“That’s an excuse. Not an apology.”
I glared at Mike. “We were out of order.”
“There was no we. There was you and a knife.” Mike touched his neck where I could see the healing scab of where I’d cut him.
“What do you want?” I demanded, out of my depth.
Mike shook his head in disappointment and reached over to stir the pot. “A genuine one, Dynamo.”
“I just offered you one!”
“No, you gave me an excuse for your actions. I get that. But I didn’t receive an apology. Here, I’ll start you off. Mike, I’m really sorry for… now you take over.”
I got the distinct impression that he was enjoying this. “Look, I’m sorry for scaring your kids, for giving them nightmares, and for hurting you. I won’t apologise for distrusting you; I don’t know you. And I’m not apologising for jumping the gun; that might have meant life or death for Maci.”
“What else?” Mike pushed.
I frowned. Mike smirked, and a tiny flutter happened in my stomach.
“Mike, I apologise for breaking into classified files and checking you out,” Mike said, and I shook my head.
“No, I’m not, and you’d have done the same. How were you aware of that, anyway?”
Mike grinned. “Cipher isn’t the only expert in cyber hacking. My name is flagged; anyone runs a search, it’s noted.”
“No way did someone catch Cipher. I don’t believe that,” I exclaimed.
Mike smirked. “Cipher’s one of the best, but notthebest.”
He turned back to the stove while I tried to absorb that. Cipher had to be warned that his check had been marked. That could have endangered him and the club.
“Cipher’s safe. The Royal Bastards aren’t in danger. If I wanted him shut down, I’d have given the order,”Mike threw over his shoulder.
What was he? A mind reader now?
“Anyway, I’ve said what I needed. I’ll let myself out,” I stated and stood up.
“Fancy dinner?” Mike asked, turning to look at me.
“What?”
“Dinner, you know, food.”
“I know what din—”
“Good. Stay. You owe me. Show Raven and Robin that you’re not a demon-spawned monster so they can sleep without nightmares,” Mike demanded.
“I am, though.”
“No. I don’t believe that. No bitch would have brought two highly sought-after dolls to apologise to the girls,” Mike refuted.
“It was the right thing to do,” I replied stiffly.
“Yeah, but you didn’t have to. Stay and eat with them, let them see you’re human.” Mike’s eyes studied me carefully, and I wondered what he was seeing. Whatever it was, Mike wasn’t prepared to back down.
“If you mean you’re sorry, you’ll stay,” Mike stated and turned away.
I chewed that over, sat down, and glared at him. Damn him and his clever words. I’d eat and then leave. This was an untenable situation to be in. It felt too familiar, too much like a dream I’d once had that had been stolen from me. A family. That was something I’d never experienced. Men who cared little about the fact that I’d once dreamed of my future had taken it from me. They’d paid in blood, but so had I.
