Page 212 of The Reluctant Hero

“Good job,” he responds flatly. He gets a glare for that response.

“You were told several things at dinner that you’ve chosen to ignore. I’m here as a reminder that your normal lack of manners won’t be tolerated.”

“You realize she’s using all of you,” Matthias insists. “If not for money, then for protection. Getting her out of here will leave Gabriel in the clear. We can handle this, and you can go back to pretending you can live normal lives.”

This guy is so heartwarming. It really is hereditary.

The gun shifts in Jake’s lap to point at Matthias. The move doesn’t cause any reaction in him. The guys behind the couch are looking a little unsteady. I can see the darting looks between me and Jake, the gun is wavering slightly. Who should he aim at? It’s supposed to be me, but his boss is under threat. If he had any loyalty to the man, Jake would have a bullet in him already. Instead, the guy is so damn brainwashed he’s keeping it trained on me.

The bookshelf behind them shifts a little, catching my attention. A door opens silently, and Cade slips out, closing it behind him without making any noise. It’s impressive. I keep my focus on the gun, trying not to give away his position. We’ve gone from a not-so-friendly chat to imminent violence.

“Where was this sense of concern when you took us all in?” Jake presses with a raised brow. “Your son didn’t seem to mean much then.”

“That isn’t true, and you know it,” Matthias snaps, his cheeks turning ruddy with anger.

“I have no loyalty to you. That is reserved for the men that live here. The ones who saw me struggling to keep going and took me off the field. Your son. He recognized what was happening and added me to his roster without hesitation. I won’t reward that by turning my back on him.”

Cade watches Jake as if waiting for a signal, hidden in the shadows created by the blinding lights aimed at the chair Jake is sitting in. Mistakes were made in this interrogation setup. I’m taking notes.

“And Shade? What’s your excuse there? I’d love to hear it.” His finger slides from the side of the gun to the trigger without fanfare.

“If you do this, there will be an entire force ready to kill you over it.”

“Ifyoudo this, your son will kill you himself,” Jake tells him placidly. “We all know he has it in him, even if you can’t see it.”

Matthias’ reserve cracks under that assurance. I’m surprised myself. I can’t picture Gabriel putting out that much effort. His suit would get dirty.

Their eyes dart to the doorway, and the gun begins to waver harder, slightly lowering. A large, hot hand falls onto my shoulder as Mikael steps up behind me.

“Go back to bed,” he mutters to me, his mouth close to my ear.

“Did you wake Ace?” Jake asks without taking his attention off Matthias.

“I did,” Mikael says in a calm tone. “He’ll be joining us shortly.”

“Father,” Gabriel’s voice joins this mess with a frozen tone.

Mikael steps to my side and subtly starts pulling me behind him.

“None of you understand,” Matthias says raggedly. His cold act is cracking under the pressure. The fear-filled look he gives his son makes me pause to watch. “I won’t sit here and watch you make all the same mistakes I have.”

“I’m supposed to stay in a bubble of safety? When did you start caring?” Gabriel comes up on my other side and boldly steps in front of me. No subtlety. I hear the click of a gun, unsure which side it’s coming from. When Gabriel’s shoulders relax, I know the gun aimed at him has been lowered.

I’m not sure how to take this united front defending me. This isn’t an act. No one would go through this much effort to pretend they care. It confuses me.

“That’s not what I want for you,” Matthias protests. “You’ve seen what happened to Andi and Evan. I don’t want you to suffer through any of that if I can stop it.”

“You can’t stop it,” Jake stands, and Gabriel takes his place in the chair as he continues. “You may not have started the life we ended up with, but you certainly haven’t shied away from it. A lot of people have suffered based on your actions.”

“A lot of good has come from my actions, too,” Matthias growls. “We’ve saved countless lives by doing what is necessary.”

“True,” Gabriel acknowledges with a nod. “Despite everything, I know you want the same thing we all do. No more suffering for innocent people.”

“Then let me protect you now. She doesn’t have to be here. As soon as everything settles, you can bring her back.”

“Protect me? Who do you think you’re fooling?” Gabriel asks, a subtle hint of disbelief threading the questions.

If I leave here with his two goons I doubt very seriously that coming back here is in the cards. Next it will be a witness protection program ‘for my own good’ or a bullet.

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