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I nodded, helpless to do anything but.
Rico came back across the street from the diner. I could see people standing in the windows, staring out at us. Dominique was in the doorway, watching Rico’s back as he jogged back to the garage. “She’ll wait to hear from one of us,” Rico said. “And she’ll keep the others here too.” He shook his head. “They want to come out all guns blazing. Remember when it was this great big secret? Now everyone knows, and everyone wants to shoot something. Fucking humans, man. Now, where are my guns? I want to shoot something.”
Kelly pulled up outside the garage in his patrol car. The light bar across the top was dark, and there was no siren. It was easier to keep things quiet for as long as possible.
He opened the door and climbed out, nodding at me before looking to Ox.
“Robbie, you’re with Kelly,” Ox said. “Rico too. Tanner, with me. Gordo, you follow in your truck with Chris. The others?”
“On their way,” Chris said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Jessie wants me to tell you that she’s on summer break and that she’s not pleased you’re making her leave the house. But no worries!” he added quickly as Ox turned to stare at him. “She’s just kidding. I think she wants to hit someone with a crowbar.” He frowned. “We’re really violent. I don’t know why I’m just realizing that now. Huh.” He shrugged. “Eh, what can you do? Let’s go fuck some shit up.”
“Fucking werewolves,” Ox muttered, but I could hear the pride in his voice.
“Bambi,” Rico said into his phone in the back seat, “I can’t talk long. I’m in the back of Kelly’s cop car and—what? No, I haven’t been arrested. I didn’t do anything! Would you just—oh. Right. Yeah, I guess that was illegal. But that was one time, and no one knows about it except for you and every person in the pack, which, now that I think about it, is a lot of people. I’m with Robbie and—oh man, you know I love it when you get all hard-core. Yes, baby, I’ve got my guns. If there’s shooting, I’ll make sure it counts just for you. Your man is gonna take care of shit—you are not a better shot than me! You just got lucky—you’re right. That was uncalled for. I’m sorry. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. If I was a wolf, you would be my moon.”
“Does he know we can hear him?” I whispered to Kelly.
“Yeah,” Kelly said. “He just doesn’t care. He says it’s part of his charm, but that can’t be right.”
I bounced my leg, shifting in my seat. Ox and Tanner were in front of us, Gordo and Chris behind us. We quickly left the main thoroughfare of Green Creek behind, but not before I saw people in the shops watching us through the windows. Ox said they’d be ready if it came down to it, but that didn’t go very far toward making me feel better. They were all human, and I didn’t know if they could stand up against wolves or witches or whatever fresh hell was heading toward us.
It didn’t help that I was distracted thinking about what Ox had said. About the hold that was over me, how a few uttered words could strip everything away and make me turn against them. The very idea made me fear for all those around me. I would fight it as hard as I could, but I remembered being in Caswell, all those times Ezra had stood near me, whispering his poison in five simple words.
Would you hear me, dear?
I didn’t want that to happen again.
Kelly settled his hand on my bouncing knee, and I sighed.
“We’ll be fine,” he said.
He couldn’t know that, but I thought it was for him just as much as it was for me. It wasn’t a lie when I said, “I know.”
Kelly squeezed my knee. “We’re together. All of us.”
“It’s not the same.”
“No, it’s not. But that won’t stop us.”
“You’re carrying a gun.”
He pulled his hand away. “Saw that, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Kelly’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Ox and Joe thought it was a good idea. I can’t fall back on being a wolf. I need a way to protect myself.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Know how to use it?”
He glanced in the rearview mirror. “Rico taught me.”
“That… doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”
“Oh, fuck you, lobito,” Rico said. “I’ll have you know that I’m amazing when it comes to shooting—yes, my love. I know. But being humble has never been in my nature. You can’t tame me, no matter how hard you try. I am a man, and I—Bambi, I swear to god, if you don’t stop laughing, I’m going to hang up on you.”
“If it comes down to it, stay behind me,” I said to Kelly.
