Faint blue light flickered on the edge of my vision as Pedro and Pascal rushed to greet me.
“Mija.”Tears gleamed in Pedro’s translucent eyes. “Thank God.”
“You scared us, Francita.” Pascal made to hug me, but Vi didn’t let go. “I’m glad you’re in one piece.”
He didn’t know the half of it. Considering I had a mad scientist for a father, I really was lucky to be intact. Had I lingered, his natural curiosity, and the desire to make copious research notes for next time, if there was one, might have seen me back here missing more than a couple of toes.
“I’m sorry.” I reached out a hand, solidifying them both enough to grasp my fingers. “We’re all here?”
“All here.” Vi finally loosened her hold. “All safe and sound.”
“Get your man to the crypt,” Rollo said from his lean against the wall. “I set extra protections in there.”
Protections for me. Not Kierce. I read the truth, and the sympathy, of that on his face.
Still, as often as we butted heads, I was grateful he put in the effort to keep me safe.
A chime rang out, announcing another arrival, and my siblings tumbled out the elevator doors.
As much as I wanted to embrace them, I had to get Kierce settled first so I could go stash Dinorah.
“I don’t mind.” He read my mulish glare, his own eyes glassy, and kissed my forehead. “Anything to keep you safe.”
“Looks like you got your answer.” Matty broke out in a grin. “Kierce seems like Kierce to me.”
Furrowing his brow, he glanced between us, “What answer?”
“Frankie is worried that Dis Pater programmed you to love her,” Josie said helpfully. “That if she can free you from him, you won’t care about her anymore. But, from where I’m standing, I smell love in the air.”
“Frankie,” Kierce whispered with such gentleness that my eyes stung. “Even thinking that, you came for me.”
“I’ll always come for you,” I promised him and willed him to believe me.
“As your brother, I didn’t need to hear that.” Matty turned green. “I threw up in my mouth a little.”
“If you weren’t so pervy, you wouldn’t have these problems.” Josie thumped his ear. “It was romantic.”
“Me? Pervy?” He gawked at her. “Pot, meet Kettle.”
While they devolved into bickering, I linked fingers with Kierce and guided him to the crypt. I helped him inside and lost the battle as tears slid down my cheek. Someone, probably Vi or Jean-Claude, had placed a twin-sized inflatable mattress on the floor. The pillow would likely get tossed, since Kierce remained as suspicious of them as ever, but the bright sheets and plush blanket made the space almost homey.
As I helped him into bed, his head toward the door, I spotted the cat bed on the built-in stone bench.
“Where’s Badb?” I called over my shoulder while tucking in Kierce. “I see her bed is ready.”
Shockingly, she hadn’t been the first one in the elevator to greet us. Well, greet Kierce. She had priorities. I bet she was in a snit too, since she had been kept from him.
“We had to cage her to keep her from following the others into Abaddon, and even after we set her free in the house, she has refused to forgive us.” Vi blew out a sigh. “I’ll see if Jean-Claude can talk to her.”
“Hey.” I knelt at Kierce’s head and raked my fingers through his soft hair as his eyes pinched shut. “I need to talk to Pedro and Pascal about our plan.”
“The bullet is doing the trick.” He turned his clammy cheek into my palm. “Don’t involve the Suarezes except as a last resort. They’ve already done so much for Matty. I won’t ask them to do more unless I become a risk. If that happens, use any weapon at your disposal.” His silvery gaze slid past my shoulder. “Anyweapon.”
Dinorah.
That was what he meant. I parted my lips, about to ask if he recognized the blade, but I couldn’t risk that question while a stranger lurked in the garage. He could simply mean for me to feel free to stab him with any pointy object. Or he might assume if I stole it from Ithas that it was powerful. I would have to question him later.
“Let’s monitor your condition and see how it goes, okay?”
