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"Jacob." Ivan held out his arms like he was going to hug Jacob and started walking toward him.
"Don't come near me." Jacob's gun was at his hip, within easy reach, but he didn't feel compelled to grab it. He suddenly realized he didn't need a gun to deal with this old man. He didn't need anything. Ivan Denman could not hurt him, not anymore.
Ivan stopped, and his eyes narrowed. "Got all rich and famous, did you?"
"What do you want?" he repeated. His voice was low and calm, reflecting the calmness that had surprisingly settled over him.
Ivan settled his weight back, eyeing Jacob speculatively. Jacob could see the wheels turning in his head, assessing Jacob, and trying to figure out the best approach. "You got your money for your security software when you sold it. Billions."
Jacob said nothing. He just watched him unflinchingly, meeting his father's gaze for the first time in his life.
"Yeah, well, I gave you those skills," Ivan said. "I taught you everything you used to make that software. I deserve half."
Lucas snorted, but Jacob didn't react. "Do you?"
Ivan pulled his shoulders back. "Yeah, I fucking do."
"What happened to Sienna?"
Ivan's face flickered in surprise. "That girl who lived with us?"
"My sister. Yeah."
"She wasn't your fucking sister. She was a leftover from my old girlfriend."
Anger coiled in Jacob's chest. "She was my sister," he reiterated firmly. "What happened to her?" She'd been sleeping in her bed when Jacob had been dragged out of his and tossed into a van to help one of his father's associates. When he'd come back, she'd been gone. He'd looked everywhere for her, raged at his father, threatened everyone he knew, and never found a clue. "Did you kill her?"
"I sold her."
Jacob felt his knees start to buckle, but then Lucas put his hand on Jacob's shoulder. The feel of his brother's hand sent strength shooting through Jacob, and suddenly, the little, scared, helpless boy that had lived inside him for so many years was gone.
All that was left was a protector. A man who had strength, resources, and a family to protect. Movement behind Ivan caught Jacob's eyes, and he saw two more of his brothers, Colin and Tristan, walking silently up behind his father.
Hell, yeah.
Jacob strode across his grass, the grass Annie loved, right toward his father. His dad's pals moved in close to Ivan, but they didn't pull their guns. Because they still didn't understand the man Jacob had become.
He walked right up to Ivan as Colin and Tristan neared. He pulled out his gun before his dad or his henchman could react, and he held the gun under Ivan's chin. As he did so, Colin and Tristan put guns to the heads of the other two men, who immediately held up their hands.
Lucas just folded his arms over his chest and grinned.
"Tell me who you sold her to," Jacob demanded.
Ivan met Jacob's gaze with unflinching remorseless. "You'll never shoot me. You're soft. You always were soft."
Of course, on some levels, Ivan was right. None of the Harts would ever shoot anyone in cold blood. But Ivan didn't know that. Jacob narrowed his eyes. "Your blood runs in my veins," he said, letting a chill etch into every word. "I have enough money to make anything happen that I want. Anything. Including a long private visit for you and your friends in a windowless cement shack, where you all get to experience all the pain that Sienna and I experienced, again and again, until all you want to do is die, and even that won't come for you. No one to save you. No one to hear your screams. Just like the two little kids who you betrayed like the demon you are."
Out of the corner of his eye, Jacob saw his brothers fight to suppress their grins, because they knew he was completely bullshitting Ivan. As fucked up as the Harts were, there wasn't a single sociopath among the bunch. But Ivan didn't know that. Jacob had to look away to keep from laughing in Ivan's face.
God, it felt good to be able to laugh in the monster's face, instead of cowering from his reign of terror.
Ivan's eyes widened, and real fear crept into his eyes.
Tristan coughed to cover his laughter, and suddenly Jacob couldn't keep it in. It just felt so fucking surreal to not be scared. He burst out laughing, and the look of absolute horror on his dad's face made him laugh even harder.
"You're fucking insane," Ivan gasped.
"I am," Jacob agreed, as his brothers all broke into grins. "I'm a crazy-as-shit, billionaire with more resources than you can ever imagine. I'm untouchable, as are all my siblings, and anyone we care about." He leaned in. "I can pay for the very, very best hunters in the entire world to come after you, and there's nowhere you can hide to stay safe. Do you understand? You'll never be safe again. You can never feel safe again. Because you never know when I'm going to make that call to make you a target. But I can promise you one thing: I will have you watched at all times, and if you ever do anything to hurt anyone, especially anyone I care about, I will make that call. One strike and you're out. And I might make the call anyway. Because I can, and we both know you deserve it."
