Chapter 12

​Gia checked the mirror again to make sure there was no movement on the street. There had been very little communication over the radio and the waiting was killing her. She looked up at the roof of the house again, Creed was still sitting there since he’d done a wide sweep around the house. What was happening? She knew it was good that he sat up there, but he was looking in the backyard. There had been nothing on the radio since they said they were taking them back there. Turning, she looked to see Shaelan covering the man’s leg with white bandages. The smell of infection filled her nose. How had this man been injured? Had it been while he was abducting one of their own kind? She wanted to ask him, to confirm why she had to do this job, but Shaelan had given him a shot of something when he’d started to come to, and he hadn’t moved since.

Bear stood in the open door, the tranq gun aimed at the man. With the first dart and whatever Shaelan had given him, he wouldn’t be speaking at all tonight, but Bear wasn’t taking any chances.

Evanna had come around and got in the van and handed Shaelan the things she asked for. Gia wanted to ask her who Minn was, but after the quick explanation from Shaelan before she’d got here, Gia also didn’t want to intrude into things she didn’t quite understand. Evanna grabbed a bottle of water and got out of the van, she opened it and poured it over her hands, then drank the rest. “I can taste the rot in my mouth.” She said quietly.

“I don’t know if the leg is saved, but I don’t think he’s going to be walking very much where he’s going.” She wiped her hands and surveyed the man once more. “How much time has passed?”

Bear looked at the house and then back, “it hasn’t been as long as it feels.”

“Coming out through the garage.” Deacon’s voice came over the radio. “Bring the other vans closer.”

Shaelan stepped out of the way when both Evanna and Bear turned, guns raised at the open garage door.

Gia turned back quickly and started the van.

“Send the clean up here, Devin, and get them to go through everything, find the rest of this clan.” Calum’s voice came over the system. Shaelan turned to look toward the garage.

“Body bag?” Devin asked.

“One,” Calum answered.

Gia glanced at Evanna; she didn’t seem phased by the information. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Blair had avenged his family; his mate’s family and it had been her that had said how it was to be. She licked her lips and looked back at the radio.

“There won’t be a trace of them by daylight.” Devin’s low tone told all those on the comms.

She stared at the radio and then looked toward the garage. Deacon came out of it, he looked the same as he had when he’d gotten out of the van. He lifted his hands and sent Evanna and Bear a look.

They lowered the guns from him.

Lights hitting the mirror had her look in it quickly, the other vans were pulling up.

“Bear, go with Nox and keep an eye on the prisoners.”

Bear nodded and jogged down the sidewalk.

Asher came up to Deacon and handed him clothes. Deacon nodded and walked back up the drive and set the clothes behind one of the cars. He looked up and lifted his hand signaling Creed to come down.

Gia’s heart beat hard in her chest when Kobie and Blair came into the light. His chest was covered with blood. Shaelan grabbed a handful of bandages and ran over to him.

Blair looked down at her when she reached him.

Gia couldn’t hear what he said to her, but she paused and looked at him and then held the bandages out to Kobie. Kobie took them and nodded.

Calum walked by the van; Gia watched in the mirror as he waited until three of the men got in the van behind them. When he lifted the dart gun and shot it several times, she knew he had just knocked out the men they’d found in the house. He spoke to Jesse and then came back toward Shaelan.

“We’ll ride with your patient.” He said the word patient like it tasted bad on his tongue.

Creed came down the drive, pulling his shirt over his head. He looked a little shaky but kept going with long a long stride. Gia didn’t even know how that could work—a large man like that becoming a bird? How did that work?

The passenger door opened, and Shaelan climbed in. She looked at Gia, her expression mirroring Gia’s thoughts. ‘This wasn’t at all what either had expected.’

Gia waited until Calum, Creed, and Deacon climbed in. She looked at her phone and then the radio, waiting for the promised information about where they were supposed to be going.

“I’ll direct you,” Calum said quietly.

She nodded, then watched Deacon close the door before turning in her seat and putting the van in drive, “Do I wait for the others?”

“No, they’ll be taking different routes. This one will be going by chopper, the others aren’t.” His tone didn’t leave room for more questions.

“Get out on the interstate and head North.”

She glanced in the mirror and met Deacon’s look; his expression told her everything was fine. Pulling away from the curb, she kept her eyes straight ahead and focused on driving. Reaching, she pushed the button and put both windows down, hoping the others needed air as much as she did.

Two hours later, Gia put the van in park and turned in her seat to see the somber expressions on her passenger’s faces.

“Go grab something to eat, Illias will have the driving schedule ready now,” Calum said as he opened the door and got out.

“I’m just going to clean the van up,” Shaelan said quietly.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Gia said as she opened the door.

The males, all three barely acknowledged they’d spoken as they walked by her and went toward the house.

Gia stood there while Webb pulled his van in behind hers. Their expressions echoed the others when they got out. Reaching in, she grabbed her run pack and put it over her head. As long as that phone and envelope were in it, she was keeping them with her at all times.

Going around, she opened the side door and then looked at Shaelan. She offered a small smile. “This one was different.” She said quietly.

Gia got in the van and opened the box that had been set in earlier.

Jesse, Evanna, and Asher walked by. Shaelan watched until they went into the house. “If you’d seen what they’d done to some of Kobie’s clan members, it would put it into perspective for you.”

Gia blew out a breath. “Is Blair okay?”

Shaelan opened a small bag and started picking up soiled bandages. “He doesn’t want to heal it,” she motioned to her chest, “the claw marks.” She stopped and looked at her as Gia took the bag from her hands and held it open. “I imagine he’s in there right now rubbing salt on it so he can wear it like a badge to remind him for the rest of his life.”

Gia winced. “That was his brother?” She had brothers, and yes, during her life she’d wished them dead, but never literally.

Shaelan nodded, “that’s the first time Blair’s ever seen him. His mother sent him away to live with Ed’s clan when he was two, she saved his life and I’m pretty sure it cost her own to do it.”

Gia’s heart was racing, “I can’t even wrap my head around a shifter helping that man take other shifters.”

“And that’s why I’m here,” Shaelan said quietly. “To end it.” Closing her bag, she climbed out and then reached back in and rolled the plastic sheet that covered the floor. Turning, with it bunched in her hands, she stuffed it into the bag Gia held. “Some, whether two-leg or not, are not right in the head, Gia, the sooner you move past the why, the easier it will be.”

Gia pulled the bag together and tied it. “I was sheltered from everything all my life, I just want to help.”

Shaelan smiled at her, “sometime when we’re not on such a hectic schedule we’ll sit down, and I can tell you what my life was like.”

“Giana.”

They both turned to see Deacon standing in the shadow of the house.

“We leave in two hours. I’ll drive to the other house if you like, so you can rest.” With that, he turned on his heel and headed to the backyard.

At least it hadn’t sounded like an order coming from him. Gia blew out a breath. “I guess I better go find out the plan.”

Shaelan grinned, “I just go with the flow, let the men stress over the other details.” She shrugged, “it’s easier that way.”

Gia closed the door and smiled at her, “I’ve never been good at letting men plan my life.”