“I’m aware of that, witch,” Gomez said curtly. “But did you know that plants have an excellent sense of smell? Did you also realize that we can communicate remotely? Or that I can take that scent I get from the scene and send that to my grove?”
Paige blinked, her anger cooling as she realized her ignorance. All of that would be rather helpful.
“Or did you know that my grove is spread out over a vast distance? We’re the ash tree. We can grow almost anywhere. We can hide in plain sight.”
Paige felt like a shit. “And you and your grove could find the Galsborys.”
“Long before facial recognition software can in the video cameras we’re not supposed to have access to.”
Paige swallowed. “Sorry. I’m just irritated.”
“Aware of that, sir. Now, then, can we take a short cut?”
Paige wasn’t aware of a short cut.
Gomez guided Dexx through side streets and main streets that looked as though they’d gone through a time warp into the past or something. The store fronts hadn’t been updated since they’d gone up sometime in the sixties.
They pulled up in front of the Highland Park Library. Only one police car sat in front of it. Crime scene tape closed off the entrance.
Paige got out of Jackie, her eyes glued to the cement. Where would she see her grandmother’s blood? Would it look different? No. Of course not. Witches bled the same red blood as everyone else. But would it feel different?
Her feet walked for her. She slipped under the crime scene tape, reaching for a badge she didn’t have.
A woman in the dark blue uniform of the Highland Park PD walked up to her. “Paige.”
Paige raised her gaze from the cement. “Sarah.” She cleared her throat. “Sheriff Ansley. This is Detective Gomez and my consultant, Dexx Colt.”
Sarah nodded, her lips curled in a smile. “I’m not surprised to see you, but I thought you’d be at the hospital.”
“We’re on our way, but we got the call, so we decided to stop here first.”
“You got the call?”
Gomez stepped out in front of Paige. “We’ve been tracking the Galsborys for a while now. They attacked another woman just last night. She’s in critical condition.”
“Beth and Dan?” Sarah narrowed her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“Sarah,” Paige said, squaring off with the sheriff, “do you know if they expressed any hate for us?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Normally, she’d tiptoe around this issue, dance around the topic, but she just didn’t have time. “You go to the same church they do.”
“Well, no.” Sarah put her hand on her utility belt, her expression shifting into stone. “They moved churches and me and Ron haven’t been going for a while. Got way too political in my faith lately.”
“Right.” Paige paced away, then came back. She needed to watch what she said, how she said it. She couldn’t afford to make enemies of friends. “Did they express any ‘political religion’ to you?”
“What is this about, Paige? Is this about you and your family being supposed witches?”
Paige met Sarah’s gaze and didn’t drop it.
“But that was just a thing while we were growing up. It was a high school joke.”
“It wasn’t a joke, Sarah. We are witches.”
“Oh.” All compassion left her expression, leaving only a wide expression of dumbfoundedness.
“Now? Can you think of anything they might have said that would lead you to believe they’re capable of something like this?”
Sarah licked her lips. “I can’t believe anyone would be capable of this. She stabbed your grandmother, Paige.”
“And Leah?”
“Fine. Her and Mandy both. I promise.”
Paige breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes. Though, why Leslie hadn’t said as much earlier was beyond Paige.
Actually, no. It wasn’t. In the heat of extreme emotional situations, the brain didn’t always work the way it should and the things that should be said weren’t.
“This is why you need to get out of Texas, Pea,” Dexx said quietly behind her.
“We’re not all like that, Mr. Colt,” Sarah said, her expression filled with hurt and amazed sickened wonder.
“No,” Dexx agreed, “but it’s that one percent of the populace that concerns me because it looks like they’re trying to kill people I care about.”
“Beth wasn’t trying to kill Alma.”
“Then, what would you call it?” Dexx asked. “A friendly knife stabbing to gently remind her to follow the straight and narrow?”
Paige sucked air through her teeth. This wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Most people were good people. It was the one in every thousand or so that turned society into a fear mongering herd. Though, she had to stop and call a turd a turd. She was turning into a fear mongering herd, only her herd was her family and she was fearing anyone who “believed” in God. Yeah. She needed to shut that shit up.
“Where did all this happen?” Gomez asked.
Sarah gestured for them to follow.
Gomez stopped Paige with her hand. “No. Dexx and I will go handle this. You stay here. We’ll be on our way to the hospital as soon as we can.”
Paige nearly told the woman to fuck off, but kept herself restrained. Gomez was right and she was just doing her job, which was something Paige should be doing.
But she just couldn’t think with this much rage and fear beating through her brain. She wanted to see for herself that her daughter and niece were okay, and she needed to know how Alma was. She pulled out her phone and texted her sister. Status?
Paige knew from past cases that cell phone usage was prohibited in the ER. Not that many people followed that rule, but there was also the fact that Leslie might have her hands full. She might not be paying attention to her phone and might not appreciate the interruption. So, a phone call might be out of the question.
Her phone whistled, letting her know she had a message. GMA going into surgery. Checking on girls. R U comin?
Paige’s breath shook as she expelled it. She nodded, biting her lip and texted. At library getting scent. Will explain when I get there. Be there soon. Where are you?
Paige didn’t know how much longer she could wait. She’d paced so much, trying to contain her energy and her nerves. She was almost certain that if she turned on her witch vision, she’d see sparks shooting off her aura.
Her phone whistled again. Just get here. I’ll see you.
Paige gripped her phone, staring down the darkened stone hallway Gomez, Sara, and Dexx had disappeared down.
Gomez appeared out of the darkness first.
“Did you get it?” Paige demanded.
Gomez nodded. “Transmitting now.”
Paige wasn’t going to ask how. She ignored Sarah’s confused expression and turned toward Jackie. “Grandma’s going into surgery. Come on. Let’s go.”
Dexx slid into the driver’s seat as Gomez slipped behind the passenger seat to climb into the back. “I really need a car with four doors,” he muttered.
Paige put the seat back and sat down, closing the door. “Don’t care. Drive.”
The drive was silent as Dexx sped through the residential streets of Highland Park. He skidded to a stop in front of the ER entrance. Paige had the door open before he stopped completely.
“See you inside,” he called.
“No. We’ll be fine. I’m staying here, but the team needs you. Check in with them. Go back to the office.”
“Shouldn’t I be here?”
“To what? Worry? Pace? You’re better off out there.” Also, she was about to come out of her skin.
He raised a hand in surrender, his expression stating he didn’t like it.
She didn’t care. She flew across the concrete, nearly colliding with the sliding glass door when it didn’t open in time.
Leslie stood up, inhaling a breath, relief washing over her face. Sh
e met Paige halfway through the maze of red chairs and hugged her fiercely. “We’re okay. Grandma’s going to be all right.”
“But she’s going into surgery.”
Leslie nodded and pulled away.
Paige released her sister and searched for her daughter.
Leah got up out of the chair she’d been sitting in, setting down her magazine. “Mom. You came.”
Paige wrapped her daughter in her arms. “Of course I did, you big nut.”
“Right. Sorry. Came to see Grandma.”
“And you. Geez.” Paige turned to Mandy, one arm remaining around Leah’s shoulders. She caught Mandy and wrapped her in a one-armed hug. “Are you girls okay?”
Mandy nodded. “Grandma told us not to use our powers in public.”
“She’s right.” Damn it. She needed to teach these girls self-defense. At the age of twelve. What was wrong with this world?
“But I could have saved her from this.”
Paige clamped her lips tight. “You can’t think like that.”
“Like hell I can’t.”
“Amanda Lynn,” Leslie admonished loudly.
Mandy sighed, rolling her eyes. “That woman wouldn’t have gotten away. That’s all I’m saying.”
“How was Grandma?” Paige asked.
“Not good.” Leslie’s face paled. “Just—I’ve never seen her like that, Pea. There was so much blood.”
Paige released both girls and hugged her sister tight. Through everything, Leslie was the one she could always rely on, and if she was scared, Paige was terrified. “I’m sure she’ll be all right. You have met the woman, haven’t you?”
Leslie’s shoulders jerked in a chuckle, but she kept her cheek on Paige’s shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah, I have.”
“Okay, then.” Paige pulled away. “We wait, and we eat really awesome vending machine food. Who needs chocolate?”
Leah opened her mouth.
Paige’s phone rang.
Leah closed her lips, her chin jutting forward.
Paige reached into her pocket with one hand, putting the phone to her ear with the other. “Whiskey. Hold on a second. Okay?”
“Yeah,” Henry said on the other end. “But quick.”
“Oh, shit. Right.” Paige kicked herself internally for not checking her caller ID. “What do you want, Lee?”
“Is it work?”
“Probably, but work is going to have to wait. You guys come first. Okay? Now then, what do you want?”
Leah’s expression relaxed.
Mandy jabbed her elbow into Leah’s rib. “We’ll just go with you.”
Paige nodded, looked for the vending machine, found the small alcove brightly lit not far away, and put the phone back to her ear. “Grandma’s in surgery, Henry, so make it fast. I’m here with my family because this is where I need to be.”
“I understand, but I thought you should know.”
“Know what?” Paige pulled up to the bank of vending machines and handed both girls two dollars.
“Chuck just received a call.”
A shiver ran down Paige’s body.
“Someone is holding several of his shifters hostage.”
“Shit.”
“And he says he’s going to start killing one every hour until Chuck’s pack leaves town.”
“Shit. Do we know who it is?”
“It’s Dan Galsbory.”
Paige stared at the back of her daughter’s head. She needed to go. She needed to support Chuck, to help him through this. She didn’t know how, or what she’d do. This was big.
But her family had been attacked. Her daughter had been attacked. Her grandmother had been stabbed. She was in surgery.
There was nothing she could do.
But be there for her daughter, her niece, and her sister.
Leah turned, a sad smile on her face as she retrieved her treasure from the machine. “I’m a nut.”
Paige smiled. “Almond Joys are my favorite, too.”
“I can get you one.”
It was like a knife twisting her gut.
“You have to go.”
That. That right there. That expression, with the big eyes and the crestfallen face. That was the knife twisting in her gut.
“I’ll tell Gomez,” Paige said to Henry. “She has something that could help us. I’ll send her and Dexx your way.” Paige nodded to Leah and handed her another dollar.
Leah’s expression said she knew Paige was going to leave anyway, but she fed the money into the machine and plugged in the numbers.
“We don’t need you on this one,” Henry said.
“Good.” Paige ran her palm over her hair. “Because I’m staying right here. They attacked my family. I’m staying to protect them.”
“Understood. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thank you.”
Paige hung up the phone. Why the fuck was everything so fucking hard?
Paige sat in the chair beside Leslie. “Today just got weirder.”
“Oh?” Leslie removed her thumbnail from between her teeth and sat up.
Paige handed her sister a Pepsi. “The woman who attacked the girls and Grandma has a brother and that man kidnapped several of Chuck’s shifters and is holding them hostage.”
“Um, they’re shifters.” Leslie cracked the can open and took a heavy draw as though there was a life force inside that can. “Can’t they just shift and get out of there?”
Good question. Was magick involved? No. It couldn’t be. Right? “I’m assuming there’s a reason they haven’t.”
“Shit.” Leslie released a long, loud belch. “Wow. Excuse me.”
“Carbonation.”
“Yeah. What does he want?”
“Them to leave. Texas.” Paige leaned over to her sister and shook her head. “I don’t get it. He says he’s going to kill a person every hour Chuck doesn’t leave.” Sounded like a vigilante. But…with magick?
“But, um, how’s he going to leave without the shifters this guy has already caught?”
“Not? He’s got to know that’s not going to work with a shifter, and not with an alpha. Okay. So, I don’t know him that well, but I wouldn’t leave my pack behind.”
Leslie gave her sick oh-that’s-so-cute face. “Ahh. Okay. So, what’s he gonna to do?”
“I don’t know.”
The sliding glass door opened and King and Wrick walked through.
Paige frowned when they walked toward the back and disappeared.
She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll be right back. Leah, Mandy, stay with your aunt.”
“She’s my mom,” Mandy said.
“Right. Do that.” Paige jogged after her detectives and caught them at the nurses’ station. “Hey, guys.”
King turned, one blond eyebrow raised. “Director Whiskey, what are you doing here?”
Paige raised her chin, trying to figure out what was going on. “I’m here because my grandmother was stabbed.”
“And this is the hospital she was taken to?”
“Yeah. Now, what are you doing here?”
King glanced at Wrick, something clicking in her expression. “Interviewing Chuck’s shi—” She stopped herself, glancing at the nurse. “Ruby.”
Wrick scratched his temple. “Huh. Both of you here at the same time. That’s weird.”
King shook her head. “Can’t be coincidence, ma’am. Where’s your grandmother?”
“In surgery.”
“The rest of your family?”
Paige glanced over her shoulder, her heart hammering. “I’ll watch them. Get what you can out of Ruby then come find me.”
King nodded curtly.
Paige hurried back into the waiting room. Leah and Leslie sat in the red chairs. “Where’s Mandy?”
“Bathroom.” Leslie flipped the pages of her magazine. “Why?”
Paige regained her seat and leaned in to whisper to her sister, “The man who attacked Chuck’s shifter attacked her several miles away from here.”
>
“Okay?”
“And she’s here.”
Leslie stopped herself mid-sigh and straightened. “Why did she get sent here?”
“Could have been several things, but I don’t think it’s coincidence that Ruby was sent here and then the very next day Grandma is attacked and admitted here.” Paige got up and headed for the bathroom. “Just watch yourself.”
Leslie nodded. “Stay close,” she said to Leah.
Paige entered the bathroom. There were three stall doors and they were all closed. “Mandy?”
No answer.
Her heart hammering, Paige pushed on the first door. Nothing. Second door, nothing. Third?
Mandy. Sitting on the toilet, her pants up, her headphones on. She startled and shot to her feet, yanking the headphones out of her ears. “Aunt Paige!”
Paige could have killed the girl. “I called for you.”
“I couldn’t hear you.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell.” She turned and gestured for Mandy to follow. “What were you doing in here?”
“Listening to my music.”
“With your headphones. You couldn’t do that out there?”
“Mom doesn’t like it when I listen to my music.”
“Well, your mom can just get over it. You’re staying where I can see you.”
Paige could almost feel the eye roll from Mandy. She walked back into the sitting room to find Leslie and Leah right where she’d left them.
But with someone new.
Rachel.
Shit. She couldn’t be mad. Alma was Rachel’s mother.
But, at the same time, she was because why would Rachel care? She’d proven in the past that she didn’t, so she was here for some other ulterior reason.
Paige walked toward them and sat beside Leslie again so she could whisper, “Listening to her music. Don’t yell at her.”
“I yell at her,” Leslie whispered back, “because she can’t hear me.”
Oh. Well, that made sense. Paige started to get up, then stopped. “Who’s protecting Bobby?”
“Bobby and Kamden, you mean?” Leslie hissed, sitting forward. “Tru and Tyler and our fucking wards.”
Paige gnashed her teeth. Dick move. She wasn’t normally so selfish. Was she?
Maybe she was. She really hadn’t paid attention. Time to deal with the bitch. Fine. She pushed herself out of her chair. “Rachel. What do you want?”
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