Page 66 of Branded By Shadow
“You don’t get to tell me no about my sister.”
“I get to tell you no about walking into a setup.”
“Then come with me.”
He goes still.
I shove one boot on, wobbling because my body has the nerve to be sore while I’m trying to have a dramatic argument.
“She said no Saints,” I add.
His expression darkens. “Convenient.”
“She’s terrified.”
“She should be.”
“So help me without scaring her.”
Jayce stares at me like I’m a problem he can’t shoot, patch, or order into compliance.
Good.
Let him suffer.
Finally, he grabs his shirt and yanks it on. “You do exactly what I say.”
“Jayce.”
“Exactly, Talia.”
The use of my name stops me more than the order does.
His voice is rough.
My chest tightens.
“Okay, Shadow,” I say.
His expression changes at that.
Not much.
Enough.
Twenty minutes later, we pull up two blocks from the Bluebird Café.
Morning has settled over Lovefall Cove like nothing ugly ever happens here. The bakery down the street has a line out the door. A woman walks a fluffy white dog in a sweater. Someone has hung spring flowers in baskets from the lampposts.
It all looks too normal.
Like the world didn’t crack open last night.
Shadow parks behind a closed antique shop and kills the engine. He takes my helmet but doesn’t get off right away.
“You see her, you don’t run.”
“I’m not going to run.”
