Sage

The fury in her eyes was enough to scorch my soul. But the way she came to Gin’s defense squeezes at my chest. She cared about how to lay Gin to rest. It wasn’t just because she wanted to put him in the ground and be done with it. She didn’t want her dad to be burned like he had been when he was alive. “Poor kid,” Rock says, going back behind his desk to sit down. “Fucking hated doing that to her.”

“What’s done is done. She’ll come around,” I say, not knowing whether it’s true or not.

“Maybe. Until then, keep an eye on her. I still don’t want her hightailing it back to California.” I nod at his instruction. “And find out why the fuck no one was with them. Vin should have known better than to let the two of them go off into town on their own. Jay is a good shot, but with his arm out, I’d rather not take the chance of them being without.”

“Will do. I’ll follow them back to Vin’s,” I say, then head outside to my bike, just catching the trail of dust Brook left behind.

It doesn’t take long to catch up to her and Jay as they drive back to Vin’s. I park behind them and kill my engine. She doesn’t even throw me a glance as she parks the little red car and takes off into the house. “That was intense,” Jay says, coming up to me.

“For sure. I’m glad her heart was in the right place, though.”

“She has to come to terms with a lot of shit. Not sure she’ll let herself, though. She’s as stubborn as Dad is. Was. Fuck, I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“You and me both, Jay. Take care of your sister, yeah? And do me a damn favor?”

He nods, looking me over.

“Don’t leave this fucking house without someone with you. Make sure to fucking hell she doesn’t either. She even tries, you tie her to the bed and give me a call.”

“You got it. Coming in?”

I nod and slide off my bike, following him inside the once bed and breakfast home. The two-story house is old as fuck, but Ellie fell in love with it I guess. Vin fixed it up for her, and now they have enough rooms to house their family and then some.

“Sage. Sorry. I was out in the shop with Anthony and came back to find her gone. By the time I called Rock, he said you guys had it covered.”

“It’s all good,” I say, shaking my head in reassurance. “Jay and I got it covered. If she starts screaming, it’s because Jay tied her up.” I let out a chuckle and try not to let the mental image of Brook tied up get me fucking hard. But it doesn’t happen. My mind brings her right to my bed and plants her ass down, arms tied up over her head as she lays on her stomach completely fucking naked, and her ass red from my palm. My hand starts to tingle at the thought.

“Sage?” Vin’s voice breaks into my thoughts. Shit, I hadn’t even heard him talking.

“Yeah?”

“You want coffee?”

Fucking shit. “I’ll have some. Thanks.”

“Rock tell you to watch over her still?” I nod, taking a sip of the hot coffee. “Does he know?”

“Know what?”

“How you feel about her?” The fuck?

“Come again? The fuck are you trying to say, V?”

“Not trying to say a thing. Just caught the way you looked at her yesterday.” He holds up his hands in defense, but still has a cocky ass grin on his face. “Same way I saw him lookin’ at Grace. Like she was the only fucking woman on this earth. Never had that sparkle to him until her—not even with Brit. The man had it bad, and I believe you do too,” he states, pissing me off.

“Listen. I don’t know what the fuck you saw, V, but that girl is a fucking kid. I’m almost the same age as her old man. I ain’t fuckin’ looking at her with no goddamn twinkle,” I grit out between clenched teeth, then stand from the table when my eyes catch a streak of blonde hair in the doorway to the living room. Just fucking great. “Thanks for the coffee,” I grumble before stomping out of the house, pissed off that Vin just might be fucking right.