Page 18 of Gray Dawn

“Uncle Fergie.” I had to say it since Clay wasn’t here to do it for me. “It has a nice ring to it.”

A flush overtook her face as Marita and Derry joined us, their arms overflowing with bagged food.

“This is for you.” She smacked a bag into my chest. “Eat it, or I’ll tell Clay you starved yourself, got low blood sugar, and that’s how you ended up with that tragic tattoo.”

Fingers curling around the paper, I was afraid to ask, “What tragic tattoo?”

“Exactly.” She pointed a warning finger at me. “Now eat.” She hit Asa with his own bag. “You too.”

“Where to next?” Derry bit into a slice of pizza as big as his head. “Where’s Fergal?”

“The barracks are our next stop.” I investigated my haul. “Fergal is waiting in the SUV.”

The four of us followed Arden out, toddling like baby ducks behind our momma as we crammed in food. I got beef and onion stuffed dumplings that tasted fresh out of a microwave, but I liked it that way. I felt guilty eating good food without sharing it with Clay. This stuff? Yeah. No guilt whatsoever. It was fuel. Plain and simple.

The text chime in my pocket made me wish I had something stiffer than a smoothie to drink.

>>The Kellies are secure.

“It’s Isiforos.” I had been bracing for word the body count had risen. “The Kellies are secure.”

>Excellent.

Now I had to choose. Put them both on the poisoning case? Split them up? Set Kelly on Luca and Kelley on the director?Formerdirector. As the current director, my agents ought to be my top priority. Preserving the secret existence of paranormal creatures should rank as a solid number two. But Clay was family, and Colby…

“Breathe.” Asa drew me into his arms, bent his head to mine, and whispered, “It’s going to be okay.”

“Which part? Finding Colby before she gets hurt? Finding Clay before he does something he can’t forgive himself for? Finding the director? Or giving him to Calixta? Stopping Luca and her insane murder spree?”

“If we miss the deadline with Calixta, we’ll figure out a counteroffer she can’t refuse.” He rightly guessed that was the most pressing matter on my mind behind the all-consuming fear for Colby. “The rest? We can handle. All of us. Together.”

I had to set aside my heart andthink.

What was best for the Bureau?

Luca was the active threat. To more than my family. To us all. She was killing humans. In droves.

The director was a passive threat, for now, while he licked his wounds.

That meant…I had made my decision.

Withdrawing from the comfort of Asa’s embrace, I willed my thumbs to get typing on my phone.

>Put the Kellies to work finding Luca.

>We need to squash that problem before she exposes us all.

>>I’ll keep you updated.

“Contact the centuria remaining at the farm. Draft us an aerial scout.” I locked eyes with Asa as I put away my cell. “I want eyes in the skies over The Spinnaker.”

Now that we had the Kellies, I didn’t want to risk losing them. A warded room did not a prison cell make.

“Let us know if you need extra paws on the ground,” Marita said, a growl in her voice and food in her teeth. “We can draft a few packmates.”

“Yeah.” Derry gazed at her as if she were a full moon on a cloudless night, dark and mysterious and hauntingly beautiful. He didn’t even blink when she bit down too hard and choked on the stick from her corn dog. “What she said.”

“Thanks.” I blew out a sigh. “I’ll let you know if we need to call in that favor.”