Page 144 of Four Fiances & I

“McIntire knows who they are, and he wasn’t happy. He has gone to collect them himself and will bring them here. He told me to ensure the others had left before he arrived.”

Jasmine frowns as I pull on some trousers and tuck my shirt into them.

“Do you think it's one of his guys?”

I stop mid-action and stare at her for a moment.

“I hadn’t even thought of that,” I admit before continuing to get dressed. “You really are becoming the brains of the family, Sweetheart.” I give a teasing smile, but my heart is swelling with pride. She surprises us every single day with how much attention she is paying and how she finally has the confidence to voice her suggestions and observations.

“But why would he want the others gone?” she asks. I think back at the conversation and realise something.

“He asked if Abigail was still here; I think he wanted her gone before he arrived; the others were more of an afterthought.”

“Well, that makes sense; she would know if it was someone who worked for him,” Jasmine points out as she turns around and selects a tie for me as I turn up my collar. “There again,” she loops the tie around my neck before tying it. “It could be that he just didn’t want to see her. Abigail hates McIntire; she has no problem telling him that to his face, either.”

“She’s braver than most of the men I know then.” I smile as Jasmine tightens the knot on my tie, ensuring it's in place. It’s a little thing she’s been doing for the last few months, and I love it. I love how she concentrates to ensure it's perfect every time.

“She’s stupid, and I’ve told her so. He’s powerful for a reason.”

“She doesn’t need to fear him,” I say, hoping to put her at ease.

“I know that; she is just in self-destruct mode and not looking at the bigger picture,” Jasmine sighs, running her hand over the tie to ensure it hangs flat. “I think he cares and wants to help her, and she knows it. But she wants to blame him for her dad's death, even though he wasn’t at fault. So, she’s pushing every one of his buttons to get a reaction. Looking for a way to keep him as the bad guy.” Finally looking up, she places her hand on my chest and lifts to press a light kiss to my lips. Pulling away with a smile, she looks up at me with so much love my heart aches as I place my hands on her hips.

“You have come a long way since you went through something similar, Sweetheart, and we are all very proud of you for it.” I tuck some hair behind Jasmine's ear, which is hanging in her natural curls because she didn’t blow dry it his morning. Once again, she put my needs before her own, showing how big her heart is, even after everything she has been through.

“I had four great men in my corner to help me come to the realisation,” Jasmine smiles. Running my fingers across her cheek, I thread them into the hair at the back of her head and lean in to kiss her, a smile on both our faces as we get lost in each other's eyes.

My phone rings in the bedroom, and I sigh reluctantly, releasing Jasmine's hair. Taking her hand, I pull her into the bedroom, reaching for my phone charging on the side. My stomach drops a little when I see the name on the screen.

“Did you find them?”

“Yeah, we will be with you in ten minutes. Where do you want him?”

* * *

Ten minutes later, I’m pacing around the basement, which is situated under the gym. It was specially built to ensure people never found what we hide or do down here. If people attack our home, this is where they come before they die. No one we bring here ever leaves alive; we can't take that risk. The entrance to it is also our means of escape if we need to in a hurry. It’s a feature we added when we were trying to make the house as safe as possible for Jasmine, knowing people may use her as a way to control us.

As much as I hate killing, there are certain things that make it a little easier; one of those is if I’m killing someone who hurt our girl or attempted to. I have no issue making those people disappear, so they are never seen or heard of again.

Looking around, I see Jason and Maximus are just as tense as I am; neither of them is saying anything, just watching the door and waiting for Terry’s signal. I needed as many hands as possible, but I left Sean with Jasmine upstairs, so she wasn’t alone in case anyone comes looking for her. They are staying in the sitting room with Mrs Brown, ready to go if necessary.

“Do you have any idea who it could be?” Maximus asks, walking over to me. I shake my head, looking at the door, not wanting to miss the signal.

“Jasmine thinks it might be one of McIntire's men, which would explain why he is bringing them in himself.”

“Fuck, I hadn’t even thought of that,” Jason curses as he joins us.

“I didn’t either; she makes a good point, too, as it would explain why he wanted Abigail gone.” I continue trying to decide what to do if she's right.

“She would be able to identify him,” Maximus mumbles more to himself than any of us, but I nod anyway.

“Jasmine said that, too.”

“Shorty really is becoming the brains of the family.” Maximus grins as Layton laughs.

“Or you lot have taken one too many blows to the head.”

“That’s more likely it,” Jason winks. I shake my head, but I can't hold back my smile. We like to tease her, but Jasmine has always been an intelligent woman; she just didn’t have the discipline to put it to any use. But now she’s coming out of her shell; she is surprising not only us but others as well. Her teachers are full of praise, giving her the boost to continue working hard and exceeding everyone's expectations.

---