A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound #4) - Hailey Turner Page 0,34
go all in if they wanted to survive. War waited for no one. It arrived unexpectedly or crept into the background of a person’s life without them realizing it—but it came with a relentlessness that killed.
Emma raised her hand. “I’m in favor of poking the hornet’s nest.”
“Wait. What are we doing?” Marek asked as he came back into the living room. He’d taken care of his forced erection and looked more comfortable in his own skin.
“Delivering the body to Estelle and Youssef.”
Marek blinked at them. “Right now?”
Leon shrugged. “Why wait?”
Sage crossed her arms over her chest and met Jono’s eyes. She didn’t bother to hide her anger, but Jono knew from past experiences she’d accept his order. She might not like it, and there was a fair chance she’d greet him with an I told you so later on down the line, but she’d do what he asked.
“I don’t suppose we can blame the silver and aconite poisoning and claim you’re out of your mind, can we?” Sage asked.
Jono shook his head. “No.”
“Then let’s get you dressed. Emma? Leon? The crate won’t fit in the Mustang’s trunk or our Maserati. Load it into your Escalade. We’ll be down in about ten minutes.”
“What about me?” Marek asked.
Sage kissed him soundly on the mouth before following Jono into the bedroom. “Finish your coffee and go get the car.”
The clothes he’d worn last night to Brooklyn were a mess and had been stashed in a plastic bag that now resided in Marek’s Maserati. They’d get rid of it in some place that wasn’t here. Jono shoved his track pants off while Sage dug out some clean clothes from the dresser for him.
“You better have a damn good apology ready for when Patrick finds out,” Sage said quietly as she handed him a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved Henley.
“I’ll think of something,” Jono said.
Sage watched him carefully get dressed with an unreadable look on her face. “You still smell like you’re hurt.”
“If it’s the blood, we can blame it on the body when we deliver it.”
In response, Sage unclasped the turquoise pendant necklace she wore on a platinum chain, the fae magic embedded in the artifact a barrier that hid her scent and what she truly was. Her scent hit Jono’s nose in a soothing way, and he ducked his head a little so she could hook the necklace around his own throat.
“You can’t show weakness to them.”
“Thought you didn’t even want me to show them my face at all?”
Sage arched an eyebrow. “I agree we can’t let their actions slide if they truly hired the hunters. I just think you’re rushing in without thinking.”
“So, like Pat.”
“The two of you are the reason I drink some days.”
Jono gingerly sat on the bed while Sage went to grab his boots and a clean pair of socks. Bending over made everything ache in a way he wished would go away.
Sage knelt in front of him and calmly put on his shoes for him, tying the laces so tight he thought she’d break them. When she stood and went to step back, Jono snagged her wrist, pressing his fingers into the pulse point there.
“If I don’t stand my ground and take what’s ours, they’ll keep coming,” Jono said quietly. “We’re either ready to fight now, or we never will be.”
Sage twisted her hand free to grab his wrist, raising his hand to her throat. She tipped her head to the side, giving him full access. Jono pressed his scent into her skin, the feeling of pack washing over them both. The steady beat of her heart was a comforting metronome beneath his fingertips.
“I’ll talk to Tiarnán about putting extra security on your apartment. If you want to make a point, we can rub our alliance with the fae into Estelle and Youssef’s faces.”
Jono cracked a smile. “There’s a thought. Now go to work. I’ll have Emma and Leon with me all day.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I think me showing up without any of the rest of our god pack will prove how little I think of them and care for their bollocks.”
“Call me after you’re done.”
“Of course.”
Sage helped him off the bed. They left the flat, every step down the stairs making the knife wound over his ribs throb a little. Despite the pain, it hurt less than when he’d first been cut, a testament to Victoria’s skill with healing potions.
Marek was already behind the wheel of his Maserati, and Sage headed for her ride. Leon was parked