“See, here’s the thing… I have a loyalty to Hellen, which means I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. But that loyalty to Hellen also says that I have a duty to keep her alive. So, I feel under the circumstances, I’ve done both. So, are you coming with me, or am I going alone?”
“You think I’m going with you?”
“Yes,” Emmalyn said, taking a gun out of her back waistband and checking to make sure it was loaded, before half-turning into the yard and leveling it at one of the trees in the lot next door to check the sight on it.
“I’m going. You’re not.”
“I beg to differ! I came and told you, didn’t I?”
“Did you tell Barron? And what about Brandt? Or maybe Hellen’s father across the road? This is no place for females to be inserting themselves.”
“Listen here, asswipe! I’ve been a fighter almost longer than I’ve been alive. And an FBI Agent since I was old enough for them to take me seriously — you feel me? Not you or anyone else is going to keep me from going to make sure Hellen is safe,” Emmalyn said, poking an annoyingly bony finger into his chest to accentuate every word.
With each poke Lucien backed up a step, intentionally leading Emmalyn into the foyer of Hellen’s home.
At about the same time Emmalyn realized she was standing in Hellen’s home, Havoc’s yell got their attention from across the street.
“Hey! You hear this shit she’s pulled now?!” Havoc bellowed. “Come on! Ronan was already here. He’s sitting with Analise and Harley. Let’s go ruin her fucking day!”
“Hold on,” Lucien said, his eyes on Emmalyn.
Emmalyn looked around the foyer, wide-eyed and clearly off balance.
Lucien very carefully took her by the shoulders and guided her in front of him back out of the house. “I have no doubt that you can hold your own on a good day. But you’re not ready. You just froze up because of the house you’re standing in. You need to work through that before you can put yourself in a volatile situation. But you did a great thing. You came to me. As Hellen’s mate, no one will fight harder for her than I will.”
Emmalyn blinked away a few errant tears, and sniffled a time or two before she got herself under control.
“Can I use your phone?”
Emmalyn nodded and pulled it out of her back pocket, swiping a finger over the screen to unlock it so he could use it.
“Call Brandt?”
Emmalyn swiped the screen again and chose speed dial four. When it started ringing she handed the phone back to Lucien.
“’S’up, Em?” Brandt asked lightheartedly.
“It’s Lucien. Hellen’s gone to try to confirm the location and activity of some poachers, at the request of her boss. She told Emmalyn and Analise she thinks it’s the same poachers that left me for dead.”
“The fuck?!” Brandt exclaimed.
“She left while we were gone this morning. Emmalyn just showed up to tell me.”
“You try to reach out to her?” Brandt asked.
“Yep. She’s got me locked out tight.”
“Hey! Get in the fucking truck. We going to get her ass!” Havoc said, stomping up the drive toward where Lucien and Emmalyn were standing.
“Tell Havoc to hold on, I gotta let everybody know what’s happening. Not all of us can go. Some need to stay behind to watch over things,” Brandt said.
“I can hear your ass! You stay here. I’m going to get my damn stubborn-ass sister! You!” Havoc said, pointing at Lucien, “Meet me at my truck. You got five minutes!” he snapped before he turned and hurried back to his house. “Like having Analise tell me would keep me from getting upset. Who the hell do they think they’re dealing with?” he grumbled to himself along the way.
“Hey! Let your dad know!” Lucien shouted at Havoc’s retreating back.
“Already did!” Havoc yelled back. “Get off the damn phone and get what you need, then get in the fucking truck,” Havoc yelled as he continued back to his house.
“You hear that?” Lucien asked.
