Savage Rage Read Online Free PDF Page B

baby as an intrusion into the family pack. Unfortunately, this jealousy can at times result in attacks on the infant.”
    A few other guests had joined the group with Hawthorn. To Jack they were nothing more than parasites, weak social feeders trailing in Hawthorn’s wake hoping to improve their status by sheer proximity to the professor. They were nodding wisely in agreement. Normally, Jack wouldn’t have bothered to contradict his father-in-law in public; Hawthorn was a natural debater adept at twisting an argument to his advantage, not caring if his opinion was correct, but this was something too close to Jack’s heart to ignore.
    â€œOr,” Jack offered, “if the parents are responsible enough, they don’t ignore the dog. They make him part of the baby’s world. My parents said Shamrock slept under my crib and was very protective of me.”
    â€œI’m surprised your parents valued . . . Shamrock, was it? . . . so much that they would be willing to risk their son for the sake of a dog.” Hawthorn smiled to take the sting out of his words. Not that he was criticizing Jack’s upbringing . . . again. “Evelyn and I weren’t prepared to needlessly endanger George Jr. or Karen. Anyone who truly loved Karen would never even entertain the notion.” Hawthorn smiled slyly as he rammed the barb home.
    Karen slipped a calming hand over Jack’s and Jack drew a calming breath, his angry words held in check. Typical of Hawthorn to turn every topic into an attack on Jack. As if it was his fault that Anthony Charles had invaded their home and threatened to kill Karen and Jack. And no need to mention that it was because of Jack that Karen was alive today.
    A stillness befell the little group, as though they sensed the abrupt and sinister change in the conversation. The bottom feeders were watching their idol closely, adoring faces canted so as not to miss Hawthorn’s obliteration of his clearly inferior son-in-law. Jack was aware of the attentive silence, Karen’s hand holding, almost clutching, his against her hip, a soundless plea for civility, the fire popping at his back as a knot exploded. Lillian’s eyes were fixed on him, watching hungrily, wetting her lips in anticipation of a fight. All this Jack saw and felt in the space of two heartbeats. His thoughts were clear, much as they were whenever he got into a fight on the streets. And what had Hawthorn’s snipe been other than an opening jab?
    â€œA parent’s first concern should be his child, don’t you think so, Jack?” Hawthorn smiled pleasantly, but his stare was challenging. He sipped his drink, the ice clinking loudly in the silence.
    â€œOf course,” Jack agreed, hoping to turn this reasoning against Hawthorn. “And any loving pet owner would extend the same consideration to the animal or, at the very least, ensure the pet went to a good home.”
    â€œWho did you give the dog to, Dad? I can’t remember,” Karen said innocently.
    Hawthorn favoured his daughter with what Jack thought was a very indulgent smile, as if she had made a poor assumption. “We didn’t, dear. He wasn’t a pup any longer and a change of ownership would have been just too traumatic on the poor fellow. We had him put down. It was the humane thing to do.”
    â€œYou what?” Jack hissed. “How old was he?” He already knew in his heart what Hawthorn would say but prayed even he couldn’t be that uncaring.
    â€œI can’t exactly recall, Jack,” Hawthorn said with a hint of hesitation in his voice. If no one else in the group had heard the tightness in Jack’s words, Hawthorn certainly had.
    And Jack wasn’t about to let this go. “How old? Five, ten, twelve?”
    â€œEvelyn and I had had him only a short while,” Hawthorn mused, eyeing Jack warily. “No more than four, I’d say.”
    Jack was speechless but not for long. He