Free Eternal Love (Bend to My Will #11) by Emily Jane Trent

know what had happened behind the scenes.
    Still Jacob didn’t want her walking home late or in the dark, so he provided transportation for her. She didn’t complain, and said she felt safer that way. That was a good thing. He needed to protect her, and preferred that she not resist his efforts.
    After the holidays, Jacob had found that Rinaldi Imports was running well. Even in his absence his staff had kept operations moving ahead. It was rewarding to hear that the new alliance with the importers had netted results, even at this early stage. His friends and allies were beginning to see profits from the new online sales venture.
    Jacob’s confidence was high, and his attitude positive. Every morning he picked up an espresso and a quick breakfast on his way to the office. Once at his desk, he dove into priority projects with new verve. Vivienne had sparked passion in his life that extended to all aspects. With his life on track, he stopped looking around every corner for something to derail it.
    But he’d relaxed his vigilance too soon. One afternoon, Jacob stepped out of the office for lunch. After Hong Kong, he had developed a habit of eating at Chinese restaurants, and there were several decent ones within blocks of his office. Sometimes Trace went with him, but today his friend was meeting Lana.
    He headed toward his favorite place, the one he’d been to every day that week. The cook made excellent snake soup, and Jacob’s mouth watered as he strode down the busy sidewalk. He passed by a patch of grass, the entry to one of the other multistoried buildings along his route.
    A man sitting on the edge of the brick planter stared at him, and the nature of the look made Jacob falter. Something welled up inside him, an old feeling that was familiar. It was from long ago, yet had been with him every day of his life.
    Jacob stood on the sidewalk, letting the throng of people go around him. One guy bumped into him, but it wasn’t worth taking note of. Only one thing held Jacob’s attention, and that was the man in front of him. It was the cruel look in the man’s eyes that was unmistakable.
    Carl Hahn was different, older. But he still had that muscular form, and the demeanor that had once intimidated Jacob. When he’d been a boy, his father had looked huge, always looming over him, threatening.
    The man’s hair was graying now, as well as his beard. The scruffy appearance didn’t shock Jacob. Some things didn’t change, and he doubted that Carl had changed for the better. When the man stood up, he took on an air of importance.
    Yet Jacob was no longer a child. He had grown up, and he towered over Carl, who looked slightly bent. But the man didn’t back away, and it occurred to Jacob that he really thought he’d cower to him. It was as though the years hadn’t passed, and the asshole had the right to bully his son.
    Rage surged through Jacob’s veins, and he clenched his fists. “What gutter did you crawl out of?”
    Carl didn’t flinch. “Is that any way to greet your father?”
    “You’re not my father,” Jacob spat. “You were never a father to me.”
    “Oh, so you’re uppity now, are you?” Carl rolled his shoulders, as if unaffected by his son’s caustic reception.
    Images flooded Jacob’s mind, and he blinked. There was Carl holding an electrical cord in his fist, his eyes dead, and his muscles bulging. His raspy voice grated against Jacob’s ears, making him tense. The scars on Jacob’s back stung, as if to remind him of what his father had done to him, of the unrelenting abuse.
    In the background was Flora, his dear mother, crying for Carl to stop. Latent urges to protect her surfaced, along with the despair of losing her, of her life being cut short. Grief swamped Jacob and he clenched his jaw. His vision blurred. Yet Carl still stood there, waiting.
    Once again, a fraction of a second determined the course of Jacob’s life. It had when he was a child, when he’d nearly succeeded in stabbing