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“I am so glad you guys grabbed Reggie before he punished me through her,” Red said. “Now I just have to figure out how to keep her alive.”
After a moment, Kat broke the silence. “Well, Rose will be here tomorrow,” she said. “We’ll get to work. Start gathering info. Considering our options.”
“Thank you,” Red said again.
“You don’t have to thank us,” Ethan said forcefully. “We owe you. Forever.”
“That means a lot to me,” she said, smiling around the table. “Look, people, I’m wiped out. I’m going to join Reggie and get some sleep. I’m so glad to be here. Thanks for your help. And for being so welcoming.”
“Our pleasure,” Ethan said.
“I’ll say,” Angela added heartily. “Until the end of time.”
A chorus of good-nights followed her out the door, followed by silence. It went on so long, the air began to feel charged. Everyone was looking at me, or else deliberately trying not to. Which amounted to the same thing.
“Wow,” Amos said. “That is some epic badassery, in a small, intense package.”
“You don’t need to tell me,” I said. “I tried to make her run away when they came at me at the cabin. She was having none of it. She followed me down the hill. Got one of them in the back of the head with the rolling pin. Saved my ass.”
“Sweet,” Kat said approvingly. “Good material there. Very tough.”
“All I’m thinking is…” Remy’s voice trailed off.
“What?” I demanded.
Remy sighed. “I’m just thinking, fuck. You’ve been through hell. I just really hope that this girl is all that she claims to be. That it went down exactly like she said it did. Being as how you weren’t conscious to corroborate her story.”
“You think it’s an elaborate set-up? Those nine guys I killed, the sick little sister locked in the basement? Those are some heavy-duty set pieces to put in place.”
Remy raised his hands, fending me off. “I’m just saying that if the redhead’s not being absolutely straight with you, then that prick Halliwell will have found a way to make this thing suck even harder for you. That filthy sadist lives for that shit. So just be ready to jump. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
I grunted under my breath. “I’ll be ready to jump until the day I die,” I said.
The worry in their eyes made me miserable. I stood up, grimly not permitting myself to gasp at the pain in my throbbing feet. “I’m going to crash,” I said. “We’ll see more clearly in the morning. Thanks for coming for me. And for saving Reggie. I’m glad to be home.” I knew it was true, even though I couldn’t feel it.
Ethan sprang up. “I’ll help you.”
“No, no, no.” I shuffled to the door, waving him down. “I’m fine. A hot meal makes all the difference.”
“Wait until you see breakfast,” Angela warned. “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
I made that weird, rusty coughing sound as I went out the door, realizing belatedly that it was laughter.
I kept my gait steady, not allowing myself to limp until I was inside the bedroom door. Even there, I felt watched. Of course I did, after months of having cameras pointed at me. The air went out of my lungs as I sank down on trembling legs, my heart pumping agony into the soles of my feet. Thud, thud, like hammer blows.
Remy was right. If the Red story was a fiendish scheme of Halliwell’s designed to fuck me up still worse, well… it would work. No question. It would fuck me up.
I just had to make sure that my family and the rest of the world didn’t get fucked up along with me.
CHAPTER13
Cass
Ilay there cuddling Reggie’s wiry little body, my mind buzzing with leftover adrenaline even though my body was utterly exhausted.
I still couldn’t believe my luck. I had gotten my precious Reggie back. She was right here, in my arms, her hair tickling my nose and mouth. I’d been horrified when I helped her into her pajamas and saw all the needle marks and bruises on her pale arms. Furious at those cruel, clumsy hacks. Guilty that I hadn’t protected her better.
Now, I cuddled closer, intensely conscious of each slow breath. Grateful for it. Every breath was beautiful, precious. A treasure. A small victory to celebrate.
