Page 77 of Firedrake Betrayal
I scramble to my feet, retreating as I drag the back of my hand over my mouth, hating what I did but craving more of the taste of his blood.
Patten squeezes my arm. “It’s kill or be killed. That guy made his choice when he came after us. Let’s go before someone sees us.”
“And the body?” I make myself look away.
“You heard my da. This is Atticus’s town. His mess. He can deal with it.”
21
JADE
When Patten and Isaiah come back from their trip to the bar, from the speed Patten closes the door, it’s clear that something happened.
Isaiah is quiet as he walks into the living room. He doesn’t look at me, and I get the sense he isn’t okay.
Patten explains about a man in army fatigues shooting at them and how Isaiah chased the man, caught up to him, and drained him.
“Were you followed?” Shep glances at the front door, as if ready to lunge out at a moment’s notice.
We all suspect Atticus is probably hiding in one of the mountains outside of town.
I asked Shep why we don’t go after him now, and he just shook his head and said we need to be sure about our next steps before we move. We walked into a trap before, and he didn’t intend to let it happen again.
But I think Shep is delaying because he knows I would want to go, and he wants to keep me safe.
Patten walks over to the refrigerator and opens it. “No. We drove around a bit first. And no beer. Shit. I could have really done with a drink.”
Isaiah is still quiet, standing with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
I look at him and I make a decision I should have made long before now.
“I’d like to see my dad tomorrow morning.” I pushed for Shep, Isaiah, and Patten to help me rescue Dominik, and Atticus shot Dad out of the sky. Maybe I should start thinking more about what will keep everyone alive rather than what I want.
Everyone looks at me.
“To see if it’s safe to move him yet,” I explain. “It’s not right that I’m putting all of you at risk. We should leave.”
“And Atticus?” Shep leans against the kitchen island, expression serious.
“He will probably follow us wherever we go, but maybe that’s the best thing for everyone.”
“To Chicago, I presume?” Dominik asks.
I lift my chin. “Yes.”
His lips flatten, the only sign he’s not happy about it. “It would be safer in my penthouse.”
“Maybe. But would you let me leave if I said I wanted to?”
“You belong with me, Jade,” Dominik insists.
I look at Isaiah before we can argue like I want to. “Are you okay?”
He nods, smiling faintly, but he’s not. Staying put him in a situation where he drained someone, and now it’s made him think of Amelie, a memory that still haunts him.
“I’d like to see my dad early and we can leave soon after,” I tell Shep firmly. “For Chicago.”
“I think going to bed is a good idea,” Shep says slowly. “We can rest and talk things over in the morning.”
