“I didn’t know about the stuff with Brian. I just saw the trap for what it was. Would it have been better if I hadn’t told you? Then no one would have gotten away.”
“It was some well-timed information.”
Everett sighed heavily. “You should trust me, Reyna. You’re running out of friends.”
“I appreciate what you’ve done, but it doesn’t absolve you of everything else. We have a truce. Not a friendship.”
Reyna turned her back on him and knocked twice on the door to Drew and Laura’s room. Everett blew out a long breath before disappearing back down the hall.
“Rey!” Drew said, flinging the door open and enveloping her.
“Hey, big brother.”
“I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Well, here I am.”
“Hey, Reyna,” Laura said. She stood from the twin bed in the corner and came to give her a hug.
“It’s so good to see you. How’s my niece or nephew doing?”
Laura patted her belly. “Making mama sick as a dog unfortunately.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Those new Elle people didn’t help much. They looked worse for wear. Shell-shocked. Going to need to get them some therapy. Even the children looked horrified,” Laura said with a shake of her head. “I wonder what happened to them.”
“I…I think you should sit down,” Reyna said.
Drew raised his eyebrows. “What’s going on?”
“Both of you.”
Laura retreated back to her twin bed and took a seat. Drew looked uncomfortable and curious then relented. He had a pallet against the opposite wall but took the chair in the corner.
“Tell us,” Drew said.
Reyna took a deep breath and told them the truth. She told them everything. Start to finish. She didn’t leave anything out even though she wanted to. She didn’t want to tell them why the new Elle people were so shell-shocked or about Brian’s feeding frenzy or how he was now. She especially didn’t want to tell them that he didn’t want to see them. Any of them. But she did. She told it all.
Then she held them as they cried. And cried.
As they begged to see him. And threatened her if she didn’t let them come back with her. And cried some more. But by the end, she just held them longer, hating that Harrington was doing this to her family.
And though Beckham had told her not to mourn the living, she couldn’t help but feel a piece of her brother had cracked away with his turning. And her entire family felt the reverberating repercussions.
Chapter 19
A knock at the door finally broke them apart. Reyna rubbed her raw, red-rimmed eyes, and then answered. Everett stood there, looking grim.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I have a rather annoying vampire demanding to see you,” he muttered.
“Beckham?”
“Something important I presume, as he looks ready to tear me apart to get to you.”
“Sounds like him. Give me a minute. I’ll go.”
She turned back to Drew and Laura and pulled them both in for hugs.
“Are you sure I can’t come with you,” Laura asked.
“As much as I want you to, no. It’s safer for you here while Brian is…transitioning.”
“I know. I know you said that, but he’s my husband. Wouldn’t you be there if this was Beckham?”
Laura had her there. Reyna would. She’d kill someone before they kept her from him. That didn’t mean it was the right thing for Laura, or for Brian, right now.
“I’m sorry. As soon as he’s in a better place. Any change at all. I’ll bring you to the house, okay?”
Laura grumbled her disagreement, but Drew put his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be ready for that.”
Finally, Reyna withdrew with an ache in the pit of her stomach and left them behind to deal with this together. Beckham was waiting for her right where she’d left him. He was pacing in frustration. She knew that he hated being barred from anything.
“What’s happened?” Reyna asked.
He visibly relaxed when he saw her. “Just got off the phone with Gabe. It seems his contact has come through.”
“That’s good. When does he go?”
“Not him,” Beckham said somberly. “Us.”
Reyna tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, us?”
“We’re going to meet his contact.”
“Okay…but why?”
Beckham shrugged one shoulder. “Gabe told me to hurry.”
Reyna would have laughed at how much that made him want to tear Gabe limb from limb, but she didn’t think this was going to be a good thing. Gabe had made it sound like this person was dangerous. Not that she wasn’t used to danger. She frequently found herself surrounded by grade-A murderers. When had this become her new normal?
They returned to the car and found Gabe beside it, bouncing on the balls of his feet like the fighter he was. “Thank fuck! Took you enough time!” he cried, his Irish accent bleeding through.
“Got here as fast as we could,” Reyna told him.
“Look, this guy isn’t someone to be messed with. If I’m saying that, then you can believe he’s the real deal. I thought I was going to get the meeting, but he asked for you two.” Gabe looked put out by that.