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"They have gone wrong. But I think whatever happened to you guys was different. Different people were involved, for one thing."
Derek snorted--he wasn't buying that--but I was relieved to see that Chloe seemed to be considering it.
"Do you know who the Nasts are?" I asked.
"It's a Cabal," Chloe said. "Like the St. Clouds, only bigger. And, well, nastier." A small smile at the play on words.
"They kidnapped my dad," Derek said. "Held him captive for months, leaving my brother and me on our own, which is how our problems started."
So they hated the Nasts. With very good reason. Great.
I continued with our story--the fire, the kidnapping, the long trip home, our "deaths." The more I talked, the more I really understood how ridiculous our solution was going to seem. Negotiate with the people who'd done all this to us? How could we even consider it? Yet given the alternative, how could we not consider it?
When I faltered, Daniel would reach over and squeeze my hand. Just a reassuring gesture. But Chloe and Derek noticed and it was as if I could hear them mentally processing the information, drawing the same conclusion that Ash had, that Daniel was my boyfriend. Did it really look that way?
I mentally cursed Rafe some more before pushing on with my story.
"So my biological father helped us escape and sent us here, to you guys," I said as I concluded.
Derek peered at me, brow furrowed. "How the hell did he know we were here?"
"That's what we came to warn you about. He got the information from someone who works for the St. Clouds. They know exactly where you are."
Derek scrambled up so fast his legs tangled and he nearly went down again. "What?"
Chloe was on her feet, too, eyes bright with alarm. "They know?"
We rose and Daniel put out his hands. "It's okay. Well, not really okay, obviously, but it's nothing new. They've known for a few months."
"And you sat there, chatting away, wit
hout saying anything?" Derek stepped toward Daniel, looming over him.
Daniel stood his ground. "Like I said, it's not an emergency. If you run in the middle of the night, it might be . . . considering they've got a tracking device on your van."
Derek didn't seem to hear him, just peered into the forest, braced for attack.
"Where are your friends?" he said.
"Over--" Daniel began, pointing.
"Take us to them. Now."
We ran to the others--it was clear Derek wasn't accepting a leisurely stroll. I took the lead so this huge guy wouldn't come barreling down on them. That wasn't the way anyone needed to wake up. It was still chaos. Derek barked orders. Chloe tried to calm him. When he didn't listen, I snapped that he wasn't helping matters. He snapped back. Ash jumped to my defense, snarling like an alley cat. Daniel intervened to mediate. Derek turned on him. Corey rushed to Daniel's side, fists ready. Rafe braced to join in if a fight broke out.
It was fun.
Eventually Chloe, Daniel, and I got everyone calmed down enough to grab our stuff and head to the house.
FORTY
DEREK BANGED THROUGH THE side door, leaving us on the porch.
"Dad!" he shouted, loud enough to make my ears ring. "Dad! You need to get down here!"
Chloe held open the door and whispered to me, "I could say he's not always like this, but I'd be lying."
She ushered us all in. I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see a man in jeans, pulling on a T-shirt as he hurried down. He was about my dad's age, Daniel's height, and slender. Kit Bae, Derek's adoptive father. Kit's son was coming down behind him. He looked like his father, except for his light brown hair. Simon Bae.
