Lawe's Justice - Lora Leigh [36]
She could feel the sudden distrust, see a glimmer of it in their gazes.
She wasn’t going to be protected. It had taken far too many years to prove to her men that she could lead them. That she could protect them.
Unfortunately, for the moment, she needed them away from her. Until she found out what was going on, it was for the best.
Lawe stalked away as though his orders were all that mattered.
“Boss?” Thor questioned her softly. “What do we do?”
“Sounds to me like we’re heading home.” Brick snorted as he shot her an accusing glare.
In that second, so easily, Lawe had damaged the very foundation of her life.
“Boss?” Thor asked again, his pale blue eyes narrowed.
“We haven’t found anything yet, Thor,” she stated, keeping her voice low. “If we don’t have more information before morning, then it sounds like vacation time.”
Her smile was tight. She felt icy inside. Frozen.
She knew where she was going. She didn’t have to turn over what she knew; it could wait. If she found who or what she was looking for, then she could call Jonas in. Perhaps by then she would know which of her men was the traitor. Not that there was a chance of gaining any help from them now. Lawe was another story.
How dare he think he could rule her life so easily? That he could make such decisions and force her to follow them.
“Since when do we obey Breeds?” Malcolm bit out furiously as Thor’s nostrils flared and Malcolm cursed under his breath, while Aaron laid back, his eyes closing in disgust.
She was very aware of their perception of her, but even more, Diane was aware of her perception of herself, and her determination to never be weak again. Let them believe Lawe could weaken her, for the moment anyway. Until she found out what she was dealing with and what the hell was going on, then it was for the best perhaps.
“Looks like we’re all taking a vacation,” she stated. “There’s nothing we can do with the three of you wounded anyway.” She nodded to the three stretched out on the floor.
“He’s weakened you,” Aaron muttered without opening his eyes. “Hell of a way to be taken out of the game.”
“Is that what you really think?” she asked, her chin lifting as she deliberately kept her voice soft, her expression clear.
“What else could I think?” he grunted, refusing to even give her the consideration of opening his eyes.
“You could think, ‘I hope you have a nice vacation, boss. See you when we’re all healed,’” she told him softly before informing him, “You’ll get your pay when we’re back to work.”
Once, long, long ago, she had been weak. She hadn’t been able to protect herself or Rachel, and she hadn’t been strong when it had mattered the most.
She had sworn it wouldn’t happen again.
Never again would she allow herself to be so weak and so dependent on someone else that if they failed her, then it could destroy her.
Hell, maybe she should have just let Thor carry her bags last night after all. Then she could have gotten used to that edge of suspicion in their gazes.
She couldn’t deny the charge though. The sudden opportunity the wounds provided her couldn’t be wasted. That didn’t mean she had to take Aaron’s insults.
His eyes opened slowly. “If you were a man . . .”
“What?” She actually laughed at him. “I kicked your ass the last time, Aaron. You’re stronger, but I’m smaller, and your balls are damned vulnerable. Remember that one.”
His nostrils flared with instinctive anger before he glared at her with silent resentment.
“Anyone else?” She met each man’s gaze steadily.
“That’s all well and good, Di,” Brick said softly. “You control the money and you can put us on the ground, we get that. But there are other ways to be weak, and right now, those Breeds are making you weak.”
Diane shrugged. “Your opinion. Now, I hope you all enjoy your vacation. I intend to enjoy mine.”
“We will.” Malcolm nodded slowly, the amused quirk at his lips only slightly mocking. “We might be available when you call us back.”
“Your choice,” Diane assured him, as though she didn’t doubt for a moment they would all