HIM
Isat on the metal chair on the front porch, wondering what Sage was deleting from her computer. I heard her tapping on the keyboard before I left the hallway. Rubbing my temples, I let out a long sigh. What a long fucking night. I hadn’t slept since the night before, but I was on babysitter duty until Alex got back. This was exactly what I didn’t want to happen. They finally found her. Now, on top of everything else, I had to make sure she didn’t spill that I’d been helping her for months. My family would never forgive me.
But I had a feeling she wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Alex still loved her. I knew it, and now Sage did too. And she was going to use it to stay alive. Smart on her part. Alex was talking to the elders about it. Our dad had pull in the group, and Alex was the baby of the family. There was no doubt they were going to let him keep Sage alive. I had no idea where that left me. I really didn’t want to spend the next year watching my brother and Sage play house. But there was no way the elders would allow it to just be them with no other supervision. Not after all the trouble she had caused.
A thud came from inside the house, and I looked through the window. Sage was getting the pizza out of the fridge. She saw me, and her glare turned frigid. With a chuckle, I turned back toward the front yard. She had so much fight in her. I couldn’t imagine her living with Alex, pretending to love him for the rest of her life. She had a plan. I just didn’t know what it was yet.
Alex’s Jeep came down the driveway. His smile was obvious even from where I was sitting on the porch. The meeting must have gone well. Alex came onto the small porch and leaned against the iron railing.
“How’d it go?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Good, they agreed.”
“Figured they would.”
“They want me to have help for a while. Just to make sure things go well.”
I groaned, realizing where this was going.
“Can you stay here longer? So I can tell them that we don’t need anyone else watching her?” he asked. “You won’t even have to work. We’ll cover everything.”
I didn’t answer right away. My heart beat a bit faster thinking about spending time with Sage. But not when she was going to be cozying up to my baby brother.
“Please, man? I trust you with her more than anyone else. And she already knows you. It’ll make it easier on both of us.”
“I think I’m the last person she wants hanging around. She knows it was me or Geo who killed Lacey.”
“She really doesn’t have a choice about anything right now. She’ll deal. It was for the greater good. She wants to learn our beliefs. It had to be done.”
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. He really thought Sage was going to be fine with her sister’s death because he’ll teach her about the greater good. I loved my brother, but he was naïve sometimes.
“Yeah. I guess I’ll stay for a while,” I muttered with apprehension. It was going to be an interesting next few months.
Alex shot me a grateful look. “Thanks.”
I nodded and watched as the sun started to set over the trees. The smell of early spring was in the air and being out here in the country was peaceful. Even though this house was going to be anything but peaceful now. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew Sage was planning something. It was only a matter of time before she did something to make trouble.
“Where is she?” Alex asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“She was just in the kitchen grabbing pizza.”
“You’ve been checking on her, right?”
“Relax. The windows don’t open. The back door needs a key to be unlocked. All the sharp objects are locked in the drawer. And I’m sitting right next to the only way out. She’s fine. Probably in her room with the door shut,” I answered, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice. He was going to want one of us watching her all the time. Alex might love her, but the trust obviously wasn’t fully there. Well, there was good reason for that. She did stab him. Alex followed my gaze and watched the sunset.
“How’d she know?” he asked.
“Know what?”
“That it was one of you who killed Lacey?”
My stomach twisted. “I don’t know. I thought you told her.”
He shook his head.
“She probably just figured it out. You did tell her it was for your family, right?” I lied smoothly. It was second nature for me.
“Yeah, I did. I didn’t think she’d remember what I told her that night. She wasn’t thinking straight.”
The door swung open, and Sage walked out nervously. Her eyes flashed to Alex, full of questions. She wanted to know what the elders said. I waited for Alex to tell her the big news. He didn’t say anything, and I swallowed my surprise. He was going to make her wait. My brother had changed too. He used to do anything to make sure she was happy.
“Need something, Sage?” I asked with my usual grin.
“Not from you,” she spat out.
“Fine, I was just asking.”
She ignored me and looked at Alex.