Chapter 6
Daniel
By the time I pulled onto the familiar driveway, my chest felt like it was going to cave in. The pressure there was nearly unbearable.
I’d nearly turned around more times than I could count. The further I got from Rosemary, the more my entire body screamed at me to go back. Instincts were a real bitch when you were ignoring them.
My parents’ house was pretty quiet when I parked out front.
The bodies that had littered the property were gone, but proof of the assault was still noticeable as I moved toward the front door.
Bloodstains marred my mother’s pristine white porch, the front window was covered with a piece of plywood, and when close enough, you could still see holes in the siding where stray bullets had hit.
“Hey, fucker,” my brother Chance said in surprise, jerking to a stop as I walked inside. He looked behind me. “Missing something?”
“Funny,” I replied flatly. “What are you doing?”
“Mom’s rug is toast.” He kicked the rolled-up rug on the floor. “I’m going to dump it. Seriously, where’s your mate?”
“She’s safe.”
“But not here?” he asked slowly.
I shook my head. I knew they were curious about her, the same way I’d been curious about my brothers’ mates. We’d all been waiting for so long, and it was such a miracle when we found them that it was impossible to even fake nonchalance.
But somewhere deep in my head was the relentless thought that if they knew nothing about Rosemary—if they couldn’t tell anyone where she was, or who she was, or anything about her—she’d be safe.
I’d never believe that someone in my family would knowingly put her in danger, but there were plenty of ways that they could accidentally slip up.
Ambrose and Beau, along with their mates, were also still targets. If, Gods forbid, they were taken somehow… well, it was just better if they didn’t have any information. Not yet.
“How are you still on your feet?” he asked with a huff of laughter.
“It’s a close thing,” I admitted. The entire back of my T-shirt was soaked in sweat. My skin was so hot that anytime my clothes brushed against me, it felt as if I were being burned. “I need a shower.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Lower bedroom. I don’t think Mom’s awake, but Dad is. Don’t leave without seeing them.”
I nodded and turned toward the back of the house. “I’ll go now.”
“Hey, Danny boy?” Chance called, grunting as he lifted the rug from the floor.
“Yeah?”
“Uh, is she great?” he asked awkwardly.
I smiled as the memory of Rosemary screeching with laughter as I tossed her over my shoulder came to mind. “Yeah, brother. She’s perfect.”
“Good,” he said. He hefted the rug over his shoulder and carried it out of the house.
I found my parents right where Chance had said they’d be. Poking my head through the door, I locked eyes with my father, waiting until he’d given me a nod to step inside.
My mom was lying on her back beneath the blankets, pale, but breathing steadily in her sleep. “How’s she doing?”
“She woke up a few hours ago,” he replied quietly, reaching out to brush her hair away from her cheek. “Just long enough to curse me, the house, Alice, humans, and the sheets on the bed, before falling back asleep.”
“She’s never been a good patient.” I grinned softly, perching on the end of the bed. I wrapped my hand around my mother’s foot through the blankets.
“True.” He looked me over carefully. “You’ve found her?”
I nodded, my throat going tight as I held back everything I wished I could say.
I wanted to tell him about Rosemary’s laugh.
Marvel with him that she’d grown up around Vampires and had accepted that we were mates from the very beginning.
I wanted to mention that she smelled spicy, like herbs, which was so appropriate considering she was named after one.
I wanted to tell him about Gary, how he’d dedicated his life and sacrificed his mobility working with Command.
Explain how I’d seen Dalton Cavendish and his son, because he was Rosemary’s godfather.
Instead, I said nothing.
“Your mother will be pleased,” Dad said carefully, his eyes shining. “What’s she like?”
That I could tell him.
“Strong,” I replied. I cleared my throat. “Gorgeous. Sarcastic as hell. Quick. Funny.”
“All good things.”
I nodded again.
“She’s not here?”
“I…” I paused, unsure how to explain why I’d left her behind without hurting him. “No.”
“Things are going well, though?”
“Better than I could’ve imagined,” I confirmed.
“But you didn’t bring her with you?” He watched me for a moment and let out a sigh. “Ah. I understand.”
“It’s only for now,” I said quickly. “Just until we’ve figured this out.”
“I don’t like it,” he said simply. “But I do understand. Before, I would’ve told you to bring her here. That there was nowhere safer…but that obviously isn’t the case.”
“She’s safe where she is,” I assured him. I hoped I was right. “How is everyone?”
Dad ran a hand down the center of his face. His eyes were bruised, and he looked more tired than I’d ever seen him.
“Reese is fine. Not a scratch on her. Lucy’ll be okay. She’s still sleeping—”
“Best thing for her,” I commented. He nodded.
“Sven’s still out too.”
“Really?”
“He hasn’t even twitched. Alice has been by his side since last night. She’s hiding it well, but she’s scared out of her mind.”
“He had a partial, right?”
“Yes. They didn’t take his head, thank the Gods, but it was a close thing. Alice was able to repair it. He just hasn’t woken up.”
“Shit.”
“I’ve been fighting beside him for most of my life,” my dad said quietly. “I’ve never seen him sleep this long without waking at least once.”
“He’ll pull out of it. If nothing else, just so he can stop Aunt Alice from bitching.”
Dad chuckled.
“All things considered, they did well,” I said softly.
“They did,” Dad replied roughly. “I’d forgotten how fierce your mother is in a fight. The last time she was this hurt was on the way west.”
I hummed in acknowledgment. My brothers and I had been fully grown when we made the move to Oregon, but that hadn’t changed how terrified we’d been when my parents were attacked.
My father had still been on his feet when we’d found them, but my mother had looked dead on the side of the deserted country road.
“Have you spoken to Arthur?” I asked, almost dreading the answer. Arthur Carruthers and I were going to have it out eventually. The only thing I had to do was wait for my moment.
“We let him know we’d been attacked,” Dad confirmed. “He sent out a cleanup team early this morning.”
“No problems?”
“Not one. This is our home. Defending ourselves is our right.”
Straightening, I tried to alleviate the ache in my muscles. Everything hurt, from my scalp to the bottoms of my feet.
“Go,” my dad ordered kindly. “We’re fine here.”
“I may not be around much,” I warned, rising to my feet.
“As it should be,” Dad replied. “You belong with your mate. When it’s safe, bring her home.”
“I will,” I agreed. I hesitated for a moment, then walked toward the door. “Is there anything I can do while I’m here?”
“You can take a shower. You smell like a goat.”
I let out a choked laugh.
“Go. Go,” he insisted, his gaze softening as he looked me over. “We know how to contact you if we need you. Some of us are down at the moment, but Beau and Chance are vigilant, and that’s no small thing.”
“How are you feeling?” I asked, my hand on the doorknob. When I’d seen him sitting up in bed, I’d somehow forgotten that he’d been injured almost as bad as my mother.
“I’ve a strong constitution,” he replied gruffly, his old accent barely noticeable in the words. “Go now. Back to your mate, Arne.”
I nodded. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“You’ll let her know I stopped in?” I nodded to my mother.
“Of course.”
I didn’t bother checking in on anyone else before heading to my room. Beau and Reese were fine—probably in bed, which was where they were half the time—and Ambrose had his hands full dealing with Lucy.
I was startled by Charles sitting halfway up the stairs to my room.
“I thought I heard your voice,” he said, shooting me a lopsided grin. He looked beyond me. “She’s not here?”
“No.” My brother’s mate looked like he hadn’t slept. His normally tidy hair was sticking out at all angles, and his face looked like shit after the beating he’d received the night before.
“Oh,” he said softly. “Well, I just wanted to come say hi.”
“It’s good to see you,” I replied gently. Charles always looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over, but after the last twenty-four hours, he appeared even more fragile. “Lucy’s going to be fine, right?”
“Yeah, she is,” he said, rising to his feet. “Ambrose told me to be patient, but—” He shrugged. “Not my strong suit. I’m going crazy waiting around.”
“Chance is downstairs cleaning up. I’m sure he could use the help,” I offered. I could hear him cursing a mop bucket in the living room. “Keep you busy, at least.”
“Good idea.” He smiled and started down the stairs.
“Hey, Charlie?”
He turned to look at me and lifted his eyebrows in question.
“You did good last night.”
Charles scoffed. “It’s pretty easy to get kidnapped.”
“It isn’t easy to put yourself in danger. Don’t sell yourself short. You came through when we needed you.”
He shrugged.
“If you hadn’t done what you did, I wouldn’t have found her,” I reminded him quietly.
His lips pulled up in a small smile. “Tell Rosemary I said hello.”
I jerked in surprise. “You know her name?”
He frowned. “She introduced herself last night.”
Shit.
“Keep it to yourself, all right?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level.
“Okay,” he replied, the word drawn out.
“The less people know about her, the safer she is.”
“Even family?” He was looking at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.
“Everyone,” I confirmed.
He nodded. “Not a word.”
“Thanks.”