “That what you think? Girl, your father is the only thing that has been keeping you alive!I’mthe one who put out the hit on you. Me. Because I suspected you had that cursed drive the minute you were arrested at Jorlan’s. Louis always said there was more to you than met the eye. That lying sonofabitch was right, for once. I knew I had to take you out because—while I might have been able to control and predict Jorlan’s moves—I couldn’t control you.” He shoved his hands down on the floor and started to rise.

Tyler simply slammed his foot into the man’s spine and pushed him right back down. He also kept the gun at Thaddeus’s temple. “I’m going to ask you some questions. You’ll respond honestly, or I’ll get twitchy with the trigger.”

“Uh, Tyler?” Esme tugged on his shirt. “You said he wouldn’t be coming alone.”

“I also said for you to get that sweet ass of yours out of the motel.” She hadn’t.

“You don’t leave the people you love behind,” she noted in her quiet, husky voice.

Shit. His heart squeezed. “Esme.” He loved her so much. Even if the woman couldn’t follow orders for shit. Thaddeus had been correct—there was no controlling or predicting Esme. “Check the window for me, sweetheart. Therewillbe backup coming.” But maybe they’d have time to get real answers before that backup arrived.

She darted away.

He felt the tension pouring through his body. Time for the truth. “You know what my grandfather did.” No BS. No pussyfooting around. The stark truth.

Thaddeus pressed his head harder to Tyler’s gun. “Are you like him?” Thaddeus seemed curious. “Or are you like your old man? Weak. Useless.”

“I don’t see anyone outside!” Esme called.

“Does she know?” Thaddeus asked. He seemed genuinely curious. “Does she know that your grandfather—your whole family—is as bloody and twisted as they come? Your grandfatherwasthe mob, and no matter how hard your dad tried, he couldn’t wash that blood away from his hands. You hear that, Esme? You picked the wrong protector!”

“No.” Her fierce denial. “Tyler is good. It’smyfamily that is twisted. It’smyfather who killed his?—”

Rolling laughter from Thaddeus tore through her words. “That what you believe? And why? Probably because dearLouistold you? And, of course, you believed him.” More laughter. “I fed him that BS. Always good to have a fall guy at the ready, and your father has long been due for a fall.”

“Who killed my parents?” Tyler bit out.

“Your grandfather, you bastard. Your grandfather killed your parents. Your family tree is full of blood and betrayal. You’re twisted to the core.” He sent a mock sympathetic look toward Esme. “You thought you were getting a hero, but you just got one of the most twisted sonsofbitches out there! His grandfather ordered Tyler’s dad’s killing. He ordered the death of his own son! Tyler’s family is a pit of vipers, and you can’t trust a single one of them.”

Tyler shook his head. “I’m not like him.”

“Like who?” Thaddeus showed no fear. Just rage as his stare flickered to Tyler. “Your spineless father? The one who ran away from New York and tried to start a whole brand new life in Texas? The same prick who latercame to mewanting to turn over evidence because he was so scared that his world was going to implode? Or do you mean that you’re not like your grandfather? The man who didn’t even hesitate when I told him what was going down. The minute he knew your father was selling him out, he told me to take care of the problem.And I did!”

Tyler’s teeth ground together. “You’re confessing to killing my father?”

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