The words were thick in my mouth. Felis ceremony dictated more formal conversation but I wasn’t sure what applied here.
Jess’s lack of interference told me I was doing fine. So far.
Jake looked over at Mary and gave a slight nod of the head, offering her the first chance to reply out of politeness.
She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
No one moved.
Jess placed her hands on her hips. “If someone doesn’t say something I will. And you don’t want to know what I’m going to say.”
Chapter Ten
Jake got to his feet and cleared his throat. “You’re the one who referred me to her.” He pointed at me. “You told me she was a good tracker, she’d find my girl and bring her home.” Spittle flew from his lips as his voice rose. “All you had to do is find her and bring her back. Is that too hard for you to comprehend? Was that too hard for your simple mind to get? Even a freak like you should have been able to do that.”
I felt rather than heard Bran’s huff behind me.
Jess waited a second, making sure Jake had finished saying his piece before she gestured at Mary.
She stood up and brushed her hands over her black jeans before speaking. “I went to you for help, for advice on how to find my runaway boy. Jess told me she had faith in your abilities to find Evan and deliver him back here safely, back to the bosom of our family. You’ve failed to do so.” She glanced over her shoulder at Nathan. “I took other measures to ensure my wishes were being followed because I didn’t believe an outcast could do the job and do it right. You still haven’t done what I asked and brought my boy home.”
The thin Felis enforcer sneered, his lips twisting up into a warped grin.
My turn.
“You didn’t give me much time before setting your dog on me. I had your son under observation and was about to make contact. Then your pup hit me and not only revealed himself to me but also caused a major incident involving the police.” That changed Nathan’s grin into a snarl, exposing teeth. “He put me in the hospital and missed his chance to get your kit. I wouldn’t be giving him any gold stars.”
Mary pressed her lips into a straight line. I suspected Nathan hadn’t been as honest as she expected about his actions.
“And as for your daughter—” I turned to Jake. “She’s going to be an adult in a few days and has the right to make her own decisions, be they right or wrong. I promised to find her but I never promised to drag her back to you in chains. She’s alive and well and still cares for her family.” I glanced over at Mary. “As does your son.”
“Do not speak of them in the same breath,” she whispered. “Evan is a good boy obviously enticed into this folly by his slut of a daughter.”
I winced inside as Jake bunched up his fists, his face flaming scarlet. There weren’t many words that could push a father’s buttons but that was one of them.
Jess threw up her hands just as Jake took a step around the circular table, his enforcers moving with him.
“We are not going to do this,” she warned. Her piercing stare hit Mary. “Apologize. Now.”
Mary squirmed for a second under her inspection before muttering something under her breath. It was enough to stop Jake’s approach and allow him a respectful retreat back to his chair.
Jess looked at me.
I steadied myself and continued.
“Let me get this straight. This, all of this, this feud is all over one woman dying because of an accident.” It probably wasn’t the most sensitive way of saying it but I’d worn out my reserve.
Jake scowled. “Maureen Middleston was a good woman. She deserved better than to die through deceit and treachery from Laura Chandler.” He shot an angry look over the table. “It was murder, plain and simple.”
Mary began to speak but I shot my hand up, stopping her. “The Grand Council ruled it was an accident. Why didn’t both families accept the ruling at the time? Why has this gone on for two more generations of hatred and mistrust?”
This got me mumblings and mutterings, the enforcers shuffling their feet and looking to their respective leaders for a response.
Jess looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“Anyone? Anyone?” I prompted them.
“It’s not like Laura walked away unscathed,” Mary said quietly. “She was crippled, limped for the rest of her life. She never got over it until the day she died.” She glanced at Jess. “Long before her time. And you took her place.”
Jess said nothing.
“She got over it enough to take the spot on the Board,” Jake said. He turned his head to one side as if to spit before catching Jess’s glare and stopping.
“Better she take it than leave it empty for someone else to fight over,” Mary replied. “She would have won the next challenge, if there’d been one, anyway.”
I put my hand up again. “What’s done is done. Once the kill’s been picked clean there’s no use in fighting over dry bones.”
That earned me an approving look from Jess. I hadn’t forgotten everything from being on the farm.
“Your mother chose that field ’cause she knew it was full of rabbit holes.” This came from the unidentified Middleston Felis standing beside Eddie. My guess was another enforcer, another family associate standing by in case Eddie couldn’t close the deal. “She knew it gave her the advantage in the fight.”
“And what if she did?” Mary replied, a definite edge to her words. “The old woman should have watched where she stepped. She wasn’t a kit out for her first challenge. Not our fault if she was blind as well as dumb.”
Jake jumped to his feet, his mouth opening and closing in a series of silent curses. The two men behind him surged forward, pressing against the back of Jake’s chair.
Mary rose as well, her son moving around to stand beside her. Nathan stayed where he was, watching and assessing his potential targets.
“I love diplomacy,” Bran muttered behind me.
The two camps ignored him and glared at each other. I could smell the challenges about to be tossed out, the blood boiling on both sides.
Jess didn’t say anything. She stood there with her arms crossed and watched.
I cleared my throat loudly before raising my voice. “No offense, folks—but this isn’t about you,” I said.
Both parties turned and studied me as if I was covered in raw meat. I resisted the urge to take a step back.
“You want to beat each other senseless through challenges and screwing each other out of business deals, that’s your right as a family and as Felis. But we’re talking about the lives of two young adults who don’t want to play your game anymore.” I pointed at Nathan who continued to wear his smirk proudly. “And neither do I. Next time either of your enforcers come at me I won’t be as nice about it.”
Nathan chuckled and tucked his thumbs under his thick leather belt. “Easy enough to knock you on your ass.” He looked around the room at the others. “She’s a lightweight. All talk and no go.”
“Wasn’t no go when I put you down.” Bran stepped forward. “Still got that mark on you, kit?”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. This was the last place for Bran’s machismo display.
Part of me couldn’t blame him however—we had to draw the line somewhere and Bran’d stepped up and thrown the proverbial gauntlet in their faces.
I hoped it wasn’t going to come back at us with lethal force.