“Okay,” Grae breathed. She stretched up onto her tiptoes and brushed her mouth against mine. “Thank you.”
“Always.”
Eddie made a gagging noise. “Can we cut the ooey-gooey stuff short?”
Grae reached up and flicked his ear.
“Hey! That hurt,” he whined.
Jordan just shook his head. “Children, let’s get this show on the road.”
We headed down the walkway, and the squad car that had followed us rolled down its window. Clint stuck his head out. “Where are you headed?”
“They cleared Grae’s house, so we need to take a quick look. Then we’re heading back.”
He nodded and climbed out of the car.
“You don’t have to come,” Grae assured him.
He gave her an indulgent smile. “G, your brothers would have my balls if I started slacking.”
She huffed out a breath. “Fine. School field trip I guess.”
Clint laughed. “You’ll be real happy when this is over, and you have some alone time again.”
“You have no idea,” she grumbled.
We made our way the two blocks to Grae’s cottage. It didn’t look that bad from the outside, but I wanted to eat those words the moment we made our way inside. The scent of smoke still clung to the walls, and soot and water damage were everywhere.
Noel let out a low whistle. “Shit, G.”
She slowly walked through the living area to the hallway, grief making itself at home in her expression. “I can’t imagine it ever smelling right again.”
I took her hand and squeezed. “We’ll figure it out.”
I’d pay any price to make sure she felt at home wherever she wanted to be.
Grae headed in the direction of her bedroom. “I need to see the worst. Just get it over with.”
“Okay.” We’d rip off the Band-Aid and then start the healing process.
Black streaks coated the walls as we approached what was left of her door. When we got to the entryway, Grae pulled up short, gasping.
It took me a moment to realize what I was seeing. Black-and-white photos covered the space. Ones of Grae. Of the two of us. Intimate ones of her changing, of us embracing. And coating all of them was what looked like blood.
36
GRAE
“It’s animal blood,”Lawson said, leaning against the counter in Caden’s kitchen.
The dark circles under his eyes had gotten worse over the past two weeks, and guilt pricked at me.
“What type?” Roan asked, barely restrained rage coating his words.
“Don’t know that yet, just that it isn’t human.”
I burrowed deeper into Caden’s hold. At least there was that. But it didn’t make me feel a whole heck of a lot better that Bambi or some other innocent creature had lost their life just so whoever this was could terrify me.
