Page 64 of Free to Judge

Mama slams her fist on the table. “Now, from every bonded member of our family.”

The men hang their heads. They mumble, “Family first.”

“Exactly.” Mama’s eyes are daggers, but she’s fisting the necklace she’s worn my entire life—my grandmother’s diamond.It’s her signal to my father they can work anything out together. “Fix this. I want my daughter out of the line of fire.”

There’s a murmur of assent in the room.

Aunt Cassidy’s tone is monotone when she asks Declan, “You’ve met him. What did you think of him?”

“Jack Marshall?”

“Yes.”

“Considering he had a gun pressed in between my eyebrows at the time, not much.” It’s the calmest Declan’s been since he came into the room. “I also am under the working theory he killed my former partner.”

Cassidy’s chin jerks up. “I see. Thank you for your honesty. It’s a refreshing attribute around here.” Her glare encompasses her husband, brother, son, and Liam. Ouch. Laura’s wince mirrors my own.

I try to soothe flaring tempers by leaping into the fray. “Everyone calm down. We’re all on the same side.”

Declan’s fury returns. “A side which wouldn’t be this aggravated if you hadn’t forced your father to loop in your mother.”

Mama snaps her fingers. “Poof. Just like that, all your bonus points just evaporated. You see, Declan—you don’t mind if I call you Declan, do you?—all the women in this family are forged from strength. There isn’t a single one of us who can’t handle what the world tries to throw at us.”

“Don’t underestimate us,” Aunt Cassidy agrees.

“Don’t underestimate them,” he snaps back. His eyes dart to meet mine, and I read the fear in them.

There’s a part of me that wants to curl up and purr in satisfaction, particularly after the way he left last night.Well, well, well. Isn’t his reaction interesting.Instead, I maintain a stoic demeanor while the battle rages on.

Ultimately, we leave the men in the conference room to argue strategy about what to do now that we all know. On our way down to the kitchen, Mama’s hand falls to my shoulder. I turn my head to the side and find myself meeting her determined eyes. “Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“You can’t promise that.”

She leans forward and presses her lips against my forehead. I breathe in her scent and halt our descent. I’ve needed a hug from her for days. When I mention as much, she mutters, “Another thing to be pissed at your father about.”

I let out a watery laugh.

Then she probes carefully. “This Declan. Who is he to you?”

“Honesty?”

“Always.”

“I think he could be my downfall.”

She rears back, appalled. “Good lord, Kalie. Tell me you’re not falling into something with a man just like your father.”

I hook my arm through hers and wait until we make it down the back steps before I admit, “He’s like a ticking time bomb, Mama. I’m just waiting for things to explode in my face.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I’m stunned.Flabbergasted. And, not a little hurt.

I thought what Kalie and I shared was under attorney-client privilege, but here, it was being discussed by her family. I figured eventually my cover would be shared with her family, but now, they’re openly aware of why I’m undercover, my op, and the reason I went under in the first place.

Jon lays a hand on my shoulder, in support which I appreciate but I shrug off. I need to feel angry and him trying to placate me isn’t helping. Especially when he says, “She did what she needed to.”

“Let all my secrets out in the wind? Got it.”