“If you didn’t have anything smart to say, you should’ve just ignored him.”

“Ignored him? Are you for real? He attacked me and he threw the first punch. Ask any of the men who were there.”

“And what were all of them doing there?”

“They were on their way to the training room. They tried to separate us, but...”

“So you’re saying all of you together couldn’t stop James from jumping at you?” I somehow doubted James had started the fight, and I wished we’d installed cameras in this hallway, but then they’d be recording me too, and I wasn’t too fond of that, especially down here. Upstairs, it was different, but here I didn’t want to feel like I was in prison.

Brent went quiet, so I started for the door.

“Don’t let it happen again, and I mean it,” I said.

“Or what?”

I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Or your position in this family will change.”

He snorted. “I’ve been with you for years. My father gave his life for you. And now you’d alleviate me of my position for some stupid...”

“This conversation’s done.” I walked out of the room. James was lounging against the wall, his jaw slightly swollen, blood still seeping from his nose, but he didn’t seem to care. The worst part of all was that he was even more handsome with his hair all messy.

“Come,” I simply said, and he trailed after me to my room.

His face was expressionless as he stopped in the middle of the room and crossed his arms, wincing slightly as he did so.

“What the hell happened out there?” I asked.

“What does it matter?” His eyes met mine. “You’re not going to believe me no matter what I say.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Yeah, as if you’re going to take my word over your second’s.”

“Try me.”

His brow furrowed. “Your second is questioning your ability to lead. He said he would convince you to take my life or he’d do it himself. I told him to try, and that didn’t work out so well for him.”

But if Brent had pulled out a gun, it would’ve been a different story.

James touched his lip that was still bleeding.

“You should go to the doc,” I said.

“No. I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

And Petra’s office was probably full of the guards who James had fought and who needed medical attention more than he did.

“Why are you smiling?” he suddenly asked.

“You took down all of those men on your own and were doing quite fine against Brent.” Brent was actually one of the best fighters I knew, especially when it came to fistfights. He’d been in a few bar fights too, until his father had strictly forbidden him from doing so. “Impressive.”