The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

“She isn’t an operative,” Kyle insisted. “She can hack all day, but putting her in that role will kill a part of her soul. I’m asking you not to do it. She wants to please the people around her, and she’ll hurt herself to do it.”

Michael sighed, his irritation gone in the face of Kyle’s open longing. “Man, why don’t you tell her you love her?”

Kyle’s face went blank. “Because I can’t. Because I won’t.”

He had no idea what had happened to Kyle, but he knew a tortured soul when he saw one. “Saying those words doesn’t make them true. You’re in love with her. You can’t stay away from her. All you’re doing right now is delaying the inevitable.”

“No. I’m saving her right now. My life… I’m not in a place where I’m good for her. I can’t even get a freaking car loan without something exploding. The last year of my life has been this weird slow burn of a shit show that I can’t get a handle on. It’s one thing after the other, and she doesn’t need that.” Kyle sighed. “I thought I would get a job and a car and then I would look for a place of my own. When I can be a real functional adult, I can have a girlfriend.”

“And if she finds someone in the meantime?”

Kyle shrugged. “I think she knows how I feel, and I think she’s giving me some time. She’s not dating right now. I hope I’m ready before she’s done with me. But that’s my problem, not yours. However, I need to know you’ll watch out for MaeBe. She’s getting along with Vanessa again, and that friendship is important to her.”

All of MaeBe’s friends were important to her. “Vanessa’s definitely softened. I think all her anger is directed at me now.”

Kyle patted his shoulder. “As it should be. If it helps, she thinks Vanessa’s going to come around.”

“She does?” He would take any good news he could get.

“Dude, you lied about something that was fairly reasonable and you have a shit ton of money to lavish on her,” Kyle replied.

“The money might be part of the problem.” Vanessa didn’t trust that his family would stand by her. She had all kinds of evidence that they wouldn’t. Her relationships before had gone wrong, and the one good relationship she’d enjoyed had been doomed from the start.

“Nah, she might shy away in the beginning, but what she really wants seems to be people who care about her enough to let themselves need her. She wants to be part of a family, and not a distant one, if you know what I mean. Her sister didn’t even tell her she had a brain tumor. My brother lets me know when he stubbed his toe. Like that family shit can fuck a person up.”

Her sister hadn’t told her she was dying.

He and JT had been so close at one point it had been suffocating. They’d found a balance, but he had no idea how he would survive if he found out his brother kept a secret from him. Some part of him would die.

He hadn’t even thought about that. God, how must that have made her feel? She’d barely talked about it, and he hadn’t asked. He’d let her stew in it for a week without offering her comfort. He’d been so wrapped up in his own guilt and misery that he hadn’t considered how alone she was in her mourning. How she’d thought she was doing something—one last thing—good for her sister, and that rug had been viciously pulled out from under her.

He wasn’t the only one who’d hurt her, but he’d neglected to confront the situation because he’d selfishly thought only of himself.

“Hey, Michael. I was looking for you. I’ve had some movement on the George Jr. front, but I’m not sure what to make of it.” MaeBe had a thermos in her hand. She smiled Kyle’s way. “’Morning.”

The fucker actually blushed. “’Morning. You doing okay?”

MaeBe nodded. “Yeah. How about you?”

They should just fuck already, whether or not Hawthorne was an actual functional adult. He should start using up his condom per diem and put the rest of them out of their misery.

“Okay. I had some business stuff to get out of the way,” Kyle replied, seeming to get his cool back.

“He got turned down for a car loan.” Michael wasn’t so nice that he would let Kyle totally get away with it.

Kyle frowned his way. “Thanks, man.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned to MaeBe. “Before you start to soothe his wounded ego, what do you have for me?”

MaeBe looked to Kyle like she wasn’t sure what to do.

“Let’s go to your desk.” Kyle put a hand on her back as she started to walk. “And it’s a little hiccup with an old credit card of mine. Nothing I can’t fix. What did our least favorite billionaire do now?”