Page 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Amelia clutched Gram’s hand for dear life as they headed in the direction of her greenhouse—her sanctuary. Normally, she disliked anyone, other than Tina and Andie, being in it or near it. But she found herself wanting to share it with Gram. Wanting him to see what she loved and what held meaning for her.

He’d probably think it was silly that she enjoyed herbalism so much. She couldn’t imagine what she and the Flock looked like to him, or why he kept acting like he’d won some prize by getting tethered to her for the rest of his life.

He was signing himself up for a life on the run. A life of looking over his shoulder, forever wondering when Cal would make his move and find them. She hadn’t thought hard enough before she’d surrendered herself to him, wanting what he offered. Had she, she’d have realized she was quite possibly signing his death warrant.

Staying and letting Cal have his way would be safest for Gram, but Andie would pay the price in the long run. She’d end up forced into a mating with Brian one day. And Taggert wouldn’t let the slight go of losing out to Gram. He would prove to be nothing but trouble for them for as long as they remained in the compound or part of the Flock.

Gram drew her closer, kissing the top of her head as they walked. It soothed away some of the gnawing worry in her gut, but she knew it was merely a mask. The troubles were still there and no amount of kisses would solve or end them.

“Lass, the worry in yer eyes tells me yer overthinking this again.”

“Yes, but how did you know?” she asked, staring up at him.

“Because you tensed and looked faraway in thought. I assumed you were thinking of what we’d just done—of the fact yer mine now,” he said. “Was I wrong about that?”

She shook her head and then shrugged. “Maybe. Kind of. I was actually worried for you, since you got stuck with me.”

“Stuck with you?” he echoed.

She nodded. “You got a poorly trained virgin, whose father is a false prophet and head of a fanatical cult, not to mention saddled with a four-year-old when all you’d done today was show up at a spa. Seems like it’s not really your day, is it?”

He drew her to a stop and took hold of her shoulders, making her face him fully. “This is the single best day of my life, Amelia Campbell.”

She squeaked at the sound of his last name in place of hers. Heat rushed over her, as did a feeling of nausea as it all really sank in.

He grinned. “Looks like it’s you who is nae so sure they’re having a guid day.”

She gasped. “Oh Gram. You’re amazing.”

“Lass.” He took hold of her hands and lifted them high above her head, pulling her closer, dipping his head as he did. “If you were any more experienced in the bedroom, I’d come on my fucking leg before I even got in you. Hell, I nearly did that already. You were perfect. You are perfect. Continue to doubt that and I’ll fuck you here and now, on the path, where any zealot could be out for a late-day count-the-crazy-apocalyptic-signs stroll.”

His words and unique outlook on life made her laugh softly.

The heat continued in her but this time it didn’t make her want to puke. It centered in her chest. As she realized just how much the man before her meant to her, she closed her eyes, breathing in his scent.

He growled lightly, still holding her hands up high. He ground his body against hers, causing a torrent of cream to flood her thighs. Gram inhaled deeply and growled more. “I’m about to give in and take you here and now.”

“As much as I want you in me again, can we not? I saw a snake out here last week. If one of them slithers over me while we’re on the ground having sex, I will be too traumatized to ever let you touch me again.”

His eyes widened, and he lifted her up and off her feet.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ll nae risk a snake getting near you and no sex for guid.”

If she smiled anymore around the man, her face would crack. “Put me down.”

He did, but she noticed him glancing around at the foliage around them. When she realized he was indeed scouting for snakes, she managed to smile even more. Life with him would never be boring or dull for her. It was easy to see her mate had a unique sense of humor. One that greatly appealed to her. Everything about the man did.

“Tell me about yerself, Amelia. Nae yer father. Nae the Flock. You. What do you like?” he asked, taking her hand in his once more as they began to walk again.

She was about to say nothing when she thought of her greenhouses. “I like to grow things. And I love herbalism and holistic medicines. I’m always trying to come up with something new and natural to help others. It’s my favorite place and it’s where we’re headed now. That is something that means a lot to me. Silly. I know.”

“Lass, that is nae silly in the least,” he said. “If it’s plants you like, I’ll see to it you have a special area to work with them until yer heart is content. I’ve more than one home, but I think the main house will be perfect. There is an old greenhouse on the property, as well as an old, overgrown herb garden on one of the back acres. It was on my list to one day tear down…”

She gasped.

He winked. “But now that I know you have a love of it all, I’ll bring in someone to restore it to its former glory. And if you need more space, I’ll have it built as well.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m capable of getting the garden and the greenhouse back into working order. The one I love here, the one that is just mine, it’s old, but I keep it in good working order. I don’t let Cal send anyone to help me. I let Tina help me change out glass panels when they break, but that’s only because I trust her, and she is always encouraging me to pursue a future in holistic healing. She thinks that when I go, I can do that anywhere.”

Gram slowed his pace. “This Tina knows of yer plan to leave?”

“Yes.”

“Does anyone else?”

She nodded. “Jeanie, she’s not part of the Flock. In fact, she thinks the Flock are a bunch of fruitcakes and she can’t stand my father. She’s helped me so much with everything. She even drove me to Denver to meet with a contact I found. She wasn’t happy about me making her stay in a parking area that was several blocks from the back alley I was meeting the man in at night, but she didn’t argue too much.”

Gram stared blankly at her and stopped walking altogether. “Lass, you went to the city, walked alone around it at night, and went to an alley to meet some man you knew, all by yerself?”

Her lips pursed a second. “Yes, and no. I didn’t actually know the man before I got there. When I first saw him, I couldn’t stop thinking about how big he was.”

“You met a stranger, in an alley, at night, alone?” he asked, his eyes widening. For a second, she thought steam might actually come out of the man’s ears.

She nodded.

Looking up, he said something in a language she didn’t know and then looked down at her. “I know I swore to nae be an alpha douchebag to you, Amelia, but can you maybe never do something like that again? Ever?”

“Yes. I can never do something like that again. Ace was big but very nice. He was gruff and rough around the edges, but he has a big heart. He didn’t let me pay him for the new identities and he wanted to help me. He also said if I didn’t reach out to him in forty-eight hours—which would be tomorrow night—he was going to come here. I got the sense he was really worried about me and that he really would storm the gates.”

“Lass, yer lucky he was nae a serial killer or something,” he stressed.

“I know, but, Gram, the man I’m trying to get away from is far worse,” she reminded.

He sighed.

She offered a slight smile as she led him in the direction of the greenhouse. When they reached it, she instantly felt more at ease. The place always had that effect on her since she was little. It had been a place her mother enjoyed working as well. She still felt connected to her mother there.

Amelia went to the door and opened it. “It’s not much. Cal tried to make me work in the fancy one he had built on the other side of the compound, but I like this one. I like how it catches the morning light just right. I like the view of the mountains from it. And mostly, I like that I feel safe in here. It’s kind of my own personal refuge.”

Gram entered and went to one of the various glass jars of liquid. He reached out to touch it, but she stopped him. “No. That’s Hippomane mancinella. ”

He gave her a questioning look.

She sighed. “Most people would know it by the name the little apple of death . It’s very deadly.”

“Why would you have it here?” he asked, moving her back from it as if he was worried that she’d somehow die from proximity.

She averted her gaze.

“Lass?”

“I work with a lot of things that, in their pure, base form, would be toxic or at the very least dangerous. But it’s okay. Sometimes, Cal makes me increase the potency of something so that he can use it to suit his needs. I know he’s taken some of what I’ve created over the years and used it in nefarious deeds and acts. I hate that he takes my passion for healing and twists it into something perverse. Mostly, I hate him.”

“What is it he wants you to do with the death-apple juice?” asked Gram.

“Actually, this is one of the few times my father didn’t have a direct hand in the wrongdoing. His friend did. Helmuth had it shipped in to the compound and insisted I work with it. Almost everything toxic in here right this moment was brought in at his request. Cal tasked me with trying to find a remedy for the man’s condition. When conventional means didn’t work, the suggestion to try other means came into play. And by suggestion, I mean Helmuth didn’t give me a choice.”

“Yer father forces you to handle dangerous herbs and chemicals and do his friend’s bidding?”

She nodded.

His jaw set. “Lass, how much would you dislike me if I killed yer father before this dinner I’m supposed to attend with him tonight? I mean, I know you wish to be away from him, but that could just be some form of rebellion. I wouldnae want to strip you of him if you truly wish him no ill, but right now, I want to rip out his spleen.”

She’d forgotten all about the dinner. “Gram, pretend to be sick or tired from a day of travel. Don’t attend the dinner. I’ll go, and pretend everything is normal and fine. Then I have to go to the weekly mandatory Flock gathering. If I’m not there, everyone will notice.”

“Lass, I’ll nae cower and hide from him or anyone for that matter. And you’ll nae be going anywhere without me by yer side. Nae here. Nae until I know better what is really happening. Besides, I’m curious to see what he’s about,” Gram admitted. “I’ll have Mac and Car watch the wee one while we attend, and I’ll be crashing this gathering of theirs tonight, too. If yer required to be there, then they get me as well. Push me on this and I’ll have the twins watch you too while I go alone.”

She grabbed his arm so hard her nails dug into his skin. “No! I’m not letting you go to dinner with my father—alone. Not happening. No way. Nope. Try it and I’ll have the twins stage a secondary kidnapping of you today and take you far from here and me. Understood?”

A strange look came over his face.

“Gram? What is it?”

“Yer scolding of me is hot. Can I touch yer boobs now?”

She snorted. “Only if you’re a good boy and don’t try to go to dinner alone with my father.”

He winked. “Aye, yer learning. I suspect I’ll be eating out of the palm of yer hand by nightfall, if nae before.”

Her lips twitched at his joke. “I’d think it was the best wedding present a girl could get.”

Gram glanced at the vial of the toxin and turned to leave.

She caught his arm. “Where are you going?”

He glanced back at her. “To kill yer father.”

She gasped. “Gram! I already told you he’s dangerous.”

“Lass, no disrespect, but he’s a delusional hippie who runs a health resort,” he returned. “He’s nae really that big a threat.”

She took his hand in hers and then led him through the greenhouse to the back exit. Amelia said nothing as she walked him through thick brush. There wasn’t an actual path there, but she’d traveled that way more than once in the last few weeks. When they emerged, there was a steel warehouse tucked in amongst the trees. She glanced around.

“Do you smell anyone?” she asked, already knowing his senses would be far better than hers.

“No. And I do nae hear anyone either. There is no one in the area.” He stilled. “I smell gun oil. A lot of it, all of a sudden. Why?”

Nodding, she tugged on his hand and led him around to the side of the building. There was a loose piece of metal there and she pulled it back, motioning for him to go in. The second they were inside, Gram drew up short.

“Fucking hell,” he said in a hushed whisper as he took in the sight of rows and rows of various weapons. There were automatic rifles, explosives, and so much more. “He’s arming a militia.”

She exhaled slowly. “Gram, this is only one of the weapon caches he has on the grounds. There are three more of these. This is the smallest of them all. The one they don’t bother guarding. Do you understand me now? He’s not a good man. He’s not just some hippie. He’s deadly. He’s dangerous. An ideological zealot who will do anything to get what he wants.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Lass, we’re leaving tonight. Fuck dinner. Fuck gatherings.”

She gasped. “No. Not tonight. It has to be tomorrow. Everything is in place for tomorrow night. Not now. Trust me, if I don’t show for dinner, he’ll send people for me and there are a lot of Flock members here. Nearly every single one of them is willing to kill and die for him.”

He looked around the warehouse as he held her. “If we do this yer way, yer to listen to me. If I give you an order, it’s nae to be an alpha douchebag. It’s to keep you safe. Are we in agreeance?”

She nodded. “Yes. But, Gram, even if we go tomorrow and not tonight, he won’t stop hunting for you —you’re really important to him, but I don’t know why. He’s always only wanted me to get to you. I’m not sure how hard he’ll hunt for me when I’m gone now that he has you. But he does have a temper. He could have me hunted and killed just to prove a point.”

“Lass, I only want to get you and yer sister to safety. Then, he and I can go rounds.” He kissed her forehead. “I won’t let either of you be hurt. We can head back to yer cabin and discuss all of this with the twins. We’ve friends in the area and co-workers. We can call them to assist in our exit. If it’s a war Cal wants, my friends and I are more than willing to give it to him, but nae until you and yer sister are far from here and safe.”

He took her hand and led her to the loose metal once more. He then stopped and put a hand up. “Do nae move from here.”

She stood perfectly still as he rushed off deeper into the warehouse. When he returned, she tried to figure out what was different. “Gram?”

He winked and then held the metal piece as she exited. When they emerged on the other side, he took her hand in his and began walking quickly in the direction they’d come from.

When they emerged at the back of her greenhouse, she expected him to veer off and head toward the cabins. He didn’t. He took her right back into her greenhouse. “Lass, gather anything that can confuse a shifter’s senses. Anything that would mask you and Andie specifically.”

“What? Why?”

“You agreed to do what I asked of you in all of this,” he reminded.

Hesitantly, she set about doing what he’d asked of her. When she was done, she had two small jars of salve. “I have something better in the works. The percolation extraction method that I’m using for one of the ingredients is time consuming. It won’t be finished until tomorrow morning.”

“Lass, I’ve no clue what you just said to me.”

She grinned. “The stronger one I’m trying to make needs something that I don’t have finished just yet. These will have to work for now.”

He stared at her for the longest time before his eyes swirled to icy blue. Sniffing, he bent and lowered himself in front of her, his hand splaying over her stomach as he did.

“Gram? What are you doing?”

He pressed his face into her lower stomach and clutched her hips, looking up at her then standing fast. “Lass, can you hurry whatever it is yer working on?”

“Hurry it?”

His eyes continued to swirl. “Aye. The stronger masking agent. Can you accelerate its time frame?”

“Maybe, but I’d need to spend the evening in here working. How can I do that if I have to be at dinner and the gathering?” she asked. “And why are you doing the freaky eye thing over it?”

He skimmed his hand over her abdomen again. “Lass, whatever you make, it needs to mask you, Andie, and the baby.”

Nodding, she turned to start working on it—and then stilled, his words racing over her. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “The what?”

“The wee one takin’ root in you as we speak,” he said. “I can smell the changes in yer body. I can sense it there. Hints of my magik combined with yers. And my verra bones tell me yer carryin’ my babe already.”

“But we just…”

He wrapped his body around hers and hugged her back against him. “Do what I asked. And do nae even glance at anything in here that is remotely harmful. I’ll nae risk you or the little one.”

He held her but glanced to the side, staring at a row of shelves. She knew then he wasn’t really looking at the shelves but rather was doing the mental connection thing he could do with his friends.

He grunted but kept staring off at nothing in particular. He then snapped out of it. “The twins are getting Andie ready to leave now. They’ll reach out to our friends in the area now. This cannae wait. One will go with Andie, Bill, and Gus and get them all away from the resort. The other twin will come here to help me get you out of here. Hurry and do what you can in the next few minutes, after that, we leave. Now.”

“But, Gram,” she protested.

He turned her to face him and kissed her greedily. When he was done, she was whimpering in his arms. “Amelia.”

She sighed. “I know. I’ll do what you asked. Are you sure that I’m…”

He nodded. “Aye.”

A deep resolve settled over her and she focused, looking around at what she had at her disposal. She went to work on the task at hand, working quickly. She smeared various things on her wrist and held it out to Gram for him to smell.

“That will do for now.”

“Campbell?” Car came in and looked around. “Yer mate is a witch?”

She laughed softly.

He gave her a strained look. “Do nae be hexing me. I had a witch do that to me once. My dick dinnae work for a whole week. Was torture. A week of no sex. I still have nightmares of it.”

Gram motioned to him. “Car, come. We need to talk.”

They stepped out through the backdoor and Amelia looked around, gathering anything else she could think of that they may need. She was about to turn to join Gram and Car out back but looked up to find Susan standing in the doorway of the greenhouse.

The evil bitch stepped in and grinned. “Amelia, it looks as if you’re packing up shop. That can’t possibly be. I mean, where is it you’d be going? Surely, not away from the Flock. So where are you headed to, Amelia?”

“Nowhere,” whispered Amelia, weighing her options.

At least twelve male Flock members made their way into the small greenhouse work area. Amelia knew they were all loyal to Susan, used to handle her wants and desires, regardless of how twisted they were. They were more than likely the pets Brian had mentioned. Susan had clearly overheard everything that had transpired in the massage room with Gram.

Susan glanced around the room and grinned more. “Odd, I would have thought your mate would be here, with you. What happened? Did he claim you, get what he wanted, promise to help you get away, and then bolt? Did the Bringer abandon you? Was all the buildup about his arrival for naught? Hmm? What will your father say about it all? He had so much hope and faith in you. Too much. You’re nothing. No power. No worth. And he’ll know that soon enough. Brian has gone to get him. When he finds out you’re trying to run, there will be hell to pay.”

Amelia’s mind raced and then she took a deep breath, wanting to protect Gram and the others. “Yes. That’s what happened. The Bringer is gone. He’s probably already back at his cabin, packing to leave. He regretted what he did almost instantly. When he learned Father made me trick him, entrap him, he lost trust in me.”

Susan tossed her head back and laughed. “Little miss perfect finally did something that will earn her an ending like the one her mother suffered. I can’t wait to see my pets rip you to shreds. Just like the hybrids did to your mother. Then, I’ll feed them Andie.”

Amelia stiffened. “You won’t touch her.”

Susan snorted. “And who will stop me? You? Please. You’re powerless. The only reason you’re even alive is because you’re Cal’s offspring. But even he knows you only had one use—to fuck the Bringer. It’s evident you didn’t even do that well.”

She looked to the man nearest her. “Find Andie. Take her to the grove. Wait there.”

Amelia took a step forward. “No.”

One of the men tried to grab her and she twisted and grabbed the very same jar she’d warned Gram not to touch. She hurled it at the man and it splashed in his face and eyes. The next Amelia knew, all the men were coming at her.

A shot rang out and the one closest to her lurched back, a crimson dot appearing in the center of his forehead. Another shot went off and yet another male dropped.

Everything seemed to slow as Amelia turned to find Gram and Car there, just inside of the backdoor. Each had a handgun and they were systematically picking off the male Flock members.

Susan’s eyes swirled, and she leapt up and over one of the long tables full of various mixtures. She landed in front of Amelia, grabbed her, and whipped her around, using her as a shield. The bitch had the nerve to grab a piece of the broken glass from the little apple of death extract. She held it to Amelia’s throat.

Gram put his hands up fast. “No! Do nae harm the lass.”

Car lifted a brow. “I do nae want Amelia harmed either, but I’m thinking we can kill the crazy lady before she does much in the way of damage with that wee bit of glass.”

Gram looked at him but no words were spoken—at least not out loud.

Car’s eyes widened and he put his hands up as well.

Susan jerked harder on Amelia. “Looks like I was wrong. He didn’t leave you after all. Shame. That isn’t the story I’ll be telling Cal later. I’ll tell him you didn’t want to do what he asked and in the chaos the Bringer and his friend were killed. That I happened upon your plot and tried to stop you but was too late. But you left me no choice but to kill you.”

The air charged with magik and it wasn’t Amelia’s.

Susan pulled harder on Amelia and pressed the glass into her skin, cutting it, drawing blood.

Gram’s face went ashen. “No!”

Amelia had suffered under the woman for too long. Endured too much. She was done. She pulled upon her gifts and looked at the remaining Flock members. She knew the second she held their minds, something her father could do to some extent. She held them enthralled with her magik. “Kill her.”

They charged at Susan.

Amelia managed to jerk free from the woman and Gram was suddenly there, having cleared two tables without issues to get to her. He lifted her and rushed her to the side of the room to the sink and started trying to dump water on her neck, but only really succeeded in soaking the front of her dress.

Car stared wide-eyed as the Flock males partially shifted and clamped their jaws down on a screaming Susan wherever they could. “We should go, now!”

The pets went wild, tearing into the woman’s flesh, ripping her apart, just as she’d threatened to have them do to Amelia. Just as had been done to Abigail. While the sight of her mother suffering the same fate had haunted Amelia, seeing Susan meet the same end oddly made Amelia almost want to smile.

As sick as that was.

Gram’s attempts to dunk her under the running water killed the moment.

“Gram, stop!” she shouted.

He didn’t. “Lass, the grape of wrath is in yer blood.”

She took a calming breath. “The grape of wrath?”

“The poison shite!” he shouted, past hysterics.

She understood then what he was talking about. “Oh, the little apple of death? Yes. It’s in my bloodstream now, more than likely.”

He gasped, lifted her, and she got the sense he was going to shove her entire upper half into the sink to rinse her.

She jerked free and shook her head. “Gram, are you nuts? Stop trying to drown me with a faucet.”

“Lass, it will kill you and the babe and…”

She cupped his face. “No. It won’t.”

“But you dinnae let me touch it. You said…”

“Gram, I’m not like others. I’m different. Remember that I told you my father is a blend of many things, but not one of anything?”

“Aye,” he said, his hands shaking.

“I’m his daughter. That means, I’m like him. That all he’s done to himself was passed down to me and to my sister. That makeup gives me an immunity to the things in here. I can’t be poisoned. I figured it out by accident last year. My father doesn’t know. No one does.”

He didn’t stop shaking. “Amelia, the babe. The wee one may nae have the same immunity.”

Car swept in, grabbed her, and ran. “Figure it out later, Campbell.”

Gram rushed out of the greenhouse behind them just as Flock members swarmed it. They were all heavily armed. Gram threw magik out and at them, knocking them back as he did.

Car spun around, set Amelia on her feet, and then froze, his gaze going to her chest. His eyes widened. “Lass, yer dress is wet.”

Groaning, she glanced down to see that yet again she was in something that was see-through.

“Stop staring at my mate’s breasts!” shouted Gram.

Car snapped out of his stupor and turned just in time to knock an automatic weapon from the hands of a Flock member who wandered into the area. He used the butt of it to bash in the man’s head and then twisted, putting himself in front of her. “And now the fun begins!”

Gram continued to fight back the enemy with magik and Amelia was about to help when the strongest urge to grab Car and yank him back came over her. She trusted her gut and did just that. She ripped the Scotsman back and they stumbled into the exterior of the greenhouse.

He twisted and caught her, righting her. “Lass?”

In the next breath, an all-terrain vehicle came bursting through the brush. Mac was driving, and he had white ribbons tied at random through his long hair. He also had a crapload of weapons with him. He tossed one to his brother and then another to Gram.

He leapt off the vehicle and joined the fight.

“Took you long enough, arsehole!” shouted Car.

“Bite me,” returned Mac.

“Nice hair,” added Car.

Mac flipped him off.

Gram growled. “Fight each other later. Kill the enemy now!”

The twins shared a look, shrugged, and then began doing just that.

Amelia barely had time to register what was going on when another all-terrain vehicle burst through into the area. This one had Bill at the wheel. He was wearing a vest that was covered in bullets. He had a rocket launcher with him and stood fast.

He aimed right at all the men. The good guys included.

Amelia gasped. “Get down!”

Car, Mac, and Gram dropped just as Bill fired the launcher.

It hit its mark, cutting a large hole in the Flock.

Gram spun around. “What the bloody hell?”

Bill grinned. “I love the smell of burnt hippie in the evening!”

The twins didn’t seem too worked up about nearly being shot with a rocket. They came up and charged the bad guys.

Another thought occurred to Amelia. If they were all here…where was Andie?

“My sister!”

Bill tipped his head. “What?”

“Where is Andie?” She shouted it as loud as she could.

He shook his head. “No. I don’t have any candy! Is this really a time for that? Wait. Are you getting your monthly visitor? I once dated a chick who was so bad around her period that I had to throw chocolate at her and run in the other direction. Only safe thing to do. Hey, your dress is still see-through. Want my vest? It’s got grenades attached to it too. Sweet, huh?”

“Where is—?”

He grabbed an automatic rifle and began firing at Flock members from his position on the vehicle.

Frantic and worried for Andie, Amelia turned to run toward her cabin only to step out and directly into the path of an oncoming golf cart. It came to a sudden stop and bumped ever so slightly into Amelia. This one had Gus driving, with his eyes closed, his hands gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles were white, and Andie sitting next to him, strapped to the seat with an honest-to-gods belt for a man’s waist. She had on the football helmet, which had gotten turned around on her head, so she couldn’t see out of it and the front was in the back. In her arms was Mona’s head. There was a red strip of cloth tied around the head and someone had put black paint under her eyes, like a soldier would wear.

Bill smiled wide and nodded to her. “My lady, your chariot awaits! Hop in and I’d suggest driving. Gus is using the force. Not sure we’re gonna be able to pry his hands loose though. Oh well, just climb on his lap and steer. He won’t mind. Mona won’t be jealous. She knows you’re mated to Gram-cracker and expectin’ his baby.”

Amelia’s jaw dropped.

She’d thought growing up in a cult had been weird. Meeting these men really made having a crazy cult leader for a father seem mundane.

“Amelia, come on!” yelled Andie from under the helmet, which was still backward. “We’re going for a ride! Gus is driving!”

Amelia looked around. She didn’t want to leave Gram, but her gut said to go. That Gram would want that.

He turned as he threw his hand out, claws emerging and slicing through the neck of a Flock member. He locked gazes with her. “Go! Now!”

Nodding, she hurried to the golf cart.

She climbed in and was about to ease her way between her sister and Gus, to take over trying to drive it, when Gus slammed on the gas pedal. Amelia tumbled into the backseat and grabbed the bar, holding on to keep from falling out. She’d never seen one of the golf carts go so fast before.

They went right through the battle. Gus never opened his eyes, never took his hands from the wheel, and somehow, never hit anything or anyone. They burst through the other line of brush and achieved a fair amount of air.

Andie threw her hands in the air and Mona’s head went flying. “Whee!”

Amelia reacted on instinct and snatched hold of the head, pulling it into the cart. She leaned forward, grabbed her sister to be sure she was still secured, and thrust the head back into Andie’s hands. She also kept the helmet turned backward. It was best Andie not see what was happening. As it stood, the only one actually looking was Amelia.

She lost her balance and nearly fell out of the cart, which was still going far faster than any golf cart should. They hit another bump and this time, Amelia did go airborne.

She was just about to wrap her fingers around the bar again when something ripped her off the cart with a force that knocked the wind out of her.

Gus slowed the golf cart.

Amelia looked up. “No! Go! Get her to safety!”

The man never glanced back as he accelerated away with Andie.

Someone snarled and spun Amelia around.

She found herself face-to-face with Brian who was in partial shifted form. He backhanded her so hard that she went down.