Chapter 18

Blood Debt

Faith had been asleep for hours. Dara lay curled in his bed. Sonny knew he should wake her, but he didn't have the heart. Just once, he wanted to experience waking up in the morning with her in his arms. There would be consequences, but she had to allow him this one precious gift.

Unable to sleep, he rose from the bed. After pulling on pajama bottoms and the matching silk robe, he padded downstairs to the living room. As he passed Keesha's room, he frowned. She wasn't back yet. The previous nights he worried because of the trouble she could get into living on the edge. Now, he worried about the outcome of her latest excursion.

One of his many cell phones rang. He went to his desk and grabbed it. "Yeah."

"How is she?"

Sonny stiffened. Of all the nights, Justus Ward would call to check up on his cousin now. "She's fine."

"Still depressed?" Justus' voice was hurried, but interested. Sonny knew from past experience that regardless of how dire the other man's circumstances were, his family came first.

"Not as much as before," he answered honestly. "You sure about this call."

"Your lines are always secure," Justus countered. "Is she there?"

"No, she's out." Don't ask where, Sonny silently added. Or better still, don't ask about who she's with.

"Is it a date?"

Shit! Sonny pinched the bridge of his nose and padded to the bar. He was gonna need a drink for this. "She's out with Jax."

Justus' voice boomed with a string of expletives that Sonny never figured the man even knew. "How could you let this happen?!"

"What do you mean let?" Sonny barked. "You know her. The terms were I protect her, but stay out of her personal life. Which I did."

"Jax is only after one thing," Justus muttered. "He doesn't want her. It's me he wants."

"I won't let him hurt her," Sonny said after a moment of silence.

"It's too late for that. That smooth sonuvabitch will know how to get past her walls and get inside."

"I'll take care it," Sonny said.

"You do that."

Sonny poured a shot of whiskey. "Any sign of Jerry?"

"Not yet," Justus said, "but when I find him, you can bet he'll be a dead man."

Sonny raised his glass in salute. "Here's to you."