“I stayed with Tessa and Adam Pride for a while,” Jill replied, leaving out she had lived out in the woods by their house, scared and alone, before meeting up with Adam.
“I didn’t know what happened until it was too late and you were gone, Jill.” Trevor frowned at his mom and sister. “It wouldn’t have happened if I had been here.”
“It’s okay.” Jill glanced at her dad, whose color was coming back. He was sipping on water with Seth sitting on his lap. “Now’s not the time to talk about it.”
Trevor’s eyes followed hers and he nodded. “He hasn’t been the same since that night.”
“Neither have I,” Jill smiled sadly, as her eyes met Slade’s. “Slade, this is my brother, Trevor.”
Slade reached out his hand. “Slade Buchanan.”
They shook hands both eyeing each other, sizing each other up. “You were just protecting her when you stepped in front of her.”
“Just making sure you were who I thought you were.” Slade nodded. “We had a little excitement with a shotgun just before you got here, so I’m a little on edge.”
“What?” Trevor’s eyes widened. “Who in the hell had a shotgun?”
“Janie’s fiancé.” Jill frowned, looking toward her sister and, hell, she still didn’t know his name. “Who is he?”
“Anthony Bonner.” Rolling his eyes, he snorted. “He’s a douche who is anti-vampire; he came around right after I left. I don’t even know how they met, but he has Mom and Janie all stressed out about half-breeds and vampires.”
Wanting to change the subject so not to upset her dad again, Jill glanced toward the house. “Hey, can you run up and get a couple of things from my room?”
Trevor looked away from her, scratching his head. “Well, yeah I could, but…”
“But, what?” Jill asked, not really wanting to know the answer. When he still didn’t answer, only shuffled his feet nervously, looking anywhere but at her, she sighed, “They got rid of my stuff.” It wasn’t a question.
Always one to fidget when nervous, Trevor rubbed his eyes, then forehead. “Not exactly.” He finally looked at her, lowering his voice, “Dad found Mom and Janie going through your stuff, boxing it up and throwing stuff away. He literally had a heart attack.”
Jill looked over at her dad who was playing with Seth, her mom close at his side and her eyes glaring right at her. “Why does she hate me so much?” Jill turned back to her brother, confusion and sadness on her face.
“She doesn’t hate you, Sis.” Trevor clasped her shoulder. “She fears you.”
“No, she hates me,” she pushed his arm away. “Do you fear me?” Her voice held a hint of challenge, but her gaze held a trace of plea hoping his answer would be no. That he still saw her the same way, his annoying older sister who he liked to mess with.
Trevor snorted, rolling his eyes. “Fear you?” He pushed her, making her stumble into Slade who had been standing silently by her side. “That’s a joke, right?”
“Careful, bro.” Jill crossed her arms, tilting her chin up. “I’ve got skills now.”
“Skills?” Trevor’s laugh boomed across the yard, gaining everyone’s attention. He looked up at Slade. “You better watch out, big man. And just so you know, I won’t hurt her…too bad. Just don’t want you killing me or anything, but I need to make sure my sis remembers who’s the bigger badass.”
“You mean the bigger ass,” Jill smirked. “Which would be….you.”
Slade’s grin slowly spread across his face as he stepped back. “Go for it,” he nodded at Trevor.
Trevor rubbed his hands together as he took two steps toward Jill. Just as he reached for her, she moved out of his way so fast his human eyes couldn’t track her. He frowned as his eyes found her. “Damn. Okay, I see. Not bad.” He nodded impressed, then frowned at something behind her. “Seth, don’t sneak up.”
Turning, Jill cursed, realizing she fell for the oldest damn trick in the book and in front of Slade, her trainer. As soon as her brother’s arms made contact, she grabbed one arm, flipping him over her shoulder to the ground. With lightning speed, she straddled him, pinning him to the ground where he struggled to get the breath that was knocked out of him.
Snapping her fangs playfully at him, she grinned, “You give?”
“I give.” Her brother wheezed out a laugh even as he struggled once again to break away from her. “Damn, for a little thing, you weigh a ton.”
“Hey! I do not!” Jill snapped at him again, feeling better than she had since becoming a half-breed. She never realized how much she missed her family, especially Trevor who she had always been close to. “Don’t make me bite you.”
“Get off him!” Her mother’s shrill scream broke their play.