Kendall and Collin were in a dead heat when his phone dinged. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen before tucking it away again. “That was the system at the gate letting me know it’s been opened. Everyone is here.”
Helia’s stomach fluttered, although a gentler flutter than she’d expected. The attack on her life and Kendall’s mom’s death had a way of putting things in perspective. The exhaustion might have something to do with it, too. Stress required a lot of energy she didn’t have right now.
The sound of cars filling the parking lot drifted down the hall, followed by car doors slamming shut. Helia swung her legs off Collin’s lap and sat upright, but he stayed her when she tried to rise. “They’ll understand if you don’t get up to greet them,” he said, rising.
By the time the first arrival walked into the tasting room, a man with dark blond hair and a pair of light green eyes, Dulcie and Collin flanked Kendall as they stood with their backs to the fire.
One by one, Collin’s family trickled in. Ten brothers, five women, and Leo. The brothers were easily recognizable by their build and similarly watchful expressions. The group paused on the other side of the table, not a standoff, but a sort ofassessment. The moment fractured when the one with the green eyes stepped forward.
“I’m Mantis, but I answer to Noah, too,” he said, stepping forward and holding his hand out to Kendall. She looked to Collin, who reassured her with a nod and a gentle shoulder squeeze.
“I’m Kendall,” she said, holding her hand out.
The tension broke, and everyone filed in after that. She appreciated how they started with Kendall. The girl needed to feel welcome, feel special. So did Helia, but she was an adult. And she liked that the club trusted her enough to understand what they were doing and not take it personally.
With sixteen of them, it took a while to meet everyone. Ten of Collin’s brothers: Mantis, Philly, Stone, Viper, Marley, Lovell, Hawkeye, North, Scipio, and Einstein, who everyone mostly called Stein. And of course, Leo, who gave both Kendall and her a hug. Their five partners followed: the twins, Charley and Joey; Juliana, a lively blond librarian living with Stone; Lina, the ex-CIA agent Collin had mentioned, living with Viper; and Callie, the ex-FBI agent married to Philly.
Her head spun with all the new information, although Kendall seemed to take it all in, her gaze darting among everyone as they spoke. She might appear collected, but Helia wondered what she was thinking. If she and Collin chose to keep the foster relationship in place, this group would be her new family. And to go from having only one person in her life to so many? Well, to say it would be an adjustment was a gross understatement.
Eventually, the room settled down, though Helia wouldn’t call it quiet, not with twenty people in it, and the group sprawled out between the chairs, the high tops, and the floor.
“If anyone needs anything to eat or drink, it’s in the kitchen,” Collin said.
“We stopped for a late lunch when we hit the traffic on the interstate,” Mantis replied. “We’re here to help—what do we need to do? At the very least, we have a shit ton of beds to make,” he added with a smile that turned into a grimace when he glanced at Kendall. “Sorry, I’ll watch my language.”
Collin and Dulcie snorted. “We’ve come to an agreement about language,” Collin said. “So long as the swearing is appropriate, in contextandsetting, we’re not going to make a big deal out of it. And that applies to everyone in the room, right, Kendall?”
Kendall rolled her eyes. “Yes, Collin,” she singsonged, earning a few chuckles.
Mantis didn’t look so sure about that agreement but let it slide. “What do we need to do?”
Collin had taken the seat beside Helia, and she reached over, covering his hand with hers. He didn’t look at her, but his grip told her he appreciated the support.
Inhaling, he started. “Other than this area, I’ve only been in my old room, Kendall’s room, and Roger’s. With a short dash through a few other parts when I was searching for Kendall.”
Helia appreciated how his brothers didn’t question his choices.
“I’ve thoroughly searched Roger’s room, but nowhere else. Gretchen knew about Roger’s drugs, and if it was common-ish knowledge, it made me worry there might be more than the one stash I found.”
All eyes went to Kendall except hers, Collin’s, and Dulcie’s. “Kendall knows everything that’s going on,” Collin said to the group. She doubted they’d challenge him on that, but the firmness of his statement dissuaded any who might have entertained the thought.
“We need to search everywhere else. All the rooms, hallways, everything. Not to mention the secret passageways.”
“There are secret passageways?” Marley asked, his eyes lighting up.
Collin winced. “More than a few. I know where they all are, but I think there’s an architectural map in Roger’s safe. I can look when we’re ready.”
“I claim the passageways,” Marley said.
“I’m coming with you,” Philly piped up.
Mantis waved a finger between them. “You two aren’t going anywhere in this castle together. That’s tempting more trouble than I want to deal with right now. Scipio, you’re with Marley.”
“C’mon, Mantis,” Philly whined.
“There are swords on the third floor,” Kendall interjected.
Philly blinked. Callie groaned. “Swords?” Philly repeated. Kendall nodded. “Like real swords?”
