Page 267 of The Reluctant Hero

Ace isn’t as silent and moody. Mikael’s silence isn’t oppressive and he’s smiling at people. Jake is more relaxed.

Now Cade is moody and more take charge than usual. Gone is the playboy persona. He rarely allows his mask to slip, even around us. It was never a concern before. Until Amanda pointed it out.

The knowledge that I’ve kept them in a miserable holding pattern becauseI’vebeen stuck there is shameful.

Amanda has twisted them all into better versions of themselves. They’re free to be exactly who they are without the walls we’ve built around ourselves.

I wantmyturn, not that I deserve it.

“Amanda should have been breakfast,” Jake says dismally.

Cade slams a fist into Jake’s chest and tilts his chin toward me with a frown. I haven’t looked up from the map in front of me. I suppose he thinks I’m not paying attention.

Ace reaches for a piece of paper, wads it up, and throws it at the back of Jake’s head. The paper hits and bounces off. Jakepretends nothing happened. Ace readjusts himself in his jeans, and Mikael clears his throat.

I hate them all right now. My focus is shattered as I picture her naked on the dining room table with her knees spread wide.

“They’ll separate us on their own,” Ace says as if the plan matters a damn right now. My dick is hard enough to knock on my desk.

The thought leads me down a wicked path as I remember Amanda confessing her fantasy of fitting underneath.

“Focus,” Mikael mutters.

I pop my neck and pay attention.

“I’m with Gabe,” Cade speaks up decisively. “Ace, go with Jake.”

That gets all of our attention. He and Jake never split up.

He’s facing away from me now, but he’s running a finger along his ear.

“But Cadey,” Jake protests in a teasing voice.

“No,” Cade shuts him down and twists to see me. “Amanda has my gut rolling. We’re switching it up.”

“You want me followin’ along with that tricksy fuck?” Ace asks in disbelief.

“Yes. We go in cold. You two bring in fire.” Cade looks so sure of himself. As if it’s a done deal.

Jake looks at Ace thoughtfully. Ace returns the look with a sneer.

“And Gabe gets a gun.”

My brows rise, an uneasy feeling sliding through me.

“You better be ready to kill someone, Gabe.”

The arguments Ace and Mikael throw out against it are white noise.

First, Amanda warned me and now Cade.

I don’t like those odds.

I’ll freeze up like I always do when it comes to it. That feeling of defeat will paralyze me before my finger goes to the trigger. The only place I’ve used a weapon is in a training room. No one has witnessed it but the people around me.

“Gabe,” Cade snaps, regaining my wandering attention.

My eyes meet his, my thoughts hidden behind a wall of ice.

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