Give You Hell

GIVE YOU HELL THE SAGE CREEK SERIES BOOK FOUR DILLON BANCROFT Copyright © 2023 by Dillon Bancroft All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This books is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. For information, contact: Dillon Bancroft PO Box 1181 Wimauma, FL 33598 http://www.dillonbancroft.com Book and cover design by © The Pretty Little Design Co. Editing by Kimberly Steinke, Parker Mayne Editorial Ebook ISBN: 978-1-7369012-8-1 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7369012-9-8 First Edition: May 2023 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To my mom Thank you for standing by me always. This year has been hard. Couldn’t do this without you. Also, sorry that you have to tell your friends I write smut for a living. CONTENTS Content Warning Looking to Connect? Author’s Note Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Epilogue Epilogue Part 2 Author’s Note Acknowledgments About the Author Also by Dillon Bancroft Looking to Connect? CONTENT WARNING The Sage Creek Series follows a small, tight-knit vigilante group. With that being said, there are many situations in this book that may be triggering for some readers. As always, read at your own risk. This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, misunderstanding in relationship status, attempted murder, violence, alcohol consumption, gun violence, discussions of domestic abuse. If you find any other triggers I haven’t listed, please shoot me an email to let me know! [email protected] Thank you so much! Enjoy the chaos! LOOKING TO CONNECT? Do you want to stay in the know and receive behind the scenes musings, deleted scenes, and upcoming project updates? Signing up for my newsletter is the best way to do that! Email: [email protected] Newsletter Social Media Profiles Website Bancroft Boulevard Reader Group AUTHOR’S NOTE Give You Hell is the fourth book in the Sage Creek Series. It is important to note that you should read books 1-3 to enhance your reading experience and to catch up on any background information you might miss. (I am super biased, but you won’t be sorry.) As always, read at your own risk and enjoy! PROLOGUE TWO YEARS EARLIER This has to be the biggest engagement party in Sage Creek history. Everyone is here. Everyone from the obnoxious and gossipy Bethany Hunt to sweet old Mr. and Mrs. Feinstein. Half of the people here are happy for the engagement between my best friend, Aria McKenzie, and my boss, Dr. Derek Hawthorn. The other half on the other hand . . . Well, let’s just say they’re not happy that Sage Creek’s most eligible and desirable bachelor is officially off the market. My best friend and my boss are getting married! How weird is that? No matter how weird it is, it’s worth seeing the megawatt smile on her face as he twirls her around the dance floor or when he presses his forehead against hers and whispers how much he loves her. This is a big step. This time last year, she was getting ready to leave her abusive relationship with one of the most powerful men in the country, and Derek was insistent on no attachments. “Hey, Little One.” The nickname the ever-so-serious Stephen McKenzie granted me when I was just a kid still brings a smile to my face. Especially when it’s coming from Christopher McKenzie’s lips. And the goose bumps that soon follow . . . Sue me. I’ve had a crush on my best friend’s brother since the beginning of time. You would too if you lived in the world’s smallest town and your options were limited—and if one of those options was him. “Hey, you. You clean up nice,” I reply. He grins and shows off his fitted black suit that clings to his torso like a second skin. I’m used to seeing him in a Stetson or a ball cap. But tonight, his tight, ringlet curls are on full display. I want to run my fingers through them. Be cool! Friends don’t do that! His denim-colored eyes light up when he studies my dress, admiring the sequined bodice. “You do too. What are you drinkin’?” Oh, no. There will be no public drunkenness tonight. Not when the whole town is setting its sights on who they can gossip about next. I’ve done my time. Sensing my hesitation, he inches closer and chuckles. “Come on, Jackie. We’re celebrating! Let your hair down for once!” I lick my lips nervously and turn my gaze to the dance floor. More couples have joined the fray, including Steve and Betty Lou McKenzie. He follows my gaze, his face softening as Aria laughs at something Derek says. “She’s happy, isn’t she?” he asks. “Stupidly happy,” I agree. “She’s in good hands.” He turns to the bartender behind us and orders two shots of Jose. “Chris, no—” I start to protest, but then he takes my glass and presses it to my lips. The course salt on the rim stings just a little bit, but his smile makes it worth it. “One drink, and then we dance. Deal?” Sighing, I replace his hand on the shot glass, and we knock it back at the same time, the amber liquid burning my esophagus on the way down. My twisted face has him laughing, and