“Go to bed.”
“I’m not going to always be so easily pushed aside. You, Dad, all my brothers, I won’t be treated like a kid forever.”
With that, she turned on her heel and headed upstairs.
Running a hand over his face, he turned to see Jacob watching him.
Abel, Oliver, and Damian were there as well.
“How is your sister?”
“She’s alive.”
“You think she’ll go through with her threat?” Jacob asked.
Gabriel stared at the men he’d come to care about. He had no interest in hurting them. Sometimes he found the need for violence, but it wasn’t directed at them. Today, however, it had been fun to hurt Gideon. That piece of shit didn’t know when to shut his mouth.
“You’re not going to hurt her.”
“She can’t stand you.”
He shrugged. “I’m still her brother, and I’ll protect her. Don’t for a second think any differently.”
“Gideon called. He’s warned us to be wary of you.”
Gabriel smiled. “It’s good to know one of you has some sense.”
“What the fuck is going on right now?” Abel asked. “Cut the bullshit. We are over this. We’re a team.”
“Well, some teams need to realize when to back the fuck off. Nothing is going on. Leave my sister alone. She’s passionate when it comes to the ones she loves.” With that, he turned on his heel.
He would kill Maddox and all of the Dentons before he let them hurt his family. Emma may think he’d turned his back on her, but he hadn’t. He knew deep down that Maddox was a threat to them, always would be. They were Coltons. Regardless of his DNA, he would also be in the firing line.
For as long as he could remember, he’d been caring for his brothers and sister, and would always do that. It now also included Landon and Tamsin. They were too young to care for themselves. What he wouldn’t do was act at the wrong time.
Everything needed to be planned.
There was only one way out, and that was if Maddox backed out of his plan to join the Savonas and Dentons, and also to leave Emma alone.
Until then, it was game on.
Chapter Nine
“I have to say, Emma, well played,” Maddox said.
Emma stared across the desk at Maddox, her boss. He already had her letter of resignation.
She waited for him to say his piece so that she could go. “I didn’t come here to prolong this.”
He got up out of his chair, and she stood.
Another thing her father once taught her, don’t let the enemy think they had any power over you.
Maddox Denton was her enemy.
“You’re a little skittish today.”
“I’m not skittish at all. I have nothing to be afraid of.” She stood tall.