Page 21 of Clash of Sin and Secret

Jack Of All Fades is more than his hobby, I get that, but the little barber shop that smells of aftershave and wood polish is still a front. He was placed here as a security measure for the escape exit.

It doesn’t matter if the shop opens and so—while he’s recovering from a brutal battle—it doesn’t matter if it remains closed, either.

I stride into the front of the shop and sit in one of the three chairs. The vintage barber pole outside is spinning slowly,casting red, white, and blue ribbons of light into the darkness of the alleyway.

“It’s always the last place you think to look. And here I thought you were supposed to be resting.”

Jack finishes sweeping up hair clippings and then props the broom up in the corner. “I’ll rest when I’m dead.

“And are you getting there sooner rather than later?” I cross my arms.

He sits in the vacant chair beside mine and turns so we’re facing one another. “Zane’s healing is complete. I’m fine.”

“And what if you’re not?” I can’t shake off this sense of urgency bubbling inside me.

Jack crosses his ankle over his opposite knee, his gaze piercing through me like he sees right into my head. “What’s going on, Tuck?”

I take a breath, sorting out my thoughts before they spill out. No matter how rattled I am, this isn’t about me—it’s about Scottie. She deserves better than me spilling our private business with a man she considers a father figure. “I need to talk to you, and I need you to be honest with me.”

He frowns. “I’ve been nothing but honest with you, son. Why would you question that?”

“I don’t. It’s just…this is about Scottie and something that happened in New York. She had a nightmare last night and confided some things. I’m worried and have questions. I wondered if you knew about it.”

Jack dips his chin. “I do. I was the one who stayed with her during the weeks of her recovery. But that is her story to tell, Tuck. I won’t break her trust.”

“I’m not asking you to. She’ll confide in me when she’s ready. What I want to know is what happened with that Russ Fusco fucker. Tell me Bran tracked him down and killed him.”

Jack sighs. “Oh, that I could. Unfortunately, I can’t.”

I sit forward in my seat, my bear’s growl rumbling in the air between us. “You mean that bastard is still breathing after what he did to Scottie?”

Jack sighs and runs a hand over his jaw. “Understand that the Vasari’s have no authority in New York. When Bran realized Scottie was in trouble, Francesco approached the Erebus brothers. Because it was a family matter, Victor and Talon allowed them to retrieve Scottie, but someone must’ve tipped Fusco off because he was a ghost.”

“And they never found him?”

“Not that I know of. The brothers were furious about the operation Fusco had built in their city and vowed they would continue to track him down, but as far as I know, nothing ever came of it.”

The idea that the man who kidnapped and terrorized my female is still living is an offense to everything I am.

“And Zane knew none of this?”

Jack shakes his head. “No. The first few years after Scottie left, Zane was completely possessed by his vampire side. It was the worst transition I ever witnessed. He was in no condition to learn that because of him, Scottie was alone and preyed upon by a monster.”

I let out a long breath. “Well, he knows now.”

“How? Why would Scottie tell him now?”

I push out of my chair, pacing the small shop to work out some of my anxiety. “That brings me to the second thing I need to speak to you about. And for this one, I need you to ignore the awkwardness of the subject and to stay clinical.”

His brow raises slightly. “All right. I’ll try.”

I rub my palms together and then wipe them against the thighs of my jeans. “Scottie’s been going through something.”

Jack shifts in his seat. “She’s been going through a lot, son. It’s been a clusterfuck the past few weeks.”

“I know that, but I’ve felt something building inside her the past few days. Given the state of her life, I figured the turmoil and volatility in her was normal. And then last night…”

“Last night, what, son?”

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