Page 64 of Sire

“Keep your hand on my arm, Angel. Always let me know you’re there.”

His head is on a swivel, his hand ready to grab his holstered gun.

We rush past a crowd outside a bar, and I almost stumble in my sandals. “Where are we going?”

“Axel’s office.” Ignoring the pedestrian light, he holds my hand while we jog across a street.

“Axel’s fighting one of your brothers?”

“More like Axel and Nash are about to kill Loch, our baby brother.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s in love with Alena.”

“Who? Axel or Loch?”

“Loch. And I’m the only one who’s known. But it seems Loch thought tonight, of all nights, would be a good time to fess up to Nash.”

“I mean...” I glance up at the three-story building with arched windows, while Sire enters a code for its door. “Given how Nash is Alena’s father, and y’all probably go gangster about your women, would there ever be agoodtime for Loch to tell Nash that he’s fucking his daughter senseless?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Sire holds the glass door open for me. “Nash willdefinitelykill Loch.”

Rushing up two flights of stairs, we can hear their shouts before we enter what must be Axel’s personal office.

“Why Alena?” Axel roars. “You can have any woman. Why her?”

With a right hook, he punches a really hot, beefy guy who must be Loch.

“Because, Dick!” Loch uppercuts Axel’s gut. “I love her!”

I look and see Nash pacing like an angry lion who just fed; his knuckles, lips, and nose are covered in blood. It seems like he’s already had a round with Loch, but he’s not bleeding as badly as the gusher pouring from Loch’s eyebrow.

“She deserves better, you fucking…” Axel lunges for Loch, tackling him to the carpet.

Loch twists, rolling on top of him, cocking his fist back to punch Axel, who’s moving his knee to kick Loch in the balls when…

“Hurt my brother, and I will strike you down!” Sire booms like God above.

Like the God who wiped out humanity with a flood because he was mad. Yeah, that God. The one you don’t mess with—Sire’s looking and sounding like him.

Loch glares up at him. “You’re defending Axel? He fucking started it!”

Sire snarls, looming over them, “I’m defendingbothof you, and I will fuckingfinishboth of you if you don’t stop this shit right now.”

Loch drops his fist.

“Jesus.” Jace leans against the window, rolling his eyes. “They’ll listen to you but not me?”

Sire leans down, getting in Loch’s face, then Axel’s. “Because they know I’m fucking crazy when I’m mad andnothing pisses me off more than our family fighting.” His finger thumps Loch’s head. “Get the fuck off him.”

Loch crawls up.

“And you.” Sire puts his finger in Axel’s face. “You should know better.Imake the heads roll in this family, not you.”

“Did you know?” Axel spits blood on his carpet before confronting Sire. “Did you know about him and Alena?”

“Yes.” Sire stands and looks at Nash. “I’ve known Loch has been in love with Alena sincebeforeyou told him to guard her.”