Page 12 of The Union
Once the six of us were gathered together, Steven crossed his arms over his chest. “Jack, what are you planning? When you left the hangar earlier, where did you go?”
Webb swiped a hand over his brown hair as he rested a shoulder against the bulkhead. Tripp was in the chair next to Jo but sitting on the edge so he had a view of Jack and me.
For a beat, the tension in the cabin escalated. I didn’t need to be an empath to feel it either. The vampires stared at Jack, and no doubt Jo was reading Jack’s mind like an open book. Regardless, I got the vibe that they had already initiated a plan of their own, which was the reason for Steven’s question.
“He called his wife,” Jo said.
I’d assumed he contacted Noah.
“He tried to call Noah,” Jo added, responding to my thought. “But Noah didn’t answer.”
Steven gave Jo a fatherly scowl. “Please, let Jack speak for himself.” Steven could read minds, but only when he was touching someone.
Jack leaned forward and dug his elbows into his thighs. “Why? She can read everything I’m thinking. Besides, what do you want me to say? I don’t know what the fuck is going on. As far as my intentions are concerned, I want to take Noah back to his mother and knock some sense into him. I don’t want humans turning into supernatural predators. But I’m not sure I can do anything here. Remember, I came to you for help, not only to find my son but to help in your search for Roman Brown. Ray was excited to hunt Roman for cutting off his finger. I didn’t know he’d been scheming behind my back.”
I would’ve joined Uncle Ray to find Roman. The bastard who ran a successful blood syndicate was a thorn in my side. Actually, Roman had escaped a vampire prison. So the SEALs were chomping at the bit to capture him.
“Here’s what I suggest,” Steven said to Jack. “It’s best if you return to Montana. We’ll handle things from here.”
Jack straightened. “I’m not going anywhere without my son.”
Webb cast a vacant look at Jack, but behind those blue eyes was a calculating soldier ready to fight. “Until we get answers, Noah will be our guest.”
“Ifyou find him, but you’re not holding my son prisoner.” Jack’s voice was deep and scary. “The Aberdeens handle their own.”
The vampire SEALs would blow up buildings and chase down anyone who knew Noah until they found my squirrelly cousin.
Steven’s green eyes flashed to silver, his fangs lowering. “The fuck we won’t. Jack, I want to make something crystal clear. If you stand in our way, I’ll have no choice but to lock you in a cell alongside your son.”
Jack flew off the chair, fists clenched. “I’ll handle my kid, bloodsucker.”
My uncle had some balls. He was the minority among these powerful creatures who could squash him in a nanosecond.
Tripp, who had been quiet, was on his feet, fangs front and center, bronze eyes shifting to inky black. All vampires, except for the Masons, had black eyes when their emotions changed.
Webb straightened, primed to intervene if he had to.
Steven got in Jack’s face, his green eyes now gunmetal silver. “I am so fucking tired of my family being hunted, used, abused, and nothing but a commodity for some psychotic asshole who only wants to profit off us.” Steven bared his fangs before running his tongue over one canine. I swore he was testing if his teeth were sharp and ready to rip Uncle Jack’s throat out. “So know this. If anyone, and I mean anyone, thwarts my efforts to save my son, I will take no prisoners. Are we clear?”
A stabbing pain seized my chest as I held my breath.
Jack inched back a step. “I swear if you hurt Noah, you’ll be the one hanging over my firepit.”
Steven chuckled. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Jack. You’ve got some huge fucking balls.” Then his features tightened. “But let’s be real. What would you do in my shoes?”
Jack snarled. “The same fucking thing.”
A phone rang, slicing through the tension.
Jack snagged his cell from his coat pocket. “It’s Noah.” He pursed his lips as he answered. “Where the fuck are you?” he shouted, the color of his face deepening to red. “Your mother has been worried sick.”
Jack didn’t need to put the call on speaker. I could hear Noah as though he was in the cabin with us.
“Dad, chill.” Noah’s voice was loud, clear, and condescending.
“I’ll ask again. Where are you?” A muscle jumped along Jack’s jaw.
“I need to talk to Uncle Ray,” Noah said. “He’s not answering his phone. Where is he?”
