Page 89 of Tangled in Knots

“I don’t know how that’s possible unless she’s figuring out how to shut down the bond,” I tell him. “Wait, let me think.”

Is it possible she’s finding a way to do that?Adira is really smart, if anyone is going to figure out how, it’s her. The numbness makes sense, because there’s an air of aloofness when she walks around.

A coldness I’ve never seen before. I hate that it’s a response to something we did.

“How do you feel about attending college, Damon?” I ask suddenly, my mind beginning to race. “Since we’re taking over Rock’s operations, we can do whatever we want within reason. You can be our vested legitimate business. Find out what your talents are and find something outside of this business of death and destruction.”

Jed sighs as he gazes at me, seeing my point. “You never wanted this life, Damon. You’re really fucking good at it, but you can jump in on a torture and murder session whenever you want. This doesn’t have to beyourlife.”

“Yes,” I growl, nodding. I know that I’m possibly overstepping, but Damon is drowning in regret. “I can pull some strings in the system and enroll you as a student. I’ll make it seem as if you applied, passed all the exams, and enrolled. Then, I can ensure you’re in a couple of her classes.”

“Yeah,” Damon breathes. “That’s what I want. I need to be able to see her, try to get my girl to connect with who I really am.”

The need and sadness in his voice makes me blink hard. We have possibly ruined his chances at a normal life with his omega.I fucking hate that it’s going to be so much harder for him to emotionally recover from this.

Damon is innocent in this, and I will die on this hill. He didn’t know anything about our plans, and he was following what he thought was right before.

It’s perfectly okay to take a step back and realize that you’ve fucked up. I wish I could give myself the same kind of grace.

“I’m jealous as hell that you'll get to see her, but I think Morris is on the right track, Demon,” Kane says. The nickname doesn’t have the same sting it used to, and Damon doesn’t seem bothered by it.

“You should make a real go of this,” Jed says. “Study, pay attention, every bit of it.”

“Yes, Dad,” Damon says playfully, but there’s a spark of excitement as well. “Won’t you need me for things as we set up our trap?”

“Nah,” Jed grunts.

“A lot of it is solo work,” Kane says. “I’ve been going with him to visit the other families, but the true test is going to be how the Minnesota families handle this. We’re the Boogeymen in the night. No one trusts us here.”

“You’ll make them trust you,” Damon says with a shrug. “We need the support, so that when we take out Dad and his pack, no one contests Jed.”

And there’s the rub. Jed will be the heir as the eldest son. No one else wants to wear the crown, and it’s a heavy one to bear. So many variables are up in the air and we need all of them to go his way.

Thankfully, Jed is well motivated, and very good at getting people to his side. He’s already finding people are ready to end Rock’s reign of terror.

“We’ll get there,” I agree.

“I feel like the poor man’s bodyguard,” Kane says with a snort. “Morris is stalking and hacking, Jed is working his meetings, and Demon is a newly minted college student.”

“You’re important,” Jed reminds him. “Your time to shine will come. How are you liking that gym?”

“I’m pretty sure Gabriel has mafia ties to the underground boxing circuit,” he says, shrugging. “It’s this feeling I have when certain people come in when I’m sparring. It’s helping with all this excess energy I have, though. I feel as if I should be doing something, but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet.”

“Wait for it to come,” Jed says with a nod. “Any other news of the little omega?”

“She’s carrying a stun gun now,” I reply. Since this is the first time I’ve been caught stalking her, I haven’t told them about the men I’ve killed on her behalf. “The first night she worked, two alphas thought it would be fun to begin following her. Unfortunately for them, I broke their necks and dropped them in an alley dumpster before continuing on my way.”

I don’t often have to get my hands dirty as their driver and resident hacker, as amateurish as my skills are. My hands are strong, I stay in shape because I work out with the guys, but I’m not typically a killer.

For Adira? I’d burn the world down and laugh. I can channel my inner Kane when needed. I think my sister can see glimpses of that and worries. My soul has been sold to Pack Dresmond since the day Rock hired me and suggested that I work with his sons.

My mother was sick and I needed fast money. My sister doesn’t know why I took this job, and never will. My mother is now retired in Florida, blissfully unaware of my work. I want to keep it that way.

My fathers weren’t good enough for her, and they mysteriously disappeared a little after I found out they werehurting her once my sister and I moved out. They waited until I left to begin hitting her. Killing them broke their bonds. My mom survived them and I was going to be damned if cancer was going to take her out a mere two years later.

“Why didn’t you call us?” Jed asks, pulling me back into the conversation.

“I’m not really supposed to be stalking her,” I mumble. “I wasn’t thinking about calling you, because I wanted to make sure no one else tried anything with her.”

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