Chapter 22
I sat in our room later in the evening, talking to Dad. I had my back braced against the headboard, legs propped up over two pillows, pants on the floor. I literally couldn’t get more comfortable. I had the phone in my hand and the call on speaker since no one else was in the room.
I’d wanted to fill my parents in better about Gwyn, since we’d been cut short the previous two calls. They had the basics but not much else. They were excited about another girl in the family, which was how they saw it.
“Two talents, eh?” Dad mused. “Wow. This is quite the kid.”
“I know it. And she’s just such a sweet, gentle person.
Very much a bookworm, and smart, god. So smart.
She’s picking things up really fast. Granted, I think everyone on the team has stopped and taught her something at least once, so she’s getting it on all sides.
But yeah, she’ll be unstoppable once fully trained. ”
“And this Seiji person. You think he’ll train her too?”
“It seems so. Look, to me, Seiji’s a great guy. He’s been helpful since coming in, he does things outside of his job description to protect us, and he strikes me as a good dude. I would love for Jon to take a look and verify that, but my own instincts are saying I can trust him with Gwyn.”
“You’re pretty good at reading people, so I think he’s fine. The FBI wouldn’t keep this man on call if he wasn’t trustworthy.”
Also a fair point.
Dad mused, “So we now have three apprentices in the family. Literally, all of my sons have an apprentice.”
“It is wild when you think of it like that.” But it was true.
Although technically Gwyn was more Mack’s apprentice than mine, I still claimed her.
Jon, of course, had Abby, and Don had Skye.
“It’s especially wild to me because I didn’t start adulthood thinking wow, I sure would like to have an apprentice at some point.
Like, this was literally never on my wish list.”
Dad chuckled, an earthy sound that always brought a smile to my face. “I didn’t expect that for my children, either. Glad of it, though. The girls are sweet and they definitely need a guiding hand. Now, that said, I worry about Gwyn being in Black Rock. Her parents still haven’t come for her?”
“Well, they don’t know where we took her. Gwyn’s not blocked them, but they haven’t tried calling or texting either, which…I find really strange. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
“I have to tell you, if some lawman came for my children, he’d have been buried in the backyard.”
“Yeah, same. I honestly expected more of a fight. But I think they knew. I think they subconsciously knew Gwyn was telling the truth. It’s why they couldn’t really argue with us and why they chose to let her go without much fuss.”
“A sad thing.”
“I understand they did put in a formal complaint with my boss, but…yeah. Anyway. I’m getting Gwyn into therapy first thing once we’re back home. This poor kid has a lot of trauma to process.”
“I wish she didn’t. But listen, if it gets too hot, just send her to us. We’ll be happy to take her.”
“I know. We may have to, but I’m trying to keep her here. She’s learning so, so much. And Seiji’s a resource we might not be able to tap in the future.”
“I understand. Just keep it in mind. Now, switching topics, you and Mack have talked wedding plans?”
“Yeah, we have a few venues we want to check out. We’re thinking April for a wedding. I’ve got a short list of wedding guests, so I think we’ll have about fifty people, max.”
“Your mother and I will chip in for wedding expenses.”
I didn’t need the help, financially speaking, but didn’t say so. My parents had paid for half of Sammy’s wedding and part of Don’s, so I knew this was just something they wanted to help their children with. I wouldn’t turn down the good intentions.
“Sure, once I know what those are.”
“I think your first expense should be a wedding planner.”
I thought on that for a second. Thought of all the impromptu trips I took because of the job, how scatterbrained I felt the first day back home, how many details it would take to prepare for this party. Yeah, no, I wasn’t doing this without a professional. “Wedding planner sounds great.”
“Lauren’s college friend is an event planner. I wonder if she’d do weddings?”
“Ask her,” I encouraged. “I have no better leads to find someone.”
“All right.”
The door burst open and Mack flung himself partway into the room, then paused, his weight balanced on the doorjamb. “Cher, move, allons!”
I was out of the bed before he could close on that last consonant. “What, what?!”
“Gwyn’s parents are at the police station and they’re threatening to sue.”
Ah, well, I guess I spoke too soon about the parents.
“Dad, gotta go.”
“Shit, you better call me back later, assure me you’re fine.”
“Yup. Bye.” I disconnected, already scrambling for pants. “Gwyn?”
“Adamant about coming with us, to prove she wants to be with us. Basically, everyone is adamant about coming.”
I was of two minds about Gwyn coming with us, but if push came to shove, I’d throw her into the SUV and drive like a bat out of hell. I’d stop when I reached Tennessee, Black Rock be damned.
The second I reached the front door, I realized Mack wasn’t exaggerating. Everyone was loading up into the SUVs, including Seiji, who was clearly read in enough to be mad. The frown marring his face promised imminent destruction.
I crammed my feet into shoes and followed out the door, automatically getting into the driver’s seat. Mack loaded in beside me but had his phone out, and the call connected to the car quickly, his contact showing up on the dash. Ah, Sylvia, good call. Pun not intended, heh.
Gwyn, Hannah, and Beau were in the back seat. Gwyn was crying, but she had an I am fed up expression. I’d seen the look before on my mother’s and sister’s faces. Hell was usually served up on a platter afterward.
The call connected and poor Sylvia sounded just done. “I am literally one toe into my bubble bath, so this better be good.”
Mack winced before replying apologetically, “Gwyn’s parents are at the police station threatening to sue.”
The sigh coming over the phone was one of a person done with life. Stick a fork in Sylvia, she was ready for today to be over.
“How do we know this?”
“The officer who helped us escort her out of her parents’ house just called me and explained what was going on. He asked for help.”
“Got it. I’m going to call him. Are you on your way?”
“We are.”
Beau leaned in between the seats. “Sylvia, it’s Beau. To be precise, we’re all going.”
“We… Who’s we?”
“The full team up here,” he said. “It’s not just her parents, but other family. We’re returning a show of force in kind.”
Sylvia didn’t seem to know how to respond to this for a second. “I know you’re in the Wild Wild West, but no shootouts, okay?”
Right now, I wasn’t making any promises.
“I’m calling McNabb, just get to the station.”
“That I can do.”
I did not obey speed limits while getting to the station. It should have taken ten minutes, but it took me five.
Now, the Black Rock police station wasn’t very large.
Maybe four desks, six cells, with an attic space for filing cabinets.
It wasn’t big because this place had never needed a lot of cops, the population just didn’t demand it.
Every parking spot in front had been taken, which wasn’t a good sign.
I ended up parking on the street one block down and then we walked the distance.
Gwyn was very quiet walking in. I glanced at her at my side. She wore quite the stony mask. I hated to think of what had formed that mask over time. How much she had pushed feelings down to survive the moment. God, this kid needed so much therapy.
And to think, her parents wanted her back so they could continue to traumatize her.
“Gwyn,” I said softly, gently, trying to reassure her. “No matter what happens, or what they say, you’re not going back to them.”
She didn’t look up at me but there was a tic in her jaw. This wasn’t fear. This was determination.
“Before I met you,” she said with the same quiet determination, “I didn’t know what peace was.
I couldn’t sleep through the night without being yanked awake multiple times, I couldn’t walk somewhere without being stalked and harassed.
I was miserable. I thought it would be my normal for the rest of my life.
But you and Mack, you showed me it wasn’t normal.
I can sleep. I can walk without fear. They’re not taking me back. ”
I pitied the fool who tried. Gwyn had a bite-bite face on. Like, I thought she would literally bite the hand off that tried to hold her.
I shouldn’t condone violence, but if she started biting, I might join in.
Hannah, walking behind us, let out a loud sniff. “The hell they ain’t.”
Glad we were all of like minds.
We reached the station doors, and I went a step ahead to open the door, holding it as people filed through. Quinn had parked next to me, so everyone came in at the same time, as we’d arrived en masse.
Which, from the looks of the local cops’ faces, they hadn’t expected. Saw more than a few jaws drop, but McNabb, at least, was happy to see us. His round face split into a smile as he waved us in closer.
I could see why he wanted the reinforcements. Both of Gwyn’s parents were here, granted, but there was an older couple standing nearby, with a family resemblance to Mr. Fairchild, so I was guessing grandparents.
“Agents,” McNabb greeted, almost pulling me forward by the arm. “Please, come straighten this out. The Fairchild family is threatening to sue if you don’t return Gwyneth, but I keep trying to explain, it was the law who took her into protective custody to begin with.”
It wasn’t quite protective custody—you know what, close enough for this situation. “Did our boss call you? Sylvia?”
“She did, or tried.” He gave an aggrieved look over his shoulder. “But they keep hanging up my phone or screaming over her.”