Page 101 of Bossy Hero

It’s no wonder he’sthistight-lipped, given he’s in more trouble with me than ever before.

Making it worse, he’s especially shitty at this when he can’t see my facial expressions.

It would helpmeto remain calm if I could just keep looking at the scenic peace out my window, but if I’m ever going to get through this conversation, I need to get him to look at me.

When I turn around, my pulse pounds in my neck. The urge to rage at him is there, but I suppress it.

Barely.

His posture is stiff and rigid, arms folded at his lower back. He’s a soldier, prepared for a royal ass-chewing.

But he isn’t that anymore.

He’s like... my son. So much more so than the others.

While most of my Redleg children need me in some way. Tomer’s always been different.

I vowed I’d always be there for him from the time I took him to confront his bastard father some fifteen years ago. That night, I saw firsthand what a true monster looks like.

Not some foreign adversary fighting for what they believe is a noble cause.

His father was evil to his core. And the poor fucking kid in front of me suffered at his hands for eighteen torturous years.

The world is a better place without Fred Stillman.

Haven’t I been there for Tomer ever since? I thought I did everything I could.

Which begs the question, how could he fucking do this to me?

I must have failed him. If I had taught him what family really means, he wouldn’t have kept something like this from me for nearly a decade. How could my gut have been this off-base for so long?

Called on the carpet for his betrayal, he’s stiff as a board and vacant. He’s not even attempting to meet my eyes.

“Look at me,” I order sedately. He doesn’t, just keeps his fucking gaze straight away like he’s made of stone. “Eyes. Up here. Now.”

He finally complies, the pain in his expression gutting me from across the room. I can only imagine what I’ll see if I look closer.

I’m not ready for that just yet, so I stay in place. “I figured you’d have looked into my background before agreeing to move to Clearwater for this.” I gesture around us, referring to the company. “Foolishly, I thought you’d tell me if you found something of note. Get to talking while I’m still able to hear you.”

“What do you want to know?”

Is he playing dumb?

I bite my tongue—literally—and look upward as if I’ll find strength in the ceiling tiles. “Come on, kid. Everything. Fucking talk. Un-ass your shit. How did you find her? Who’s her mother? How old is she? Why the fuck didn’t you tell me about her after everything we’ve gone through? And how the hell did she end up...”

I bite off my words to avoid raising my voice or causing him to shut down.

Well, to stop from roaring like a fucking beast. Let’s be real. Keeping my voice low is out of the question at this point.

“With me?” he asks, trying to finish my sentence.

My legs grow weary, so I drift toward the couch.

At times like these, I’m so fucking glad I have this bit of comfort in my office. I’ve spent enough nights here to justify the expense. Maddie slept on it last night since we came here after leaving the hospital so the team and I could put our plans in motion to protect our Redleg family.

“Yes.” I lower onto the arm of the couch a few feet from where he stands like a soldier at parade rest. “For fuck’s sake, quit standing like that.”

He glances down his body, then loosens his spine. Well, he attempts to. But he’s got a pole up his ass or some shit.

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