Billie blinked slowly. Jack hadn't been lying when he told Valkyrie she was a light sleeper -- every time Julius shifted, her eyelashes would flutter against her cheek, instinct telling her to open her eyes, pounding headache convincing her not to.

But she blinked at Valkyrie, her words not making sense until she saw her brother step forward. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and then anger, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. "You lied to me," she accused quietly.

Touching his hand briefly to Valkyrie's shoulder, Jack reached out and pressed his fingertips against one of the cherry blossom tattoos Billie had on the back of her neck, smiling the tinest bit when her head curled into it like a kitten. After a moment he dipped his head, kissing her temple. "'course she did, dumbass. S'what family does remember? What's best for you, We sure as shit don't know what's best for ourselves."

"Like you know? Hypocrite." She hissed, eyes narrowing into a glare as Jack straightened up.

Willpower was something Jack was sure he had, somewhere deep down that always got shoved aside at time like this, or any time Billie got snappish. "Hypocrite? I ain't fucking Colby, Wilhelmina, bite your damn tongue."

"You left us."

"You wanted me gone."

Backing away, because he was not going to get into a fight with his sister like this, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before saying anything. "I'm not fucking leaving, but I'm not sure as shit not going through this again."

Without another word, Jack walked out the door. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do, he was petty damn sure it was the wrong thing to do, but the last time they'd had this particular fight Billie had run away.

Stalking straight back to the living room, Jack sat down on the floor and stared at the flames in the fireplace. Kiki had been wrong, Billie didn't need him, she didn't even want him.

And Cain, he realized with a frown, probably thought he was right.