Jade narrowed her eyes at the obvious tense exchange. “Is everything okay, Jack?” his friend asked.
“Fine,” he lied, knowing Jade wouldn’t believe him.
No one was fine when they were in Sage’s presence. More than that, Jade was a shifter’s mate, and she understood the aggression brewing between Jack and Sage, though there was no way for Jade to know who the malicious visitor was.
“I would ask if this woman is the lovely Nora, but I already know she isn’t.” Sage gave Jade a terrifying grin that was more of a sneer. “I’ve met Nora. Interesting little woman.”
“Watch it,” Jade growled like the panther her children would be, thanks to Parker. “That’s my best friend you’re talking about.”
“Is it? Hmm.” Sage shrugged.
Things like loyalty and friendship were lost to her. The only things she cared about were violence and money. Her greed knew no bounds and was even responsible for most of Jack’s life troubles. He wasn’t about to let Nora be another one of Sage’s casualties.
His sister had taken enough from him.
“Should we go for a walk?” It wasn’t a suggestion. Sage turned her back and didn’t turn to make sure that Jack was following. They both knew he would because Sage had made a threat to Nora’s life with her mere appearance in Half Moon Key.
Jack followed to find out where his mate was. Still, he also went along with Sage because she didn’t care about collateral damage, and if they started fighting and humans got in the way, she would have no problem killing a few of them just to prove a point.
But if there were shifters turning into their animals and fighting in the middle of town, Mrs. Francis would probably lose a few years off her already old life, and Jack couldn’t have that on his conscience. Letting Sage lead him away made the most sense.
It wasn’t until they were far enough from the beach and in Jack’s home that he exploded, letting loose his rage. It was a rage fueled by years of anger toward a sibling that had made his life impossible, but it was also anger at her arrival in town anddaringto lay her bloody hands on his mate. It just wouldn’t stand. He wouldn’t allow it.
“Where the fuck is she?” Jack roared, grabbing Sage by the throat and shoving her into the wall.
Sage laughed right in his face, not fazed in the least by her little brother’s aggression. Sage had way more experience with violence than he did.
It was true he wrote murder mysteries for a living, but the violence he had experience with was only in the written word.
Sagewasviolent.
She had killed her first person when she was barely an adult, for fuck’s sake. Now she had put her hands on his mate, and Jack didn’t want to be patient and wait around for Sage to decide to kill Nora like she had killed Zak.
“Where. The. Fuck. Is. She.” He repeated, tightening his grip with every word.
Sage only continued to smile at him.
He only eased his hold on her to give her breath to speak. “Look at you, Junior. You’re all grown up and almost man enough to fight me.”
“I’ll fight you, Sage. I have no issue fighting you. I’ll win too. You think I’m weak because I don’t want to run some corrupt empire, but really, you’re the one who is weak. You don’t know how to make your own way, so you take on Dad’s life. You step into his role because you don’t know what you are. You’ve got no clue who you are. But I’ll tell you what you are, Sage. You are a fucking monster. You kill and do terrible things, and for what?”
She smirked. “I know for what. For power. I am more powerful than you or Dad could ever imagine.”
“You can keep your power. It’s not what life is about.”
“If you say so, RJ Phillips. You want power over me, and that’s why you’re still sniffing around Zak’s death.”
The bottom fell out of his stomach, his anger turning even hotter in his gut. “Do not dare say his name.”
“You think you will get me on charges with that cute little book you wrote?” she didn’t pause to let him react but instead pretended that he had reacted exactly howshewanted him to. “You see, I had some time to read this afternoon. Fascinating, really, that you would use that brain of yours to come up with all that.” She clicked her tongue. “If I didn’t want you gone once and for all, I would ask you to join me.” She tried to look sad, but it didn’t work. She didn’t knowhowto be sad or how to feel. She was truly a monster; there was no doubt in his head.
Jack was about to reply when the front door of his cabin burst open. He turned his head, still holding Sage’s neck.
There, in his entryway, stood his pride, his pack, and his fishing buddies, who were quickly becoming his family.
Cohen, Parker, and Mason were there, all three shifters ready for a fight, judging by the look on their faces. They didn’t make a move, though, letting Jack tell them what he needed from them. He wouldn’t forget this loyalty and help from them.
“What’s going on here?” Cohen asked, stuffing his hands in his sheriff’s pants, looking about as unbothered as a dog napping.