She sighed. “He’s fine for now.”
“Sam saved your life. Have you forgotten that?” I was hoping I was penetrating through her stubborn brain.
“He also fucked us up.”
I dug my nails into the palm of my free hand. “No, he didn’t. We were the ones who started the shitshow and took that job. Don’t blame everything on Sam. And how soon you forget that your hotheaded attitude caused Sam to compel you like he did.” My teeth were locked together. “You realize that if anything happens to Sam, you and the entire family will die.”
She laughed. “That won’t happen.”
Her confidence was irritating the crap out of me. I clutched the phone tightly. “Rianne, if Sam dies, you’re dead, and so is everyone who takes part in his death. Have you forgotten the power that his sister holds, or his dad, or the vampire Navy SEALs? Are you thinking straight?”
“Call Webb or Tripp!” Jordyn shouted in the background. “Hurry, Layla!”
Things were spiraling and quickly. I felt as though I had whiplash.
“Tape her mouth shut,” Noah said to someone.
Hot, blinding fury blurred my vision. “So you’re going to hurt our sister?”
“Jordyn is fine,” Rianne said in an icy tone.
I silently counted to three, attempting to calm my racing heart and the rage pouring through me. “Does Uncle Jack know what you’re doing?”
“He will soon enough. Besides, he wants all vampires dead. So Sam isn’t special.”
Jack did want all of them dead, but I believed my uncle didn’t want to fuck with Steven Mason. If he did, he would’ve hunted Steven already. He would’ve burned Sam at the ranch earlier—Jack had no problem doing that when a bloodsucker stepped foot on his property. I doubted the Aberdeens were frightened of Steven. But the more I thought about it, the more I believed there was a reason the Aberdeens had never hunted the Masons. Sure, he and Uncle Ray were diving back into the business, and Uncle Ray wanted revenge on Roman and those like him. Hell, Sam would probably support my uncles in their quest to hunt and murder Roman.
“Think about it, sis. Our family has had every opportunity to wipe out the Masons. Ask yourself why we haven’t.”
I glanced around outside. Conrad seemed to be taking a long time.
“It’s time someone takes a stand in this family, no matter how powerful Sam and his sister are,” Rianne said. “No one should have that amount of power, anyway.”
I couldn’t see much through the pouring rain. “What happened to you? In a matter of days, you went from hating Jack and wanting to stay in Massachusetts to this.” Noah had to have been feeding her some great lines of bullshit. “I guess now isn’t the time to tell you that Mom comes from a vampire family.” Bomb number two. If that didn’t do the trick, I couldn’t help her.
She squeaked out a noise. “Bull crap. You’re lying.”
“Ask Jack or Aunt Tab,” I fired back.
“That’s bullshit,” Noah barked. “My dad would’ve told me.”
I sneered. “Hey, asswipe. Your father doesn’t tell you everything.” I was sure of that. My uncle didn’t want anyone to know that his brother married a woman who had vampire blood running through her veins.
“Fuck you,” Noah said.
I could hear Jordyn mumbling in the background.
“If you so much as harm Jordyn, either of you, I will make it my mission to see that you both suffer.” I couldn’t believe those words were coming out of my mouth and directed at Rianne.
“We both know, Layla, that you would never hurt me.” Her smugness was maddening, even though she was probably right. “And I would never do anything to Jordyn.”
The blood running through my veins came to an abrupt halt. She didn’t include me in that statement. I was beginning to think Abbey was right. “But you would hurt me?” I held my breath.
“This isn’t about you, Layla,” Rianne said. “It’s about ridding this world of vampires.”
There was no reasoning with her. “Let Jordyn go. There’s no reason to keep her tied up.”
Noah belted out a laugh. “There most certainly is.”
