Samuel huffed a laugh. “I’m not scared of Wreck—”
“Wreck ain’t a dragon! I’m talking about me,” Tawk barked.
Samuels dark eyebrows raised in anger. “Watch how you talk to me, boy.”
Tawk ripped the door off the driver’s side and threw it behind him, and was inside in an instant, his hand around Samuel’s throat, dragging him out. He threw him down into the middle of the street, ignoring the choking sounds and curses.“Call me boy again,” he snapped. “Do it. Look me in the fucking face and call me boy.”
“Hey,” Misty said, coming around from the other side, her hands out. “We’re not here to cause trouble.”
“Speak for yourself,” Connor said.
“Shut up, Connor!” Misty said and then swung her attention back to Tawk. “We’re here for you.”
“For me,” he repeated. He looked from Connor, who stood glaring at the broken door that had settled in the middle of the street, to Samuel who was standing up slowly, rubbing his throat, and back to Misty, who was beseeching him with her eyes.
“We’re starting a new Crew.”
Tawk rolled his eyes closed and laughed, backed away a couple steps, and then shook his head. “I don’t know why you’re telling me this, or why you’re here, but you should go.”
“Look, Sister’s Edge isn’t a sanctuary anymore,” Misty said softly.
“Not for you. You got kicked out. Let me guess, Connor got himself kicked out too.”
Connor’s ice blue eyes pierced right into him, and it made Tawk want to rip his throat out. A long, low rumble emanated from him. “You wanted revenge on Jess, didn’t you? You’ve probably been preaching revenge to anyone who would listen at every Crew meeting. Am I getting warmer? Sister’s Edge is limping though, and leadership is up in the air, and no one knows what the fuck they’re doing, but they know they aren’t following you. So, you got kicked out—”
“So did you!” Connor yelled.
“I am not the one to yell at,” Tawk roared. “I will feed you to my fucking dragon.” He rushed forward and slammed his hand onto the back window glass right beside Connor’s face. Itshattered, and Tawk’s hand hurt, but he found deep satisfaction in the glass cutting the side of Connor’s face.
“Fuck, man!” Connor yelled as he ducked to the side and pressed his hand onto his cheek. Red streamed down onto the asphalt. “What’s your fucking problem?”
“You broke glass near Jess the day she left. You drew blood. You earned Kade coming after you. You were at fault. You destroyed that house, and then I watched you blame it on Jess to anyone who would listen. Glass for glass.” He stalked forward. “You think I don’t know why you’re here? I was there when she took your hand, and do you know what you have refused to accept? That you fucking deserved it. You carved a claiming mark into her hand without her permission, and you forced her to carve one into yours, and the best thing I ever watched a woman do was take her fucking freedom back. You aren’t feeling phantom pains from your missing hand, Connor. You’re feeling phantom pains from your dignity. That’s why you’re here.”
“It’s not why I’m here!” Misty said loudly. “Or Samuel. We need a dragon.”
Tawk stopped advancing on Connor and glared at her. “Why would you ever think my dragon would protect you from anything. I heard what you did. I was at that meeting. You got one of my friends killed,” he barked, jamming a finger at Misty. “And you did the killing,” he said, pointing his finger at Samuel. “And both of you lied and blamed it on Kade, and you had him sent to Cold Foot Prison, and you ruined his fucking life. And I believed he did it. I believed you. You lied that well. I didn’t show up for my friend at trial, and I have to live with that always. If anyone deserves the protection of my dragon, it is Kade, and it is Jess, and it is the home they’re building.”
“Your job is to protect witches!” Samuel barked out.
“Jess is the witch my dragon will protect.”
“Jess doesn’t even want you here,” Samuel ground out.
“How the hell would you even know that, Samuel? Huh? I bet you haven’t called her since she left. You were always a shitty brother.”
Samuel opened his mouth to say something more, but what could he say? Nothing. He lowered his gaze and inhaled deeply.
“You should go,” Tawk told Connor.
“Nah. I like it here. I think we’ll stay for a little while.”
“Tawk?”
The sound of Tammy’s voice startled him, and a hiss escaped him as he turned to find her standing under the streetlight. Her purse was clutched to her chest, her hair was hanging in waves down her shoulders, lifting slightly in the breeze.
Shhhit.
“Who’s this?” Connor asked, sauntering toward her.
