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“ H ow do you think she got here?” Immy asked worriedly as they pulled into their gated community. “Why didn’t she call us?”

“Apparently, she lost her phone or something and couldn’t remember our numbers,” Jenner told her as he parked his car.

Poor Maeve.

He jumped out and ran around to help her out before taking her hand and dragging her along as they jogged into the main house.

“She was trying to get through the main gate and fucking Fred wouldn’t let her through.”

“What the heck? Why didn’t he call you?” she asked as she puffed her way up the stairs.

She could really use some cardio.

“Oh, I’ll find out,” Jenner promised darkly as they entered Maeve’s bedroom.

She’d lived in it before moving out to travel around. Immy wasn’t sure why Maeve wanted to travel around on her own.

That sounded like an absolute nightmare to her. All Immy wanted was to be home with her family. But Maeve and Cat were different from her. They were adventurous. They wanted to go out and live life.

Sometimes, Immy worried that she was scared of life.

Maeve was lying in her bed, asleep. The side of her face was bruised and she looked pale and ill.

Immy let out a small whimper. Jenner tugged her over so she was sitting on an armchair as Isaiah explained how he’d found her.

“How long do you think she’ll sleep for?” Immy asked.

“I don’t know. She’s been sleeping a while,” Sampson said.

“What do you suppose happened?” she asked.

“Isaiah is trying to figure that out,” Sampson said, nodding at where Isaiah was working on his laptop.

Had someone called Cat? Immy should do that, shouldn’t she?

She went to her bedroom and called their friend, leaving a message. Then she quickly used the bathroom, before stepping back out into her room. She let out a small cry as she saw Jenner sitting on the side of the bed.

She put her hand on her chest. “You gave me a fright!”

“Sorry, Twinkles. I just wanted to check on you. You looked upset.”

“I’m just worried about Maeve. Like all of us are.” Immy chewed at her lower lip and Jenner got up, pushing it away from her teeth.

“Don’t do that, baby,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms. “Everything is going to be all right.”

“You don’t know that, though,” she said. “We don’t know what’s going on with Maeve or why she’s here.” She rubbed her tummy anxiously. She was feeling ill.

That happened when she got anxious. Normally, when she was feeling like this she’d cuddle Snowy and watch cartoons. Maybe eat some cookies and animal pasta.

Not together.

That was just gross.

But she didn’t feel like she could leave Maeve. She might wake up and need her.

“I do. Because I’m going to make it happen.”

Immy sighed and nodded. “Maybe I should make her some mac and cheese. She loves that. And some cookies. I should bake her some cookies. Shouldn’t Eric be here by now?”

“He’s coming. Don’t panic. Let’s just go sit with her for a while. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, taking his hand, she let him lead her back into Maeve’s bedroom.

She sat on the armchair as Maeve started moving.

“I’m not getting up, Mom,” Maeve suddenly said. “I don’t care what chores need doing.”

“Maeve?” Immy asked.

Maeve frowned. “Immy? Whatcha doing in my room? Please tell me the Deity doesn’t want to see me.”

“Oh my God! Does she have amnesia?” Immy cried. “Does she think she’s back at the Camp?”

“Immy, calm down,” Sampson barked. “She’s probably dreaming.”

“Sampson? Oh no, the Deity doesn’t want us to have sex again, does he?” Maeve asked.

Immy gaped at Sampson, who was standing at the end of the bed with his arms crossed. She was aware that everyone else was staring at him too.

Sampson sighed, running his hand over his face.

“You look tired, Sampson,” Maeve said, staring up at him. “You want to lie down for a while?”

“Not with you, he won’t,” Jenner said sternly.

“You had sex with Maeve while we were at the Camp?” Immy snapped at Sampson.

Maeve tried to sit and Immy turned to her.

“What are you doing?” Immy asked. “Lie down.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Jenner said, pacing back and forth. “You’ve got a bruised face and from the way you’re moving there are probably other bruises under your clothes. You were so exhausted when you got here that you collapsed and you’ve been sleeping for hours. You’re not fine.”

“Okay, let’s just all calm down a bit,” Isaiah said calmly. “None of this is helping Maeve.”

“I’m all right, guys. I promise.” Maeve sat up slowly, glancing around at them all. “First of all, Sampson didn’t do anything to me when we were younger. The Deity ordered him to and we just pretended.”

Sampson grunted. “Fucking bastard, thinking he could order me to fuck her. She was only fifteen.”

Immy glanced over at Jenner for some reason. He looked so pale that she was worried he was about to collapse.

“Have any of you told Cat what happened?” Maeve asked frantically.

Uh-oh.

Immy rubbed her tummy. Should she not have called Cat?

“I tried calling her,” Immy whispered. “I left a message.”

“She’s going to insist on coming here,” Maeve said with a groan.

“Tell us what’s going on, Maeve,” Isaiah said quietly.

“Wait, shouldn’t we get Eric here?” Immy asked. “To check her over?”

“I’m fine,” Maeve protested.

“I’ll call him,” Jenner said.

Just as he left the room, her phone started ringing. Immy looked at it, grimacing. Now she felt terrible. “I’m sorry. It’s Cat.”

“It’s all right,” Maeve reassured her.

Immy answered the call. “Hey, Cat, I’m putting you on speaker.”

“Where is she? What the fuck happened?” Cat demanded. “I go for one facial and the world goes to shit.”

“Nothing has gone to shit, Cat. I’m fine,” Maeve said tiredly. “Wait, where’s Squish?”

“Didn’t someone get him out of the truck?” Sampson asked.

“I think he’s downstairs,” Isaiah said.

“I’ll get him,” Abe offered, slipping out. He returned quickly, giving the toy to Maeve.

“Maeve! Immy, turn me around,” Cat demanded.

Immy turned her phone with an apologetic grimace.

“Maeve, oh my God! What happened? Alejandro! Alejandro! Come here!”

“What? What is it?” Alejandro asked off-camera, sounding frantic.

“Maeve está herida! ?Necesito que mates a alguien!”

“What? What the fuck!” Alejandro’s face appeared on the screen. “How did you get hurt? And who am I killing?”

Cat was speaking rapidly in Spanish in the background.

“How bad is my face?” Maeve whispered to Immy as Alejandro tried to calm Cat down.

“Pretty bad,” Immy told her. What was going on? What had happened to Maeve?

“Eric will be here soon,” Jenner said, entering the room again. “That Cat?”

“Yes, it is me,” Cat said, her accent pronounced. “Someone needs to tell me what happened. Now.”

“Yes, we’d all like to know what happened,” Sampson added.

Immy listened on in horror as Maeve told them about her stalker, about the notes he’d left her.

And then how he’d attacked her.

God. Immy would be an absolute mess. Maeve was so strong. And she’d stabbed him with her knife? Sampson had made them all self-defense packs, but she hadn’t thought any of them would have to use them.

You’re a dumb idiot, Immy .

Of course the world isn’t safe.

“I took off without my duffle,” Maeve cried. “I’m really going to miss my stuff. My velvet jacket and shoes. My bedspread.”

“I promise we’ll replace them,” Immy told her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

This was something she could do. She was useless at anything else. All she was good for was making food and buying stuff.

What she really needed to be able to do was hunt this bastard down and gut him with the knife that Sampson had given her.

Okay. Whoa. Where had that thought come from?

Poor Maeve. She’d gone through so much with her stepfather and her learning disabilities. Then to lose the notebook that Sampson had made for her . . .

“I did send an email through Jenner’s fan page,” Maeve told them.

“Shoot,” Immy said with a frown. “Penny should be checking that daily.” Why hadn’t she told Immy?

“She’s probably overwhelmed,” Maeve said.

“I’ll check the account. Penny isn’t on top of things like James was. I miss his efficiency,” Immy said with a sigh.

“Don’t miss his creepiness,” Abe said.

“He wasn’t creepy,” Immy protested. He’d always been nice to her.

“Maybe not to you,” Abe said. “But he looked at me like he wanted to rip off my skin and become me.”

“Abe!” Immy said. “That’s gross.”

The guys spent the next few minutes arguing over where Maeve would stay. Here or in New York with Cat and Alejandro. Finally, they won the argument. Mostly because Cat and Alejandro were meant to be going to Mexico for their honeymoon.

After Maeve and Sampson promised to call daily and Alejandro said he’d send some men as protection, they finished the call.

“I hate bringing trouble to you guys, but I didn’t know where else to go,” Maeve told them.

They all glared at her, except Isaiah who was concentrating on his computer.

“Shut up, Maeve,” Abe said. “You know you’re our sister in every way that counts. If you hadn’t come here, I’d have tracked you down and spanked your ass. Still might for the shit coming out of your mouth.”

They all stared at Abe in shock.

“No offense, but you are not the person I want spanking me,” she said.

What? Did that mean there was someone that she would want to spank her? Curiosity filled Immy.

She’d always been weirdly interested in spankings.

“Really?” Jenner drawled. “Who do you want spanking you?”

“Oh, I, uh . . . doesn’t matter. Isn’t Eric waiting?”

Poor Maeve. She looked so uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Although Immy really wanted to know who she was talking about, she rose.

“Let’s leave Maeve and Eric. I’ll go make some comfort food. Mac and cheese?”

“I will love you forever.”

“You would anyway, Maevie-baby. I know I’m your favorite.”

“I don’t think it was a good idea to leave Maeve,” Immy said the next night.

“I don’t like it either,” Jenner said, glancing at Sampson who was frowning. “Let’s just get this auction over with and get home. I think I’m up soon.”