you.” He looked at Jess with a softer expression and motioned her across the room with a firm nod. “Sit.”
Simon stared at the floor as she strode stiffly past him, leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms defiantly.
Simon.
He looked up, hearing Soren call into his mind. Brothers could do that. Clanmates, too. Not to mention mates, though Jess had long since shut him out of her mind. “Talk.”
He didn’t want to talk, damn it.
“You want peace?” Soren demanded. “Tell her.”
How could he ever tell Jess? Where would he start?
“I have to go,” Soren sighed, turning for the door. “Tell her.”
Jess glanced at him with an alarmed expression that said,
Tell me what?
Chapter Nine
Jess steeled herself. It was time to finally face down her bear. She’d rip into him and give him exactly what he deserved. She’d finally, finally speak her mind. She had the words rallied, mustered and ready to attack.
She’d let him have it, all right.
She looked at Simon, but same as always, he didn’t meet her eyes. He never did. Nothing she did seemed good enough for him. She could hustle her ass in the saloon morning, noon, and night. She could scrub the place — scrub the toilets, for goodness’ sake — and he’d never utter a word. Never reward her with so much as a smile.
And he’d had the nerve to strong-arm her sister! Well, she’d had enough of his grouchy, domineering ways. Had enough of his belittling glances and tight, unhappy lips. She’d had enough of all the derisive comments she imagined hanging on the tip of his tongue. She’d absolutely, positively had enough.
“You—” she started spitting out the attack, but he countered in the most unexpected way.
“Jesus, Jess…” His murmur was full of pain and defeat, and it stopped her cold.
A shaft of pale light fell through the dusty window and into the dim room, lighting up a thousand dancing particles of dust. Beyond it, in shadow, Simon sat, quiet and broken. His voice wasn’t angry. More like fearful. His eyes slid shut, extinguishing the twin, shiny points.
Her heart lurched. She was ready for angry or mean or harsh. But fearful? She’d never seen Simon afraid of anything.
“Listen,” he tried and immediately petered out. Shook his head at himself and made a choking sound. Finally, he patted the floor beside him and whispered, “Sit.” He looked up with beseeching eyes. “Please. Just sit. Listen. Please…”
She stared for a second, then took a step closer in spite of herself.
His voice was so quiet, so worn, she couldn’t help but do as he said. She backed toward the stairs, not quite trusting, and lowered herself to the second one, keeping a height advantage over him for the tiny bit of confidence that brought.
“Listen, Jess…”
The way he said her name made her toes tingle, even though the rest of her fretted about what might come next. Some terrible revelation, some dark secret, maybe.
“You have to be careful, Jess. They’re still out there.”
Her mind raced, trying to remember what existed outside the four walls of the saloon. She’d been so preoccupied with Simon and work, she hadn’t given anything else much thought.
“They’re still out there…” His voice was hoarse, and a chill ran down her spine. “No one can know you’re here. If Janna answers the phone like that, she’s putting your life at risk. If they find out where you are…”
She didn’t have to ask who
they
were. The rogues who called themselves Blue Bloods. The ones who’d murdered her family. The mad shifters who’d chanted as they watched her home burn.
Purity! Purity! No shifters shall mix! None shall taint shifter blood!
It was a miracle she and Janna had slipped away. But word must have gotten back to the rogues and their madman of a leader, Victor Whyte, because they’d hunted the sisters ever since. She and Janna had moved from one place to another, wondering where it would all end. And the first place she’d
Simon stared at the floor as she strode stiffly past him, leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms defiantly.
Simon.
He looked up, hearing Soren call into his mind. Brothers could do that. Clanmates, too. Not to mention mates, though Jess had long since shut him out of her mind. “Talk.”
He didn’t want to talk, damn it.
“You want peace?” Soren demanded. “Tell her.”
How could he ever tell Jess? Where would he start?
“I have to go,” Soren sighed, turning for the door. “Tell her.”
Jess glanced at him with an alarmed expression that said,
Tell me what?
Chapter Nine
Jess steeled herself. It was time to finally face down her bear. She’d rip into him and give him exactly what he deserved. She’d finally, finally speak her mind. She had the words rallied, mustered and ready to attack.
She’d let him have it, all right.
She looked at Simon, but same as always, he didn’t meet her eyes. He never did. Nothing she did seemed good enough for him. She could hustle her ass in the saloon morning, noon, and night. She could scrub the place — scrub the toilets, for goodness’ sake — and he’d never utter a word. Never reward her with so much as a smile.
And he’d had the nerve to strong-arm her sister! Well, she’d had enough of his grouchy, domineering ways. Had enough of his belittling glances and tight, unhappy lips. She’d had enough of all the derisive comments she imagined hanging on the tip of his tongue. She’d absolutely, positively had enough.
“You—” she started spitting out the attack, but he countered in the most unexpected way.
“Jesus, Jess…” His murmur was full of pain and defeat, and it stopped her cold.
A shaft of pale light fell through the dusty window and into the dim room, lighting up a thousand dancing particles of dust. Beyond it, in shadow, Simon sat, quiet and broken. His voice wasn’t angry. More like fearful. His eyes slid shut, extinguishing the twin, shiny points.
Her heart lurched. She was ready for angry or mean or harsh. But fearful? She’d never seen Simon afraid of anything.
“Listen,” he tried and immediately petered out. Shook his head at himself and made a choking sound. Finally, he patted the floor beside him and whispered, “Sit.” He looked up with beseeching eyes. “Please. Just sit. Listen. Please…”
She stared for a second, then took a step closer in spite of herself.
His voice was so quiet, so worn, she couldn’t help but do as he said. She backed toward the stairs, not quite trusting, and lowered herself to the second one, keeping a height advantage over him for the tiny bit of confidence that brought.
“Listen, Jess…”
The way he said her name made her toes tingle, even though the rest of her fretted about what might come next. Some terrible revelation, some dark secret, maybe.
“You have to be careful, Jess. They’re still out there.”
Her mind raced, trying to remember what existed outside the four walls of the saloon. She’d been so preoccupied with Simon and work, she hadn’t given anything else much thought.
“They’re still out there…” His voice was hoarse, and a chill ran down her spine. “No one can know you’re here. If Janna answers the phone like that, she’s putting your life at risk. If they find out where you are…”
She didn’t have to ask who
they
were. The rogues who called themselves Blue Bloods. The ones who’d murdered her family. The mad shifters who’d chanted as they watched her home burn.
Purity! Purity! No shifters shall mix! None shall taint shifter blood!
It was a miracle she and Janna had slipped away. But word must have gotten back to the rogues and their madman of a leader, Victor Whyte, because they’d hunted the sisters ever since. She and Janna had moved from one place to another, wondering where it would all end. And the first place she’d
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