Page 256 of The Reluctant Hero

I stare at the ceiling as a slow-moving feeling of defeat crawls from my toes to my throat and latches on.

When I said I wanted to take people with me when I died, I didn’t meanthem.

“Can you cancel it?” I ask dismally.

Cade gives me a look of confusion. “Why would we do that?”

What am I supposed to say? Because my super-secret voodoo doom power says so?

When I don’t respond Jake and Cade exchange a glance.

“There’s more riding on this than we originally expected,” Cade offers hesitantly. “That’s why you’ve been so hell-bent on stopping it, right?”

I nod uselessly. I’m a victim, sure. But I’m not in a cage or in one of those bedrooms. My body shudders hard enough that I shake the mattress.

I’m willing to risk myself to help. But am I willing to risk anyone else? The ache in my heart says hell no.

“Going into this alone would spell disaster,” Jake tells me with a cold stare. “I know that’s what you’ve been planning, but that is something that will fail. You know this.”

I’ve kind of figured that out. I’m not bulletproof, and I bet there are a lot of important figures in this town that I can’t get to. If they aren’t on the golfing buddy list, I’d be shocked.

“So this is a heads up we’re going out to get killed, hope you make it speech?”

Cade gives me a disgruntled glare. “No. This is a hey, here’s what we’ve got. We aren’t lazy pieces of shit. What do you have speech.”

“I’ve got Shade had a reason to be paranoid about Matthias being in town and I can let him know. South wants me to do it myself. Tera is on a no-contact list because she’s sweet and pregnant speech,” I snap back without any heat.

“I feel good about this,” Cade says softly. As if he’s imploring me to believe in him.

“And when Cade has those feelings, they’re spot on,” Jake assures me with a smile.

“Well, I have ahey, that bus is about to hit mefeeling, and it’s spot on, too,” I give him a glare.

Cade chuckles as Jake grins.

“It’s nerves, babe,” Cade adds to the reasons I currently don’t like him, hot body aside. “We’ve done this before. More than you can imagine.”

Babe? Since fucking when did that start?

“Yours is hope and pissing in the wind,” I return balefully.

“Maybe,” he shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“Goddamn it, Cade,” I bark out, surprising him. “This isn’t a fucking joke to me!”

His good mood disappears in a blink.

“It isn’t a joke to us either!” He yells back. “We have the experience for this, and you don’t! We’re trying to minimize risk for all of us. You’re throwing that out the window. I could fucking throttle you right now!”

“There’s also the fact that we would all lose our minds if you’re harmed,” Jake adds casually, his attention back on the TV.

I scoff. “Everybody in this palace of ridiculous riches has already lost their minds.”

“Touche,” he mutters and mashes a button with a fierce frown.

Cade rubs a hand down his face in frustration. “Shut up, Jake.”

“Yes, Cade,” he replies in a sweet voice.

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