“It’s not when you think about it.” Hector pauses. “I’m trying to get in touch with Sam and have tried for a couple of weeks now to no avail.”
I squeeze my fist. “Is there a chance he could have flipped?”
“Not a single fucking one,” Hector announces. “If he can’t get through right now, it means that one, she’s found him out and killed him, or two, he’s unable.”
“Tracking?” I grit.
“I’m on it now.”
“Good. Call us when you’ve got something.”
Rage burns through my veins like lava as I end the call. I find myself having to do something. Anything to keep busy. I move through the rubble and find Ophelia and Ivy on the front doorstep. Ophelia is holding Ivy in her arms, sobbing. Guilt weighs down on my shoulders. Saint fucking loves these two. For her, I’d do what I need to do.
I reach into my pocket and take out my keys. When I’m on the last step down from the front door, I turn and toss the key to Ophelia.
She swipes the tears from her eyes. “What’s this?”
“A key to one of my rooms in the city. Both of you go stay there.”
“But what about Saint?”
I bring my eyes to her. “Saint will be home within the next twenty-four hours. That’s a fucking promise.”
Ophelia scrubs her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I’m sorry I passed out and didn’t help her.”
“Not your fault,” I mumble. “It was probably a good thing you did. Veronica would have killed you otherwise.” I hear a car pull up behind me and turn over my shoulder to see a black Range Rover.
Benny steps out, straightening his suit while flicking a toothpick around in his mouth. “I heard about your goddess. What can I do to help?”
I turn to face Ophelia. “You can take these two, the dogs, and Medusa to my penthouse and watch them until we have Veronica in fucking shackles.” Thank fucking Christ the explosion didn’t hit our half of the house and the animals are safe.
Benny leans to the side to look over my shoulder, his mouth in a wide grin. “Well, shit.” He moves forward, flicking his jacket back, but my hand flies up to his chest.
“Aye!” I shake my head, glaring at him. “No. Not right now.”
“What? I don’t know what you mean.”
“For the record, Nate is inside, and I don’t know if you haven’t noticed, but he’s still not over the little kidnapping act you pulled on Tillie.”
Benny smirks, licking his lip. His piercing moves with it. “Ah, but wasn’t it great?”
“Benny, you’re not here for that right now.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine. You have my word.”
“I mean it.” I shove his chest a little. “Those two are important to Saint, which means they’re important to me.”
Benny slaps my shoulder, sidestepping around me. “I got it, I got it. Don’t fuck her. Yet.”
I turn and watch as Benny helps both of them into the SUV. I move to the end room in the house to get Kore and Hades and Medusa’s travel enclosure. Benny packs them all into his Range Rover and drives off down the driveway, just as Nate walks up beside me.
“Still hate him.”
“I know,” I say, turning to find Bishop on his phone, his eyes ablaze. “What?” I mouth.
“Yeah, we’re on our fucking way.” He hangs up his phone and grins at me. “Fire up the jets. We’re on our way to Perdita.”
Saint
I miss my dogs. I miss the way their short fur feels beneath my palms every time I pat them. How sassy Kore is and how domineering Hades is. I miss Medusa. How she slithers up my arm with her black body, a complete contrast to my white skin. I even miss her little attempts at eating me.
I miss my home.
My home that’s probably no longer intact. My stomach rolls as I toss and turn with uncertainty. It feels like it has been hours since Sam left me here.
The lock on the door moves and I stand, waiting to see who is on the other end. I don’t want to be met with Veronica.
I don’t want to see her vile face again. She could have killed someone, or my dogs and pets. The door doesn’t budge, and suddenly, it’s being kicked in and Tillie stands on the other side, blowing her pink hair out of her face. “Told you I still have it.”
Madison rushes through and pulls me into her chest. “Come on.” She pushes me out the door. “We’re getting you out of here before the bitch gets back.”
“How did you know where I was?”
Madison pulls out a gun and hands it to me.
I admire it. “I’ve never shot one before.”
“I’ll fix that, but for now, you will not hold one.” She shoves it into the back of her pants, and I glare at Tillie, who shrugs as if that’s just Madison. I had no idea Madison carried guns.