allowed it to go to voicemail. She hung up without leaving a message. She called again, just as he pulled into Cayenne’s street. Again, he allowed it to go to voicemail.
“Uncle Jay? Please, pick up. Please.”
She sounded frightened and he immediately picked up. “Rayna! Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I’m stranded and I need you to pick me up.”
The hell she did. “Call Conner or Adrian. They’re both home,” he told her. “And I’m busy.”
“Are you saying you won’t come help me, Uncle Jay?”
The surprised hurt in her voice cut through him. He sucked in a breath. “I know Conner and Adrian put you up to this, Rayna. I’m not falling for your trick.”
to this, Rayna. I’m not falling for your trick.”
“I never thought you’d turn me down when I needed your help, Uncle Jay. I don’t know what’s going on with you but no one put me up to anything. My car broke down and emergency road service won’t be here for at least an hour.”
“Tell me another one.”
“I’ll call Uncle Conner.”
“You do that,” he said and hung up.
He got out of his car and stalked down Cayenne’s street. He came to an abrupt halt. Conner and Adrian stood on either side of her steps.
He heard Conner’s cell phone ring and recognized Rayna’s ring since they all had a special ring for her.
Conner answered and immediately tensed. “Rayna…of course I’ll come. Where are you? I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Conner ended the call and turned to look at Adrian. “Rayna’s stuck on 95. I’ll leave you to deal with him,” he said and was gone in a flash.
Jayvyn stiffened and stared at Adrian. “Rayna wasn’t with you two when she called?” Adrian stalked across the street to him, clasped a hand on the back of his neck, and walked him into the woods behind Cayenne’s house. Then he rounded on him. “She called you and you didn’t help?” Jayvyn felt as if his world had turned upside down. “She called right after I talked to you. I thought you’d put her up to calling.”
“And you didn’t even bother to check to see if you were right? What if her cell phone battery had died and she couldn’t make another call? What if the tow-driver turned out to be a rapist or a murder?” Without warning, Adrian bared his incisors and backhanded him, knocking him on his ass. Then Adrian grabbed his collar and snatched him to his feet. “I know what you’re going through, but you’d better get a grip, Jayvyn. And you’d better get your ass away from here until you get control of your feelings. You’re in no shape to see her.
“You left Rayna to fend for herself in the middle of the fucking night and God only knows what you planned to do to her friend. Get in your car and take your ass away from here right now, Jayvyn.”
“Or what?”
“Don’t you challenge me, boy!”
He slapped Adrian’s hands away. “I’m a man. Not a boy.”
“Then act like one. Get away from here and give me your word you won’t come back tonight.”
“Or?”
“Or I’ll wipe the floor up with your ass and drag you home.”
“You might not find that so easy to do.”
Adrian laughed and then backhanded him again.
He shot to his feet and grabbed Adrian by the throat.
Adrian pried his fingers loose and shoved him back. “Are you sure you want to do this, Minninnewah?” He sucked in a breath. Rage ate at him until his stomach felt as if it hosted hellfire. But this blind rage had already cost him his most precious friendship. It had led him to leave Rayna in a possibly dangerous situation. It would have allowed him to take Cayenne—with or without her permission. If left unchecked, what would it do to the relationship he’d always cherished with Adrian and Conner?
He allowed his shoulders to slump as he bowed his head.
Adrian put an arm around his shoulders. “I know what you’re going through, Minninnewah. I know the blind rage, the pain, and confusion you feel. I also know how easy it would be to
“Uncle Jay? Please, pick up. Please.”
She sounded frightened and he immediately picked up. “Rayna! Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I’m stranded and I need you to pick me up.”
The hell she did. “Call Conner or Adrian. They’re both home,” he told her. “And I’m busy.”
“Are you saying you won’t come help me, Uncle Jay?”
The surprised hurt in her voice cut through him. He sucked in a breath. “I know Conner and Adrian put you up to this, Rayna. I’m not falling for your trick.”
to this, Rayna. I’m not falling for your trick.”
“I never thought you’d turn me down when I needed your help, Uncle Jay. I don’t know what’s going on with you but no one put me up to anything. My car broke down and emergency road service won’t be here for at least an hour.”
“Tell me another one.”
“I’ll call Uncle Conner.”
“You do that,” he said and hung up.
He got out of his car and stalked down Cayenne’s street. He came to an abrupt halt. Conner and Adrian stood on either side of her steps.
He heard Conner’s cell phone ring and recognized Rayna’s ring since they all had a special ring for her.
Conner answered and immediately tensed. “Rayna…of course I’ll come. Where are you? I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Conner ended the call and turned to look at Adrian. “Rayna’s stuck on 95. I’ll leave you to deal with him,” he said and was gone in a flash.
Jayvyn stiffened and stared at Adrian. “Rayna wasn’t with you two when she called?” Adrian stalked across the street to him, clasped a hand on the back of his neck, and walked him into the woods behind Cayenne’s house. Then he rounded on him. “She called you and you didn’t help?” Jayvyn felt as if his world had turned upside down. “She called right after I talked to you. I thought you’d put her up to calling.”
“And you didn’t even bother to check to see if you were right? What if her cell phone battery had died and she couldn’t make another call? What if the tow-driver turned out to be a rapist or a murder?” Without warning, Adrian bared his incisors and backhanded him, knocking him on his ass. Then Adrian grabbed his collar and snatched him to his feet. “I know what you’re going through, but you’d better get a grip, Jayvyn. And you’d better get your ass away from here until you get control of your feelings. You’re in no shape to see her.
“You left Rayna to fend for herself in the middle of the fucking night and God only knows what you planned to do to her friend. Get in your car and take your ass away from here right now, Jayvyn.”
“Or what?”
“Don’t you challenge me, boy!”
He slapped Adrian’s hands away. “I’m a man. Not a boy.”
“Then act like one. Get away from here and give me your word you won’t come back tonight.”
“Or?”
“Or I’ll wipe the floor up with your ass and drag you home.”
“You might not find that so easy to do.”
Adrian laughed and then backhanded him again.
He shot to his feet and grabbed Adrian by the throat.
Adrian pried his fingers loose and shoved him back. “Are you sure you want to do this, Minninnewah?” He sucked in a breath. Rage ate at him until his stomach felt as if it hosted hellfire. But this blind rage had already cost him his most precious friendship. It had led him to leave Rayna in a possibly dangerous situation. It would have allowed him to take Cayenne—with or without her permission. If left unchecked, what would it do to the relationship he’d always cherished with Adrian and Conner?
He allowed his shoulders to slump as he bowed his head.
Adrian put an arm around his shoulders. “I know what you’re going through, Minninnewah. I know the blind rage, the pain, and confusion you feel. I also know how easy it would be to
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