Chapter 12
T he panic that surged through my body made me lightheaded, but immediately, Mac was on his feet, standing between me and Wolf, his gun in his hand.
“Like hell you are,” he said, and I thought I’d heard Mac angry before, but not like this.
His voice was deceptively calm, almost like velvet, but there was a threat in it that made my stomach drop.
I realized with a stab of terror Mac still thought I’d be burned alive.
Well, maybe I would be. I had no idea what to believe anymore.
Either way, Mac was ready to fight to the death in Madame’s empty house, and I needed to stop this.
Scar and Kai had their hands on their holstered guns, carefully watching Mac. Lee was hovering in the back, not reaching for a weapon but watching just as carefully. Wolf stood facing Mac, his expression so cold I barely recognized him.
“Get out of my way, Mac,” Wolf said in a quiet, menacing voice.
“You’re not taking her anywhere,” Mac growled.
“I’d rather not have to kill you, but I will.” Wolf’s voice got even quieter, and my heart stopped.
“Wolf!”
I was on my feet, lurching to get between them, but Mac caught my arm and jerked me behind him.
“They might not burn me alive,” I blurted out, panicked. “Wolf said they don’t do that.”
“What?” Scar demanded, her voice sharp.
“Burn alive?” Kai exclaimed at the same time.
Mac didn’t take his eyes off Wolf but spoke in my head, “What?”
“Allegedly, Dune told her I’d let the Ministry burn her alive if she told me about her powers,” Wolf said before I could explain.
Wolf’s crew all looked at me with varying degrees of shock and suspicion.
“Well, that’s a new one,” Kai said.
“He did,” I snapped. “I’m not lying!”
My brother met my eyes, but his gaze was hard. He looked at me like I was a stranger—a monster.
Several things happened all at once. Mac abruptly raised his gun, pointing it directly at my brother’s head, which made Kai and Scar both draw their weapons and train them on Mac, but he didn’t even seem to notice.
“What the fuck?” Mac snarled. “Say that again, I fuckin’ dare you.”
I took a panicked step forward, bewildered. I hadn’t heard Wolf say anything. If I threw myself in front of Mac, would Scar and Kai shoot me?
“I didn’t say anything,” Wolf replied harshly.
“Yes, you did.” Every line in Mac’s body was radiating with fury. “You called your sister ‘Juck’s whore,’ and I’m not gonna let you talk to her that way.”
My breath caught painfully, but Wolf stared at Mac, his gaze sharpening like a predator scenting blood.
“I didn’t say that out loud,” Wolf said slowly.
In the sudden silence, it hit me. Mac was hearing Wolf’s thoughts.
Wait.
Mac was hearing Wolf’s thoughts?
Was this Mac’s power?
Mac glanced back at me, his eyes wide, but Wolf immediately struck.
He brought both hands up, caught Mac’s arm, and then twisted it around, disarming him so fast I barely saw it.
Wolf kicked Mac’s gun backward, and Kai stopped it with his foot.
Mac quickly retreated until he bumped into me, reaching behind his body to grab my arm with one hand.
I abandoned the towel, letting it slide to the floor since Mac’s jacket was long enough to reach my mid-thigh.
“Stay behind me.” His voice in my head was an order.
“Mac—” I started, terrified.
“Wait, what does that mean?” Scar asked sharply, taking a step closer to Wolf.
“I dunno,” Wolf answered, watching me and Mac with narrowed eyes.
“Wolf,” Lee tried, his voice calm, “I think we got some bad intel.”
“What?” Wolf demanded.
“Lana told us a whole host of shit.”
“Like what, Lee?” Wolf bit out.
“Like the truth is Mac exiled her ’cause she hired two men to rape Ember.”
Everyone’s eyes cut to me, and I breathed deeply through my nose, trying not to puke.
“Ember didn’t kill Lana’s brother, either,” Lee continued.
Mac suddenly tensed. “ Em, what the fuck did you tell your brother?”
His voice was so angry in my head I winced. When I didn’t answer, he spun around and grabbed my upper arms tightly.
“What the fuck did you tell him?” he asked in a quiet, scary voice.
I glanced behind him, terrified someone was going to shoot him in the back, but Wolf gestured at Kai and Scar to lower their weapons. They both frowned but obeyed.
“Why does he think you wanted to be with Juck?” Mac’s voice in my head was a tidal wave of frustration. “Why did you lie to him?”
“I didn’t…I just… didn’t correct him. I keep tryin’ to explain, but he wants to think the worst of me, and I’m so… I’m so tired…” My voice trailed off.
Mac stared at me, his face frozen in what looked like angry disbelief.
“Somebody better start talkin’,” Wolf growled from behind him.
“I can’t,” I thought to Mac, suddenly panicked. “ I can’t do this, right now. Mac, I can’t ? —”
“Ok,” he interrupted. “ Ok. We just gotta give him somethin’.”
My mind was a hornet’s nest buzzing with panic.
“Ok,” he said again, his grip relaxing on my upper arms. “It’s ok. I’m gonna help best I can, ok?”
“Alright, here’s the deal,” Mac said out loud as he turned around to face Wolf. “Whatever story you’ve put together isn’t the truth.”
Wolf’s furious eyes narrowed on me again, but Mac continued.
“We’re gonna sort it out, alright? But right now, Em needs some fuckin’ clothes. So you’re gonna have to wait a minute.”
“You think—” Wolf started angrily, but Mac interrupted, his voice icy.
“I think, at the very least, you can let her get fuckin’ dressed.”
Wolf set his jaw, but he stayed silent.
“We can meet you back at the clinic in half an hour, alright?” Mac said.
“Take Lee with you,” Wolf said tightly.
I looked at Lee, but he just nodded at Wolf.
Mac looked like he was grinding his teeth but finally nodded.
He glanced at me and gestured with his head, and I followed him, trying to avoid Wolf, Scar, and Kai as much as possible.
Lee trailed behind. I shoved my feet in my boots, not bothering to lace them.
It was a cold, silent walk to the bunkhouse.
The people we passed gave us odd looks. I knew I probably looked ridiculous in Mac’s huge jacket, my bare legs, and untied boots.
When we walked inside, Sam, Griz, and Raven did a double take at my appearance.
“What the fuck is…whatever the fuck this is?” Sam stood, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline.
“Are you wearing anything under Mac’s jacket?” Raven asked.
Everyone’s faces darkened when Lee followed us inside.
“Everything ok?” Griz asked tensely.
“No,” I said, and Griz and Raven looked sharply at me.
“Whose question are you answering?” Griz asked.
“Both?” I muttered.
Raven smirked, but the furrow in Griz’s forehead deepened.
“Raven, you got any clothes Em can borrow?” Mac asked.
“Em, huh?” Raven drawled, and I tensed, but she stood and gestured. “We’ll figure somethin’ out.”
Raven dug through a dresser in the bedroom before throwing some undergarments and pants at me. I undid Mac’s jacket and slid it off, surprised to find I wasn’t too concerned about Raven seeing, well, everything. She’d seen it all many times when she was helping me recover.
“Those might fit. We might need to find you some suspenders.”
I huffed a laugh, and she did a double take, her lips curling up. The pants were too big, but they stayed on my hips. Raven moved across the room to another dresser, kneeling and pulling open a drawer.
“This is Trey’s drawer. You want to pick somethin’, or do you want me to?”
I crossed my arms over my naked chest, my heart aching. I could not look through that drawer right now. “You can.”
She tossed me a shirt, another one of Trey’s old flannels. I pulled it on and then froze. Barely daring to hope, I brought the fabric up to my nose, and immediately, tears flooded my eyes. It very faintly smelled like him, and the scent made my longing and grief roar to life.
“So, do I get to know why you walked in here wearing just Mac’s jacket?”
I struggled to keep from falling apart. “It’s a long story.”
“Can’t be that long. I saw him a couple hours ago, and he was wearing it.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but she continued.
“And what’s with the guard dog followin’ you around?”
I made a face. “I dunno. Wolf’s makin’ him stay with me.”
She sniffed scornfully at Wolf’s name. “Well, at least he’s nice to look at.”
I rolled my eyes, but before I could respond, there was a knock on the door.
“Em, you almost done?” Mac called. “We gotta go.”
I took a breath, feeling nauseous again. I grabbed Mac’s jacket, but before I could open the door, Raven put her palm on it, halting me. I peered up at her in surprise.
“Stop lettin’ ’em make you feel small. Speak up and stand your ground. You got backup.” I stared at her wide-eyed, and she rolled her eyes at my expression. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m on your team, dumbass.”
Raven opened the door, and I almost walked directly into Mac’s chest. He was holding onto the top of the doorframe, blocking the doorway as he loomed over me, and staring at Trey’s shirt, his expression soft and pained.
He met my gaze, and I suddenly felt anxious he might not want anyone going through Trey’s stuff.
“I’m sorry ? — ”
“It looks good on you,” he interrupted, holding my gaze. “He’d want you to have it.”
I felt my face warm, and my eyes welled up again, but he just pushed off the doorframe. Behind him, Griz and Sam stood with their arms folded. Lee leaned against the wall near the door, observing with arms crossed. I tried to hand Mac his jacket, but he shook his head.
“Keep it so you don’t have to walk to the clinic without a coat.”
I slipped it back on, rolling up the sleeves so my hands didn’t get lost.
“How do you want to do this, Em?” Mac asked.
I glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you want any of us to come with you, or would it be easier by yourself?”
I shifted on my feet. If I made it through this without puking from anxiety, it would be a godsdamn miracle. “Is your whole crew gonna be there?” I asked Lee.