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“I went to try to free them, but they were gone.” Clara splutters her words out, and blood spills from her lips.
“Did you see this girl?” Storm kneels beside her, holding a picture of his sister over her face, and Clara’s heavy eyes study the picture with recognition.
“Riley.” She smiles like she feels no more pain, and I can see she’s failing fast. All the color is draining from her skin.
“She belongs to him,” she manages before closing her eyes.
“Belongs to who? Where is she now? Was she here?” Storm shakes Clara’s shoulders to try to wake her up, but it’s too late. She's gone.
My head falls onto her stomach, and I sob for the girl that I hardly knew and the family who never found her.
“We need to get out of here,” Brax says coldly, passing Grace without any acknowledgment, and through my tears, I see how much it hurts her.
“He’s just mad,” Shaniya whispers, trying to comfort her.
“So is Troj. Don’t see him blanking you,” Grace points out sadly before climbing into the back of the truck.
“We can’t leave her here. Her family deserves to put her to rest properly,” I look back at Clara, already she looks so peaceful.
“Darlin’, a dead body’s gonna bring heat to the club,” Squealer tries his best to sound sympathetic.
“But… she was my friend,” I cry, and as Screwy gently helps me to stand, I notice his eyes flick to Grimm. Rogue scowls at her man, too.
“I can deal with that. We’ll make some shit up and call it into Roswell,” Grimm speaks up and earns himself a grateful nod from Screwy.
“You heard him. Load her up.” Jessie smiles at me sadly.
The ride home is cramped in the back of the van. Squealer and Storm ride up front while the rest of us squeeze onto the bench seats in the back. Clara’s body is on the floor between our feet, covered with a black tarp that they just so happened to have on hand.
It’s a silent, tense journey. Troj has Shaniya tucked under his arm. Rogue sits on Grimm’s knee, and Maddy’s head rests on Jessie’s shoulders. I have Screwy’s hand in mine, and I cling to it so tight I feel my nails digging into his skin.
I just feel sorry for Grace, who has Brax sitting opposite her, flaring his nostrils and staring at her like he’s got something to say.
“You don't have to be so cruel,” Grace eventually cuts through the silence.
“Cruel,” he laughs back at her spitefully.
“I’ll tell you something that’s fucking cruel, Grace.” His eyes narrow at her. “Cruel is not knowing if I was gonna walk into that building to find you dead or alive. Cruel is me trying to keep my head together while imagining all the things those fucking animals could have been doing to you.”
“Brax…” Troj throws him a warning look that he chooses to ignore as he pulls the black plastic sheet back off Clara’s face. “That could have been you. How do you think that makes me fucking feel, Grace?” he asks.
“Stop it.” Grace quickly looks away from Clara’s pale skin and lifeless eyes.
“Would it have been so hard for you to just hang back with Alex and Ella?” He slams his head back against the side panel of the van and looks up at the ceiling, taking a long, sharp breath.
“Alex and Ella are mothers, Brax. They had a responsibility,” she points out.
“She makes a good point,” Squealer calls back over his shoulder. “If Alex wasn’t knocked up, she’d have been in there too, man.”
“You have a responsibility to me, Grace.” Brax ignores Squealer, slamming his bloody palm hard into his chest. “What do you think would happen to me if I lost you?” I see real tears starting to form in his eyes and have to look away. Suddenly, I feel like I'm imposing on a private moment.
Silence surrounds us again, and I think I actually preferred it when they were shouting.
“Man’s got a point,” Jessie says awkwardly, scratching at his stubble and earning himself a dig in the ribs from Maddy’s elbow.
I’m relieved when Squealer pulls up in the yard and the back door slides open.
It’s getting dark, and suddenly I feel exhausted.
