Free Saving Face (Mount Faith Series: Book 1) by Brenda Barrett Page A

here much longer either. I have an escape plan."
    He laughed. "I am not cut out for this rat race."
    He picked up his juice and raised it in Taj's direction. "More power to you Dr. Jackson for wanting to be involved in the fray. This kind of thing is not my cup of tea. I am too young to be living this fake life anymore, and too old to be bowing and scraping at my father's well polished feet. I am getting out of here soon."
    "So what are you going to do?" Taj asked Micah who had a steely determined look in his eye.
    "Work here for another six months. I've been saving. By then, I should have amassed enough money to buy the old place I am living in now. It has some acreage attached to it. I can live a simple life and write and play music when I want."
    "How many children does your father have?" Natasha asked innocently. She had checked that data on Bancroft already but she wanted to hear details from his son.
    "Five." Micah looked over at her. "I am the eldest and most unfortunate for being his first born. Then there is Adrian…he's the good son. He went and did his Masters in the Social Sciences. He should be back here next year teaching his good little heart out and being molded into his father's image.
    Then there's Kylie. She's a straight up nerd, with a brain like a computer."
    He hiccupped. "She likes that area too. She goes to school here but keeps a very low profile. Then there is the famous Marcus Bancroft—you must have heard of him. He's the upcoming track star that everybody is talking about these days."
    Natasha gasped. "That's your brother?"
    "Yup." Micah nodded. "My Dad was too distracted in his growing up years to discourage him from following his dreams I guess."
    "Your father sounds terrible." Natasha said quickly.
    Micah shrugged. "My baby sister, the youngest of the bunch, would disagree with you. She thinks he walks on water. I guess after the first three he decided to be more humane in how he raised her."
    "Your mother must be pretty strong to deal with his personality," Taj said softly.
    "She's okay," Micah said. "They got married pretty young and started having children right away. They are not what I would call happy. My Mom is the giver, my Dad the taker."
    Taj nodded. "Your father strikes me as the big-time taker when I met with him today."
    "Oh yes. How was that?" Micah asked interested. "Did the beast roar?"
    Taj shook his head. "He's something else I tell you. He said he'd have me investigated so that he could flaunt my secrets for the board to see and then nail me to the proverbial wall with my shame."
    Micah nodded. "Sounds like good old Dad."
    He cocked his head to one side. " You resemble him quite a bit." He turned to Natasha. "Don't you think so?"
    Natasha nodded. "That's the first thing I thought when I saw Taj."
    Micah shrugged. "Uncle Oswald only got Arnella and Vanley before he died but anything is possible. You might be my long lost cousin.
    Wouldn't that be something? I can't explain it, but when I saw you outside the building, I liked you instantly. Must be your blood calling out to mine. Don't mind me, I know I sound fanciful. I don't mean your parents any disrespect."
    Taj shivered unexpectedly, he had felt the same with Micah too, but he had quickly dismissed it. If that were true, why he didn't feel a connection to Ryan Bancroft? What he felt was antipathy mixed with a mild dislike, and obviously Micah didn't know he was adopted. He snatched a quick look at Natasha and found her gazing between him and Micah contemplatively.
    "Your family sounds fascinating," Natasha said. "Where is your father from originally?"
    "Some place near the sea," Micah said vaguely. "I think my grandfather was a fisherman. The whole family migrated to the US when my father was a teenager. He doesn't talk about his earlier years much…probably too ashamed of his heritage. He probably wants everyone to believe he was born to educated parents with hundreds of letters behind their names."
    The fine hairs at