Page 186 of The Reluctant Hero

I do need a ride, though. Another roadblock, but I can get that figured out.

“Since you’re staying, are you planning on paying for your room?” Cade asks with a sneer. The looks of complete rage he gets from around the table don’t faze him as he watches me.

He’s sly. I can’t forget that. A natural actor. And he has no idea that I’ve gone so deep into my anger that his taunt is pathetic at best. I have confidence in who I am, and I’m not whatever he’s trying to paint me as. But if he wants to push it,I’ll meet him halfway. If he wants money I’ll shove it down his throat.

The thought is satisfying in an absent way. I mean, I’m going to be dead soon. It isn't like I need the paper. I have bigger things to focus on before that happens.

“That won’t be necessary,” Gabriel grits out with his eyes laser-focused on Cade.

“I just want to make sure nobody has any regrets about letting her shack up here,” Cade protests with way too much innocence. He even raises his hands in a surrender gesture.

He’s just trying to get me angry and talking. I’m a little beyond that at this point. But I’m not beyond shoving his words back into his mouth with some violence. They’re watching me, waiting for an explosion of anger. I’m not paying enough attention to their words to bother.

They left me my phone, so I’m not precisely a prisoner yet. However, I don’t doubt that I will become one if push comes to shove.

First things first, hit up Shade about hospital visitors and account info. Then ask Tera for some B&E tips while keeping her as far away as I can. Get out and call a ride. Use absolutely zero finesse breaking into the lawyer’s house and beat some answers out of him. Look at that: a quasi-plan with no psycho drill instructor in sight.

But first, I need to be a dramatic ass, so they leave me alone to ‘let my temper cool’. They’re waiting on an explosion, and I can give them one. I’m not sure if I can act as well as Cade can, but I’m willing to try for extra dramatic effect.

I shift Jakob in my lap to prop my foot up. South’s advice on keeping a little money handy on my person at all times is paying off already. At the bottom of my sock is a stash of folded bills that I pull out. Jake is leaned to the side to see what I’m doing and a brow goes up when he sees it.

I unfold enough bills for a hundred bucks, toss one on the table to pay for my ‘dinner,’ and stand with the baton in my other hand.

“Amanda,” Gabriel’s voice breaks into a tight, familiar tone of irritation as he sets his knife and fork down.

The rest of the cash I casually toss into Cade’s face. It hits his forehead, which I take a moment to be proud of, and scatters over his half-finished plate. Enjoy sweaty sock money asshole.

“That should get me a night in your palace of wonders. Count it to make sure,” I tell Cade flatly. I try to inject a little of the old angry, petulant tone, but I fail miserably. My voice is as washed out as the rest of me.

“I was fucking kidding,” Cade snaps with a glare, brushing the money stuck on his shirt to the floor.

I have no idea how he has the balls to be offended that I called his bluff. He’s just another shallow rich fuck, and it shows.

I don’t stomp as I leave. It would make my knee start hurting again. I need to take that bottle of ibuprofen with me when I bail.

No one follows me, and a quiet argument starts up at the table. I hope it keeps them busy for a while.

I lock the door behind me and think about all the people who have broken into my apartment. There has to be a way to keep them out. I try to move the furniture around, but it’s pretty useless. Everything is too heavy to shift on my own. What happened to buying cheap shit that falls apart after a year? Not in Chateau Matthias.

I have to make do with the lock.

The bathroom is next, and I pull my pants down to make sure it looks like I’m peeing if anyone comes in or there’s a camera in here. It’s dumb but it’s all I can think of because I saw it in a movie once.

A paragraph of text to Shade and some back-and-forth with Tera eases me somewhat. It's time to do some more digging.

39

Crooked Mind

Cade

I stare at the bills on my plate, a sudden sense of loss attacking my chest.

“She’s seen through you from the beginning, Cadey. Weak play,” Jake chastises me with a sly grin.

“She isn’t acting like herself,” Mikael tosses his napkin down and sits back in his chair. “She barely ate.”

“She’s been under attack for most of the last week,” Gabriel answers him shrewdly. “Anyone would be paranoid.”

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