“We’ll wait here.” Stone crosses his arms and closes his eyes. We could all use some sleep, but I need Amy with me.
I check the front door. Locked. Good. Cringing at the disruption I’m causing, I knock lightly. Only a few moments pass before a small force vibrates the door. Gabe’s voice reaches beyond the wood panel, “Don’t open that door. Go back in the kitchen and eat your breakfast.”
The lock clicks back, and an inch of Gabe’s face appears. He steps back, swings the door wide, and smiles when he recognizes me, holstering his pistol in a smooth, subtle move. Can’t even tell he’s armed after he pulls his shirt back down. “Amy’s upstairs taking a shower.”
A longing to join her flashes through me. “You’re up early.”
“These munchkins don’t appreciate the joys of sleeping in.” Three kiddos occupy seats at the dining table. “I promised we could go into town and find Halloween decorations.”
“Bit early?”
“Tell the stores that. I think they’d put out the sh…stuff on the fifth of July if they could get away with it.”
I smile at Gabe’s joke, accept a cup of coffee, and try not to pace while glancing at the stairs every thirty seconds. Finally, Amy descends, reminding me why I broke every rule to marry her. She’s beautiful—fresh, bare face with her hair in a ponytail. Her smile lands with a blow to my heart. God, I love this woman.
“You’re here?” She reaches the bottom but stops just out of reach. “Thought you’d still be at the hospital.” She gasps, her hand going to her mouth, eyes wide and watery. “Blake didn’t—”
I tug her to me. “He’s alive. Nothing’s changed.”
“Thank goodness.” She squirms out of my hold. “Can I go home? Being here with Katherine, Gabe, and the kids has been wonderful, but I have so much I could be doing. Does that sound horrible?”
“I understand.” It’s rough when the immediate problem can’t be fixed, feeling useless or worse powerless in a crisis. “Stone and Alex are in the car.”
“Tell them to come in. I mean…” She glances to the kitchen where Gabe refills plates with scrambled eggs and buttered toast. The toast is well done, but the kids don’t complain. “I’m sure Gabe would like to see them.”
“The guys are ready to sleep in a bed. Take a shower.”
“Let me say goodbye then.”
I take her hand in mine, her fingers cold. We move toward the insta-family.
Adoption could work.
Where didthatcome from? One thing at a time. “Gabe, any updates on the…”
“Hunt?” He fills in.
“Yeah.”
“No sign. But they have enough to keep the beast in a cage for a very long time.” Gabe’s using coded language because of the kids, but it seems the law has found at least one body.
“We’re headed back to the Sunflower.”
“Thank you for everything,” Amy blurts, cutting off my own words of gratitude. “Tell Katherine I’ll call her?”
Gabe gives a brief nod. “You need anything…”
“I know.” Amy frees herself from my grip to give Gabe a quick hug.
He pats her back twice and releases her. “Be safe.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Amy
Tyler takescommand as soon as we park under the carport at the Sunflower. “Alex, stay in the car with Amy while Stone and I check the perimeter.”
The rain has paused, but the overcast sky keeps everything in shadows. The wind is whipping up, causing the tree branches to sway. The guys divide up and disappear around the back of the house. A few minutes later, Stone and Tyler reappear and move to the front door. There should be nothing to worry about inside—the alarms have been quiet. They unlock the door and push it open, standing to either side. When nothing happens, not surprisingly, they head in with handguns leading the way. Several minutes go by before they come out. I refrain from rolling my eyes. This is such overkill. The last place Enzo will be is where they expect him. He’d have to be a complete moron to show up here.
