he’d chosen to salvage what might be left of his relationship with his favorite nephew.
Jasper would never understand why his uncle had favored him. It could have been because he’d been the only boy in the family who’d pushed limits. Nothing scared him as a kid. Maybe that’s all it took to please his uncle. But Jasper hadn’t pleased his uncle. He’d never tried and up until he’d left Detroit, hadn’t cared. He’d never respected his uncle, first of all. He was the polar opposite from his father. Jasper’s dad had taught him how to be a real man, not one who needed money and women to feel like one. Jasper needed to impress no one. He only needed to stand up to evil in all its forms.
“Why did you shoot him?”
“My uncle had been drinking and lost control, just like the news said.”
Dwight contemplated him a moment. Then he took an intimidating step forward, as though not satisfied with Jasper’s vague explanation.
Jasper wasn’t intimidated. He’d stood up to bigger, badder men. And he would give no more information on what happened that day. Or the days leading up to that.
“I’m only going to say this once,” Dwight said. “If you hurt Sadie—in any way—I’ll take the appropriate form of punishment into my own hands.”
He didn’t waste his breath by saying Dwight had nothing to worry about, at least not because of what happened between him and his uncle. He couldn’t promise anything about his personal relationship with Sadie. He lived by truth—what truth he could reveal—and he wouldn’t be telling the truth if he said he was sure he’d never hurt Sadie.
She wasn’t one to engage in a casual affair and he wouldn’t give her the impression that he’d offer anything more. But their attraction had alien power over him. He suspected she felt the same. He wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, but if neither of them could resist passion, he might...when he walked away. Because that day would come. He may not understand why he needed the excitement of the new and unknown, but he did. Living so tucked away from civilization would drive him insane.
“It seems we both have secrets worth protecting,” Jasper said.
“So you admit you have secrets.”
“Not a secret, just something I’m not willing to discuss with just anyone. What about Sadie? What kind of secret are you keeping for her? What is she hiding?”
Dwight didn’t respond, which only confirmed Jasper’s suspicions. Sadie was hiding something all right. Was she a victim or a perpetrator?
“Maybe Sadie isn’t the one in danger of getting hurt,” Jasper said. “Maybe I should be the one taking things into his own hands.”
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