He tried to open her door, but the ax had messed it up too much. He hurried around to the passenger side. She was already scrambling over to him, then panicked when she couldn’t open the door. Greer set his hand on the window, against hers.
“Unlock it, Remi.”
She fumbled with the button. As soon as the lock released he yanked the door open and grabbed her up against him. She was holding him so tight, he thought she might crawl inside of him.
“I’m sorry about that. So sorry.” He rubbed her back.
“He could have killed you!” she said, looking up at him, unaware that her nails were digging into his side.
“Naw. He just looked scary.”
“He had an ax, Greer. He chopped up my car.”
“Yeah.” Greer winced. “Sorry about that. We’ll get it fixed.” Angel had secured the woodcutter. Kit was calling it in to Lobo.
“Let me take you home,” Greer said.
“My notes. Our things.”
“I’ll go get them. Wait here.” He looked over toward the guys. “Val.”
“Yeah, man?”
“Stay with Remi. I’m going to go get our stuff.”
“You got it.” Val went to the back of the SUV and grabbed a blanket, which he put around Remi’s shoulders.
“I’m not cold,” Remi said.
“You’re shaking. I don’t want you to get shocky.”
“Thank you.” She looked into the woods toward the village. “I’m fine here. I think you should go with him. What if there are others like the woodcutter?”
Val met her gaze, then nodded. “Angel—”
“On it.” He jogged after Greer.
Chapter Nineteen
Remi stared at the timber facade of Blade’s house. She got out and waited for Greer to climb out her side. She didn’t move. She couldn’t. He stood quietly next to her. Perhaps, being here in the lap of this luxurious home, there was no need to rush anymore.
“I knew the woodcutter.” She looked at Greer. “I saw him on my other visits. If you hadn’t come this time…”
“But I did. Don’t think about what might have been. It wasn’t. It couldn’t have been. It happened as it was intended.”
“He’s from the WKB.”
“Yeah. And they’d given Sally to him.”
“Do you think the doctor has her hidden someplace?”
“No. He looked too panicked about her.” He lifted a big hand to her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “Let’s go in.”
“Are we staying here?”
“Yeah. I think it’s for the best. I’ll bring your other things over from Mandy’s tomorrow.” He grabbed their packs and led her to the house.
Lights were on but dimmed in the entranceway and living room. Greer led her upstairs and across the bridge. One door was open, its light spilling out into the hall.
“Kathy got this room ready for you.” He looked farther down the hall. “My room’s the middle one at the end of the hall.” He left his bag in the hall and took her things inside. “There’s a list of numbers on the nightstand. Call any of us if you need anything.”
He set her stuff on the bed. He reached for her arm. His hand slipped down to hold hers. She blinked as a wave of exhaustion and fear wracked her spirit. “I don’t know what end is up anymore.”
His mouth tightened. “I know. You’re safe here. And I’ll help you figure it out.” His brown eyes studied her as he fought for the right words.
“Are you guys feuding with the WKB?”
“No. This fight is bigger than that. It has no beginning and no end. Good and evil never triumph, Remi. They only keep each other in balance.” His hand left hers. “The dark side is very dark. Most people never have to see what we see. The world we live in is nothing like your civilian world. You have the world you have because we do the work we do.” His expression held no emotion. Not anger or remorse. Not belligerence or sorrow.
She knew about dark and hidden worlds. Thanks to her mother, she’d survived hell itself.
*
A knock sounded on Remi’s bedroom door the next morning. “Dr. Chase? You there?” a woman’s voice came muffled through the door. “I have your things.”
Remi opened the door. A brunette with short hair was standing in the hallway…Eden, wasn’t it? Remi opened her door. A huge tan dog sat on the floor next to Ty’s wife.
“Hi. Greer asked me to give these to you,” she said, handing Remi her suitcase with her things from Mandy’s house. Eden and her pup came into her room. “Greer and the guys were having a meeting and will be late to breakfast. You’ll get used to that, if you stay around here long. The hours they keep are irregular at best. If you want, I can go down to the dining room with you. I know what it’s like being new to the group and thought maybe you could use a friend.”
“I could use a friend.” She met Eden’s eyes. “You’re new here?”
“Sort of new. I’ve been here most of the summer.”
“How long have the guys been here?”
Eden gave that some thought. “A couple of months? Three, maybe? I think Mandy said Rocco came out in May. I got here in June. Why?”
Remi shrugged. “Just trying to understand more about the group. Can I ask you something?”
Eden nodded. “Sure. Anything.”
“Can you leave, if you wanted to?” She wondered how deep the cult of Greer’s team ran. If the non-fighters could come and go at will, perhaps this group wasn’t as much of a cult as she feared.
“Leave what?”
“Here. This group of guys, fighters. Whatever they are.”
“I could.” Eden smiled and gave a little laugh as she sat on Remi’s bed. “But I’m married to Ty.”
Remi sat on the edge of the bed and faced Eden.
“Look, I’m sorry you’re here, sorry you got involved in all of this,” Eden said. “I remember how overwhelmed I was when I was first brought in to it. I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. Who would think that all of this is going on in the middle of America?”
“How were you brought into it?” Remi asked.
“I came up from Cheyenne to visit a couple of my longtime girlfriends who were staying at a guy’s house that one of them had been internet dating. Turned out it was the leader of the WKB’s house.”