Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,27
the parking lot.
I was a mess as I drove to the high school to pick up Sage.
My fox was on edge and making me very uncomfortable, but I couldn’t discern if that was because of Sage, the incident at the bank, or the insanely sexy stranger passing through. It was shaping up to be the strangest day of my life.
I called Sapphire on my way to the school to let her know what was going on. I wished I hadn’t told her what our mother was up to this time. It had understandably upset her. I was pretty sure she was as fed up with Shay as I was, but the thought of selling the café and me being kicked out were too much for her.
Sapphire had always been super sensitive and tended to shut down instead of dealing with her emotions or just pushing through a crisis. Normally I would do my best to shelter her from such things. With me out of the house she was going to have to learn to step it up though, so I had told her everything.
“I’ll get back to the café. I shouldn’t have left,” she said sadly.
“It was fine.”
“Did you at least see the hottie at table five?”
“I might have noticed.”
She scoffed. “Might have. He was the best-looking thing we’ve seen around these parts in ages.”
I jerked the wheel as my fox surged in anger. I pulled to the side of the road and slammed the brakes. “What the hell?”
“Susan, are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah, I think so.”
“What happened?”
“Uh, nothing. Traffic. Had to break quickly.”
We were in Womack, there was no traffic.
“Traffic? It must be an accident. Be careful.”
“I will. I gotta go. I’ll see you back at the house later.”
I hung up the phone and turned on some classical music to help calm my nerves as I drove the remainder of the way to the school.
I parked, jumped out, and then rushed inside to find my sister.
“Hi, I’m Susan Duncan. I got a call about my sister, Sage Dubois.”
The lady behind the desk smiled broadly. “Right this way. She just isn’t feeling well and since that hasn’t happened even once, the nurse thought it best if she goes home to rest today. Follow me. She’s right down here.”
The second I walked into the little one room clinic and saw Sage lying on the cot, my heart sank, and then she sat up and winked at me even while she thanked the nurse and asked for help out of bed.
I was going to kill her.
There was no doubt in my mind that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.
I didn’t give away her ruse though and thanked the nurse for taking care of her.
We walked quietly outside to the car. I turned on her as soon as the doors were closed.
“What is this all about?”
She sighed. “I had a bad feeling. I swear I even felt my fox stir. I couldn’t concentrate. I need to be home or at the café with you.”
Sage’s fox hadn’t come in yet, but there were signs that it was coming. I knew what a crazy period that was in a young girl’s life and tried to be sympathetic, but my give a shit meter was pretty busted for the day.
She frowned. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“No, it’s fine. We need to talk anyway.”
She bit her lip and stared out the window. “I know,” she whispered.
“You do?”
She turned to look at me. “You’re leaving us again. I’ve felt it building for weeks. Why do you think I feel so unsettled today?”
Sage had always been intuitive. It was almost like sixth sense or at least it had been that way when she was little. She hadn’t talked about it in so long that I had almost forgot about that.
“That still happens?” I asked her.
She hesitated but nodded. “I’m used to it by now. I’m right though, aren’t I? You’re leaving?”
I nodded. “Shay kicked me out. I have to pack up my things today and be out before dinner, like that’s possible with the way today is going.”
“Take me with you.”
“I wish I could, little one. Mother will never go for that and you know it. You’re still a minor and she’ll keep you just to hurt me. But I’ll still be around. You can come over the café and see me anytime you want. Plus, I’ll only be a phone call away if you need anything.”
She frowned and shook her head. “You’re leaving,” she said.