Chapter 59
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Neveah
We filed online as soon as the sheriff provides us with the case numbers we need for evidence, but the temporary restraining order takes days to get approved since it’s the weekend.
It seems like we’re waiting forever to feel even a semblance of safety.
When it finally comes through, Sage is out in the pasture with her lambs, and Brooks is out door knocking to offer his services in town so he can hopefully transition away from their old neighborhood.
Riley is the only one around, and they eye me as I open the secure email from the court.
“Well?” they ask.
“It’s granted. They’re serving the court documents to Josh and Steve this evening.”
“Is it bad that I kinda want to see their faces when they get it?”
I raise my eyes to contemplate them, thinking over the idea. Because honestly? I do too, and I bet Brooks would, as well. Sage, though… I’m not sure.
“Let’s table that, we’ll see how Sage feels,” I say, and Riley nods.
As though thinking about her conjures the sweet little omega, the back sliding door opens and Sage carries Daisy inside.
“What have I said about lambs in the house?” I say, exasperated.
“Well I can’t leave her on the deck by herself!”
“You do know I had a fence installed for this reason, right?” Riley grins at her and Sage sticks her tongue out at both of us.
Riley fakes a gasp with big eyes and looks at me.
“You’re gonna get in trouble,” he stage whispers to Sage.
“Shhh,” she whispers back. “I just came in to get more veggies real quick. It’s fine!”
I almost want to get some popcorn, I could watch these two all day.
“Hold up,” I interject. “Before you head back out, we have something to run by you.”
“Oh?” Sage turns around, adjusting Daisy on her hip and holding a carrot stick up for her to nibble on.
“You wanna spy on the evil alphas when they get the restraining order served to them tonight?” Riley says, a wicked gleam in his eye.
Sage’s eyes widen and she turns her hopeful doe eyes on me. “It went through?”
“Granted,” I say. “Just got the email confirmation.”
Then she grins an equally wicked grin, and my stomach flutters at the sight.
“Heck yeah,” she says. “Can we do that? Spy on them?”
“I don’t see why not,” Riley replies, and once again, I’m left trying to catch up with them.
I sigh, half resigned and half amused, with a heavy dose of vengeful anticipation threading up my spine. I guess we’re spying tonight.
“Let’s video chat alpha daddy to tell him. He’s gonna lose his shit,” Riley says.
Sage giggles, following him out the back door so she can return Daisy to the barn. Should I text Brooks to warn him?
Nah. He’s a big boy. He can handle himself.
“You seriously agreed to this farfetched plan?” Brooks kicks his work boots off as he closes the front door behind him.
“Don’t pretend you don’t want to see them get their asses served just as much as the rest of us,” I say.
Brooks glowers, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Then he huffs and flops into a kitchen chair. I smirk as his calming patchouli fills the air around us.
“Fine,” he grumbles, the wind having already left his sails. “But if it goes sideways, I will be saying I told you so. I feel like some part of this plan could compromise the restraining order.”
He might be right, but I think our omega deserves to see some justice.
“Shall we head out then?” I ask.
Brooks looks up at me with surprise.
“What, now?”
I nod. “Now. According to the confirmation from the court officer we hired, they’ll be served tonight.”
Brooks scrubs a hand down his face, then nods and pulls his phone out.
“Let’s go then,” he says into the phone a moment later, and I hear a yelled, “We’re coming!” from the other end.
Brooks yanks it from his ear with a cringe, then looks at the screen.
“They hung up. They called me from the barn earlier, so I assume they’ll be here any minute.”
We shove ourselves into my pickup this time, deeming Brooks’ work truck compromised after they saw him the other day. Plus, I’m a bit of a control freak sometimes, and I want to be able to get us out of there fast if needed.
“I cannot freaking wait to see their ugly faces when they’re told they have to stay away from you,” Riley says in the backseat.
Him and Sage are practically vibrating with a combination of nerves and excitement, but I can’t help the anxious uncertainty that rolls through me. I keep my eyes vigilant on the road, even though there’s no reason to think we’ll see them on the way there.
They do know where we live now, though, so you never know.
When we turn onto Sage’s old street, her scent dampens, turning slightly soapy. I glance in the mirror to see Riley unbuckling, then scooting into the middle seat to wrap his arms around her.
“This is good,” he says softly. “This is you taking your power back.”
Sage nods, but doesn’t say anything, and then we’re officially on a stake out as we sit and wait. My skin prickles with nervous static, and my eyes dart between all three mirrors, the road in front of us, and out my window at who I assume is the court officer waiting in their car across the street.
“We should have brought snacks,” Riley grumbles twenty minutes later.
“Or a game,” Sage says.
“We can make up a game,” Brooks suggests, and Sage turns hopeful brown eyes his way.
“Like what?”
Brooks’ eyes go wide, and he turns to me.
I snort. “You just love climbing out of holes, don’t you?”
“He certainly loves getting into them, at the very least,” Riley interjects with an exaggerated wink.
I groan, and Brooks flushes pink above his beard. Sage looks between all of us with a confused frown.
“I don’t get it,” she says.
“I said ‘he likes getting into holes.’ As in: your holes, my holes, Vee’s holes…”
Her face is still blank, and I chuckle as Riley sighs.
“He likes fucking us,” they deadpan.
“Oh!” She’s startled for all of two seconds, and then she starts cackling. Like, all-out evil witch cackles, and we all stare at her in surprise.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Brooks tries to grumble, but he’s smiling so it doesn’t work.
We’re all smiling, actually. Because although it was a stupid joke, Sage’s laughter is contagious, and none of us are used to hearing it yet.
“Oh, oh!” Riley says, whisper-yelling and batting his hands at us. “I think that’s them.”
Sure enough, a loud-ass lifted truck speeds down the road, then pulls into their driveway.
Silence descends around us, and I hardly dare to breathe.
The court officer had been parked a ways down the road from us, right by the driveway, and they step out of their car to stride up toward the now-open garage.
I crack my window a couple inches so we can eavesdrop.
“Excuse me,” they call. “Mr. Allen and Mr. Lewis?”
“That’s us. Who’s asking?” One of them, Steve I think, steps down from the driver’s side and approaches them. The other rounds the opposite side to where the court officer is holding out two sealed envelopes, standing outside the garage.
“I have some court appointed documents for you. You’ve been served.”
Josh and Steve take the documents automatically, their faces bewildered. Then the officer turns and walk away, striding down the driveway back to their car.
“Wait, what?” Steve says, eyes bugging out.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Josh yells after them, barely glancing at the envelope in his hand.
Sage’s scent takes a slightly acrid turn, and Brooks reaches a hand back to place it on her knee.
“You okay, Petal? We can leave. We know they got it now, that’s the important part.”
“No,” she says, her voice more resolute than I would have guessed based on her scent. “I want to see this.”
“Brave girl,” I murmur.
Steve rips his envelope open while Josh is still waving his and yelling at the officer as they pull away from the curb.
“What the fuck?” Steve says, brows furrowing and face turning red as he skims the papers. “Josh, what the fuck is this?”
“How the hell should I know?”
“Well open it and read it! It says it’s a restraining order against my fucking sister!”
“What?” Josh growls, striding back toward Steve as he tears into his own envelope, eyes darting across the paper. “That fucking bitch. When I get my hands on her—”
I roll the window up and punch on the radio. Sage doesn’t need to hear one more word of vitriol from them, especially not whatever harmful bullshit is about to spew from their mouths, and suddenly I’m doubting this entire trip.
“Sage, are you okay—” I start to ask.
“Holy shit that was great!” Riley says, turning to look at Sage.
I’ve known him long enough to tell when he’s acting, although he does a damn good job of it. He shoots a quick look at me, and I get the message: Play along. I agree—distract from the bad with the good.
“Did you see how mad and confused they were?” he crows. “We totally blind-sided them! And come on, do they know any other words besides swear words? Their vocabulary is really lacking.”
Sage’s acrid scent starts to lighten the tiniest bit as she takes in Riley’s enthusiasm.
“Not creative at all,” Brooks agrees, and Sage turns to him, looking like she’s standing on the edge of a cliff and isn’t sure which way she’ll fall.
“They never saw it coming. But hey, at least they got a small taste of what they deserve,” I say, secretly wishing I could have done some punching along with the legal necessities.
But Sage doesn’t need more violence in her life, so I simply shake my head in mock disappointment and put the truck in drive.
“Honestly, I thought they’d give us at least a little more creativity.
That was hardly a show at all. Just a couple idiots yelling. ”
“Oh come on,” Riley says. “It wasn’t that bad. Their faces turned so red I thought they might burst a blood vessel!”
Brooks nods sagely. “That’s true. They were quite unnaturally red by the end.”
And Sage giggles.
I smile, relaxing as I keep an eye on the road behind us just in case. Riley continues his antics with Brooks egging him on, and soon enough Sage is joining in.
It’s only when we pull back into the lavender farm that we all turn serious again.
“I don’t think that’s the end,” Sage says, her voice tentative.
“What do you mean, Petal?”
“They’re not going to listen. That’s not like them. If anything…”
“If anything, what?” Riley says.
“They’ll do something tonight,” she whispers, like speaking the words aloud might make them true. My alpha is ready to riot in my chest, and it takes everything I have to stay calm and collected.
“Are you serious?” Riley asks, and I’m thinking the same thing. “How dumb are these guys?”
Sage shakes her head. “They might not be very smart, but they’re manipulative and vengeful. They never let me get away with even the smallest thing, always coming back at me even worse for any perceived slight.
“Something like this?” She shudders, drawing her arms around her stomach. “No. They’ll egg each other on, and they’ll do something drastic tonight.”
“I’ll call the sheriff, see if we can get a patrol car out here for the night,” I say.
Brooks nods, looking like he wants to knock them out as much as I do, and we all head inside. I know we’re supposed to trust the police, but I have more faith in my community than law enforcement.
I also call a few of our long-time employees, two alphas and a beta. After the graffiti incident, they each offered support, told me they’d be here in minutes if we needed anything at all.
Sage has quickly won the hearts of everyone who works here, and I’m proud to call on them for that favor now. Even if it wasn’t for Sage, we all care about this community, the garden, the farm, and the gift shop. We won’t let some out of town thugs threaten one of our own.