Page 55 of Rage's Heart

If that’s what she needed, I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Can we talk privately?” Sarah asked, her eyes flickering to me and back to Mac.

“Anything you want to say, you can say in front of Rage,” Mac replied, her spine straightening. “He’s the reason I’m moving, after all.”

Sarah’s face fell. “I just... I’m going to miss you. That’s all.” She sighed, looking around the room. “It’s gonna be weird not having you here.”

The sincerity in her voice surprised me. I’d been expecting judgment or resistance, but Sarah just seemed genuinely sad to see her friend go. I felt a grudging respect for that.

“I know it seems fast,” Mac said, her own face falling. “But it’s right, Sarah. We’ve practically been living together already.”

Sarah nodded, her eyes finding mine. There was uncertainty there, but I didn’t sense any hostility. “You’ll take care of her?”

In that split second, Sarah had just earned my full respect. “Always.”

Mac’s hand squeezed mine as a silent thank you.

Sarah’s smile was small but genuine. “Well, I guess I should help you pack then, huh?” She crossed to Mac and pulled her into her arms. “I’m keeping my emergency fashion crisis privileges, though. Your wardrobe is way better than mine.”

Mac laughed, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Deal. And you know, just because I’m moving doesn’t mean we won’t see each other.”

“You promise?” Sarah asked, her eyes glassy. “Because I kind of need my best friend.”

“I’m not disappearing,” Mac assured her, pulling Sarah into a bigger hug. “We’ll still do brunch on Saturdays, and you can come visit anytime.”

I wasn’t entirely sure about that last part, but I kept my mouth shut. This mattered to Mac, so I’d make it work.

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, wiping quickly at her eyes. “God, I’m being so dramatic. It’s not like you’re moving across the country.” She looked at me, a hint of mischief entering her expression. “We’ve been inseparable since we were kids. Prepare yourself.”

“Great,” I replied dryly, earning a playful smack from Mac.

Sarah laughed, and all the remaining tension vanished. “Come on,” she said, hooking her arm through Mac’s. “Let’s tackle the bathroom. You always leave stuff behind.”

As they headed down the hall, I saw the way Dread looked at Sarah as she passed by.

I drug a hand down my face.

Fuck me. The last thing I needed was my brother fucking Mac’s best friend, then breaking her heart when he didn’t call her for a repeat.

I was just about to tell him not to go there when the front door opened again. Male voices carried through the apartment, and I felt my shoulders tense instinctively.

“Sarah? You home, babe?”

That voice.

I recognized it immediately from the day I showed to get Mac when he was bothering her.

Chad.

Stepping out into the hallway, I strode toward the living room. Dread, who appeared to have just come back in, was squaring off with Chad and some scrawny fucker I didn’t recognize.

“Who the fuck are you?” Chad demanded, his posture stiff as he eyed my brother.

“He’s with me,” Chad jump when I entered the room. The recognition in his eyes was immediate, followed closely by poorly concealed unease.

“Oh,” His eyes went wide as Killer stepped around him. “You again.”

Yeah motherfucker. “Me again,” I agreed, crossing my arms over my chest. I was getting sick of this prick and his fucking attitude. “You got a problem with that?”

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