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“Who are you?”Sutton’s mother fired at me.

I crossed my arms.“No, you’re the one who rolled up to Sutton’s door, and since I know who you are and what you did to her, I know it was without an invitation, which means I’ll be asking the questions.What the fuck do you want?”

She flinched, then puffed up like an angry hen.“Sutton trespassed on our cemetery.She’s been stealing from us, the goddess knows how long she’s been doing it, and she will answer to the council for it.”

I lifted my gaze to the council members, knowing dismissing her would piss her off.“You got proof?”

The female bit her lip.I’d met the male before.Nathan Trotman.I knew him as honest and a friend to Willow’s family.He held my gaze as he replied, and it was weighted.“Mrs.Ellis says she saw her.”He didn’t like the bitch either.

“You saw her?When?What time?”I asked.

“Yes, I saw her.Two nights ago, around eight thirty,” she said, looking smug.

“You saw her face?”

“Well…it was dark, but it was her.I know it was,” she said, those lips so fucking tight now it looked like she was sucking on a lemon.

“No,” I said.“Sutton was with me.”

“You’re lying!”she squawked.

“You got no proof she was even there, and I’m telling you she was with me.Couldn’t have been her.So you need to back the fuck up, and get the fuck gone.That’s the fucking end of it.”I looked at Trotman.“Anything else, or are we done?”

“We’re done.Thank you for clearing that up for us, Jagger.”

I gave him a chin lift.

Sutton’s mother kept firing accusations as the council members led her away.I watched, not willing to leave until I was sure they’d gone and weren’t coming back to ambush Sutton as soon as I left.

“You didn’t need to do that.”

I turned and found Sutton standing halfway up the stairs.

“Yeah, I did.Your mother’s a bitch.”

“There were herbs I needed, and I?—”

“Don’t need to explain to me.”

She hugged herself.“Well, thanks…for covering for me.”She still wasn’t willing to give me an inch, but I got it, especially after just coming face to face with her mother.

“No problem, sunshine.They come back, let me know.”

She smiled, like she always did when she was in pain.Trying to hide it from the world.“I told you I can take care of myself.”

Yeah, she wasn’t ready to give in, and I got that too.My sunshine had been hurt too much in her short life, by too many people, and that included me.

I nodded, then forced myself to leave, giving her the space she wanted, even though all I wanted to do was climb those stairs, pull her into my arms, and tell her I’d always have her back, no matter what.

As soon as I shut the door behind me, I hit Lucifer’s number.

“Jag, my man,” he answered after a few rings.

I stopped by my bike.“I have a follow-up to our last conversation.”

“I’m listening,” he said without pause.

“Will you grant Sutton immortality?”