Read Online Jason (Kings of Guardian #4) by Kris Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Kris Michaels
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right into that little bet, wouldn’t it, Faith?
She drew a long breath to calm herself and sat down across from him.
“How are you responsible for Theo’s death?”
He lifted his pain-filled eyes to hers and spoke quietly. “I was the team leader. It was my responsibility to ensure my men were safe. We were in a hostile environment. I didn’t react fast enough. I failed him.”
Faith scrunched her eyes closed tightly. What in the hell was this man talking about? “Okay, just hold on a minute. His team leader’s name was Doug. I met him. Big guy, built like Theo and you. Nice, too. I think you need to explain this a little better for me. Where was Doug?”
“He died in a car accident just before the team was set to deploy. I’d been training with them for over a year, to keep in shape and to keep my skill set sharp. The team approached me and asked me to step into Doug’s shoes. I did.”
“So you didn’t kill Theo?”
Jason stood and walked toward the kitchen. It only took him three steps. He dropped his hands to his hips. “I failed to see an imminent hostile threat. I instructed the men to stand down. We were outmanned and outgunned. The man who held us just fired. No warning. He killed your brother in front of me. No prelude. He just killed him as if he didn’t matter.”
The anguish in the big man’s voice pulled Faith off the chair. She walked up to him, stopping less than six inches in front of him. “But you didn’t make him join Guardian. You didn’t make him take on the missions.”
“He took my orders.”
“That he willingly took. I know the plane went down. They told me—”
“How he died?”
“They told me he survived the crash…”
“They didn’t tell you how he was killed?”
“No, they told me he survived the crash. You didn’t force him into the airplane or push him out of the aircraft without a parachute. Believe me, he knew the risks. He talked about it with me. Guardian was his way out of a hell we both existed in. The money he made there helped get Reece and me out of a dangerous situation, too.”
She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. He turned into her hand and she saw the glimmer of moisture on his lashes. The absolute desolation he felt radiated around him. Faith pulled him down into a hug, trying to ease his pain.
“It was my fault. You lost your brother because of me.”
“What penance are you paying? Why are you blaming yourself for events you had absolutely no control over? From what I can see, this isn’t your cross to bear, Jason.”
“It is.”
“You are not to blame. I lost a good friend that day. Theo was my half-brother. We have different mothers. His mom tried to keep him away from our father. But when Theo found out he had a sister, he came back for me. He moved me here to Savannah, helped me get this trailer and supported us until I found a job. He wanted to give me more money, but I needed to be able to fend for myself, to prove I could. I will always miss him, but I know he wouldn’t have wanted to die any other way than in the line of duty. He loved what he was, what he did. You could see it when he spoke of his teammates and of the importance of what they did.”
Faith felt the hard clenched muscles in the man’s back relax slightly as she spoke. His hands rested on her hips, warm and heavy. “Why haven’t you bought a house with the insurance money Theo left you?”
The question stopped her tender strokes to his back. She pulled away and angled her face so she could see his eyes. “Theo didn’t leave me any money.”
Jason straightened to his full height. “He had half a million in insurance. Every team member does.”
“He left it to Reece because that was the safest. He set up a trust that can only be accessed by Reece when he turns twenty-one. It is set up that way for his protection. I never saw a penny of money from Guardian, and I really don’t need anything. I have a job, some savings, and Reece and I are
She drew a long breath to calm herself and sat down across from him.
“How are you responsible for Theo’s death?”
He lifted his pain-filled eyes to hers and spoke quietly. “I was the team leader. It was my responsibility to ensure my men were safe. We were in a hostile environment. I didn’t react fast enough. I failed him.”
Faith scrunched her eyes closed tightly. What in the hell was this man talking about? “Okay, just hold on a minute. His team leader’s name was Doug. I met him. Big guy, built like Theo and you. Nice, too. I think you need to explain this a little better for me. Where was Doug?”
“He died in a car accident just before the team was set to deploy. I’d been training with them for over a year, to keep in shape and to keep my skill set sharp. The team approached me and asked me to step into Doug’s shoes. I did.”
“So you didn’t kill Theo?”
Jason stood and walked toward the kitchen. It only took him three steps. He dropped his hands to his hips. “I failed to see an imminent hostile threat. I instructed the men to stand down. We were outmanned and outgunned. The man who held us just fired. No warning. He killed your brother in front of me. No prelude. He just killed him as if he didn’t matter.”
The anguish in the big man’s voice pulled Faith off the chair. She walked up to him, stopping less than six inches in front of him. “But you didn’t make him join Guardian. You didn’t make him take on the missions.”
“He took my orders.”
“That he willingly took. I know the plane went down. They told me—”
“How he died?”
“They told me he survived the crash…”
“They didn’t tell you how he was killed?”
“No, they told me he survived the crash. You didn’t force him into the airplane or push him out of the aircraft without a parachute. Believe me, he knew the risks. He talked about it with me. Guardian was his way out of a hell we both existed in. The money he made there helped get Reece and me out of a dangerous situation, too.”
She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. He turned into her hand and she saw the glimmer of moisture on his lashes. The absolute desolation he felt radiated around him. Faith pulled him down into a hug, trying to ease his pain.
“It was my fault. You lost your brother because of me.”
“What penance are you paying? Why are you blaming yourself for events you had absolutely no control over? From what I can see, this isn’t your cross to bear, Jason.”
“It is.”
“You are not to blame. I lost a good friend that day. Theo was my half-brother. We have different mothers. His mom tried to keep him away from our father. But when Theo found out he had a sister, he came back for me. He moved me here to Savannah, helped me get this trailer and supported us until I found a job. He wanted to give me more money, but I needed to be able to fend for myself, to prove I could. I will always miss him, but I know he wouldn’t have wanted to die any other way than in the line of duty. He loved what he was, what he did. You could see it when he spoke of his teammates and of the importance of what they did.”
Faith felt the hard clenched muscles in the man’s back relax slightly as she spoke. His hands rested on her hips, warm and heavy. “Why haven’t you bought a house with the insurance money Theo left you?”
The question stopped her tender strokes to his back. She pulled away and angled her face so she could see his eyes. “Theo didn’t leave me any money.”
Jason straightened to his full height. “He had half a million in insurance. Every team member does.”
“He left it to Reece because that was the safest. He set up a trust that can only be accessed by Reece when he turns twenty-one. It is set up that way for his protection. I never saw a penny of money from Guardian, and I really don’t need anything. I have a job, some savings, and Reece and I are
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