“I have.” She nods.
“Address,” Calix barks impatiently.
Kim’s eyes narrow just the tiniest bit, and her lips pinch before she answers, “It’s off Mt. Olivia Church. There isn’t a street number. I can take you… if that would be acceptable?” She adds the last bit placatingly.
Calix places his hand on my lower back, guides me over to the SUV Gunnar commandeered, and opens the rear passenger door for me to slide in before he joins me.
Once seated, I watch Grim stroll over, towing my wheeled luggage behind him. It’s strange seeing him doing such a human task.
Kim, who now has a few men standing near her, tries to ignore his presence, but I can see a few of her companions watching him from the corner of their eyes, as if not acknowledging him somehow makes him less of a threat. “Why do they pretend they don’t see him?”
Gunnar hits a button on the ceiling over the mirror and the back hatch opens slowly with a ding. “Because they aren’t as stupid as they act.” Calix makes a harrumph sound, leaving me to believe he agrees with Gunnar’s response.
Grim’s figure glides past on his way to the front seat. Looking through the windshield, I watch as the man who was driving our confiscated vehicle wedges himself into the passenger seat of the Audi, leaving the remaining men to disburse to wherever they came from.
I reach over and place my hand on top of Calix’s, noticing the taut line of his jaw and the stubborn set of his lips soften as he turns to me. “Do you want me to kill them?” I offer, only half joking. That brings a slight smile to his lips.
“Nah, but I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” He gives me a wink, but I can tell he’s forcing the lightness into his tone.
I slide over a bit until I’m in the middle seat and lean my head on his shoulder while wrapping my hand over Calix’s thigh. I may not be great with words of support, but I can show him I’m right here with him. He lets out a small sigh and rests his head on top of mine. “Sorry I teased you about your singing. I really did think it was cute,” he whispers.
“You hurt my feelings a little, but I probably overreacted.” I lean into him a little more, so he knows I’m not upset. “Kind of a bummer I have to give up my dream of joining the Spice Girls though.” That has the desired effect. Calix chuckles softly, burrowing his nose under my hair near my neck.
The scenery around us transitions rather quickly from a large, bustling city to huge swaths of thick trees and sparsely placed houses. After about twenty minutes, Gunnar slows the car and turns onto a narrow gravel path, following behind the Audi. From there it’s a short drive down a winding road that opens up to a clearing which reminds me a little of my own driveway.
As soon as Calix opens the door, he curses. Kim is already standing outside of the Audi along with her companion. “What’s up?” I look around to see why Calix is aggravated.
“Pack politics,” he answers, and stalks his way over to Kim. The woman takes one step back, but then seems to think better of it and holds her ground.
“This isn’t pack property,” she blurts.
I watch the smooth lines of Calix’s body as he gets closer to her, clearly ready to pounce. “It smells like pack.” His voice comes out just this side of a growl.
“It’s pack owned, but not on the land,” Kim confirms.
Grim extends his hand to me, helping me from the back seat. Keeping my eyes trained on Calix, I watch as he steps into Kim’s space and bares his teeth. The woman doesn’t meet his eyes, instead she stands as still as a statue. I can’t even tell if she’s breathing.
“Twice now you have defied me, playing games. Is this how your pack operates?”
Kim blinks twice, proving she hasn’t turned to stone. “He’s pretty pissed. I bet he wouldn’t even care if I killed her now,” I comment absently.
The man who rode with Kim sends a glare in my direction. I lift my fingers and give him a cutesy wave before I point right at him. “If you look at me like that again, I’ll pluck out your eyeballs and feed them to you.”
The man blinks a few times as Gunnar swoops me up in his arms and nuzzles my neck. “Stop threatening to maim people—you know how excited I get.”
I keep my eyes on the guy over Gunnar’s shoulder, pointing my fingers back and forth between my eyes and his, gesturing that I will be watching him as Gunnar bounces up a walkway with me still in his arms. The man’s face pinches in utter shock or confusion. I can’t tell which.
With one hard kick to the front door, the wood splinters and Gunnar sighs an exaggerated, “Oops.”
I turn my head so I can see inside the house. There’s a small foyer with an umbrella stand and a folding door closet straight ahead. To the left is a formal dining room, and to the right is a homey, well-used living room. The furniture isn’t new, but it’s in good shape. There’s no dust or odd smells though, so I take that as a win.
Gunnar adjusts his hold and lets me slide down his big body until my boots hit the floor. I give him a little peck as a thank you.
I note the lack of curtains as I peruse the house. They probably don’t think they need them way out here with no neighbors, but now I won’t have anything to block out the ball of fire that lives in the sky all day. It’s nearly dusk now, and I can see everything perfectly with how much light is streaming in through all the windows.
“Why are you looking at that window like it offends you?” Gunnar has been following me around, probably making sure I’m safe. It’s so cute.
“I believe the lack of draperies is not to her liking,” Grim answers for me.
