I gaped at them. I didn’t know Jack had spoken about me to her family. Since I didn’t have any family myself anymore, it was strange to think that I was the subject of her dinner time musings. It caused a knot in my throat that made me cough.
“I... I didn’t know that,” I murmured and then figured I might as well get it over with. They seemed to know most of it already. “Yes, Jack and I were close. And we’d gotten closer. Then... I got promoted and I had to pull back.”
“While we admire your work ethic and dedication to your duty,” Antoine began, his pale blue eyes zeroing in on me, “I have to question your choice to end the relationship rather than just requesting to have Jaquelynn moved to another team.”
My mouth opened and then shut, unable to come up with an answer.
“Either way,” Darren interjected, “that’s not completely why we are here, is it?”
“Correct.” Antoine placed a hand on Darren’s leg. “We wish to know about the vampire. Kyren, I believe?”
“And the wolf,” Drake added.
“I don’t know that I have any more insight on them than what we already know.” I frowned. “Tate is Kyren’s human servant. Kleon sired Kyren. He hasn’t been very active in the vampire or supernatural community. He seems to keep mostly to himself from what I’ve seen during meals. Though the other vampires seem to flock to him, trying to gain his favor, he doesn’t seem interested.”
“Do you think he is a danger to Jack?” Allister tapping his finger on the arm of the couch.
“I...” I wanted to tell them yes, the vampire was a threat. But part of me knew that was just my own selfish want to keep him out of her life. “I don’t think so. He’s kept his distance since finding out she’s a Durand.”
Antoine hummed.
“And the wolf? Tate?” Rayne asked this time. “What do you make of him?”
“He’s... fine.” I winced. “He seems to care for Jack.”
The memory of Jack showing up at my apartment stinking of the wolf just the other day filled my head. I quickly shoved it down, avoiding the redhead’s gaze.
“How does that work?” Rayne asked, confusion pinching his face. “If he’s in love with our daughter but also the human servant of the guy she hates.” He shook his head. “That’s not going to work.”
“I don’t have any right to an opinion on Jack’s love life. So, if that’s all you want to know...” I stood and tried to gesture for them to leave.
None of them moved.
I sighed and sat back down. “I’ve answered all your questions. I’m not sure what else I can provide you. If you want to know more, maybe you should talk to your daughter.”
Drake snorted as he stood. “If you knew our daughter as well as you say you do, you’d know that asking her is the last thing we would do.”
“Yeah.” Allister stood with him, moving toward the door. “That’s a sure-fire way to make her clam up.”
“Don’t worry.” Rayne stood next, walking up to me. He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve heard worse. I won’t hold it against you.”
My teeth ground together, my brows lifting as I nodded. That didn’t make me feel any better.
Wynn and Marcus moved next, the first giving me a sly smile while the other simply stared as they walked out of the apartment.
Antoine stayed where he was while Darren walked out without acknowledging me. I waited to hear what he had stayed behind to say.
“I want to be clear about something.” Antoine watched me, his posture more relaxed than it had been with his brothers. “We trust you with our daughter’s safety. It’s why we allowed Tristen to assign you as her handler and not someone with more... experience.”
“Of course.” I inclined my head. “Jack’s safety is my highest priority.”
“And yet...?” Antoine asked, implying he knew I had more to say that I wasn’t saying.
“Sometimes it’s hard to keep Jack safe from herself.”
Antoine nodded his understanding. “Yes, she gets that from her mother.” Pushing up off the chair’s arms, he stood and slowly moved toward me. “She cares for you, which means she will hide things from you, especially when she’s hurting.”
“I understand.”
