Page 112 of Zach
Ransom collected were alone. No one cared if they didn’t show up at their foster homes or group
homes. But Jonas and I were a team. No way would I let him disappear with some teenager with big
ideas by himself.
When we were in the fold, Jonas became the center of our group. He needed more protection,
especially at the beginning. We all learned that if we let him settle into his strengths, we all made
money. Didn’t matter if it was gambling or business. Jonas had a calculation for that. So many nights,
I’d find Ransom sitting on the floor next to the little workstation we set up for Jonas, talking quietly to
him. I stayed away, and gave them their space for one reason only. The complete and utter awe on
Ransom’s face when he looked at my brother. That alone earned him my loyalty.
“They were my superpowers,” he mumbles, accelerating through the now green light. “I don’t
really need them anymore. Everything’s too easy now.”
“Running the finances for a multi-billion dollar company and all of its subsidiaries is easy?”
Jonas hums as he turns into our compound, nodding absentmindedly at the security guard. As he
rounds the long drive, I glance at the main employee parking lot, searching for Cara’s car, finally
spotting it right near the door. My stomach does a little jump, knowing Maya’s in the building and I’ll
be seeing her soon. Really soon. Jonas pulls into his spot and leans back, staring through the
windshield at the busy loading docks beyond.
“Yes, it is easy,” he says. “Everything runs on autopilot. There’s very little needed from me
anymore.”
“If you tell Ransom you need a challenge, I’m sure he’d pick up another company for you to
overhaul. You love digging into the finances of his acquisitions.”
Jonas cracks a smile. “Yeah, I do. People always think they’re so clever, hiding their money. I
always find it.” He does, and usually with a skill and speed that leaves the former owners of the
business stuttering and trying to explain themselves. “But even that’s not interesting anymore.”
I squeeze his shoulder because I don’t know what else to do. There’s no easy fix for what’s ailing
him, and as his brother, I hate that.
I’d run in front of him with a sword, hacking and slashing if it meant he had an easy path to the
princess.
“I don’t know what to say. I wish I could help.”
Jonas’s eyes widen in surprise, “You do help. I do not need you to fix anything for me, but I like
