Faith blew on her coffee and then took a sip. “Definitely.”
Grace stiffened. “Do you think it’s a trap? That the Kurjans got to Bobbi? Or that the Kurjans have threatened Rose because of me? That I led them right to Bobbi and Brian? This is my fault.” She started to stand and jerked in surprise when her sister yanked her back down. “What are you doing?”
“We have no idea if it’s a trap or not. What we do know is that our mates are over a thousand years old, have fought countless enemies, and are still standing.” Faith took another sip. “Either way, that baby is who matters right now, and they’ll do whatever they have to in order to save her.”
Grace released her mug. “How can you be so calm?”
Faith set her cup down. “Oh, I don’t know. My sister was in a coma for two years and I could do nothing to help her. Then I met a vampire-demon hybrid from another world who was around fourteen hundred years old, and then I had crazy sex with him and got all mated and immortal. I guess after a while, you learn to trust that things will work out.”
The sarcasm was new but kind of funny.
“Fair enough, but I’m still worried. If it isn’t a trap, then Rose is in danger. If it is a trap, then Bobbi and Rose are in danger, because they’re being used.” Her body ached.
“I know.” Faith finished her coffee and stood to pour herself another cup. “I need to take a shower before Benny gets here, just in case we end up fleeing once again. Are you okay for a few minutes?”
Grace took a drink of her coffee, letting the caffeine jolt her system. “Go ahead. I’m fine. Take your time.” She’d forgotten how Faith liked to drink coffee in the shower. Grace had tried it once and had just ended up with watery coffee. She waited until her sister had left before grabbing the manila file full of pictures and looking again at the one with Kim and Rose. Shadows all but swallowed them both up.
Why hadn’t she said anything?
Forget the fact that she didn’t have details. A simple warning would have alerted Bobbi. God, Adare had to find that baby, and she had to be all right.
Grace flipped through to the image of the happy family sitting on the sofa, and then one of Bobbi and Brian outside in the bright sunlight with the snow sparkling all around. More shadows seemed to reach out to them from the trees. Was the entire family in danger?
Something wasn’t right.
She went through all the photographs, her instincts flaring wide awake. There was no doubt in her mind that her old friends were in danger. Horrible, horrible danger. She stood and paced some more. Beneath one of his smiles, Brian looked contorted, as if he was being tortured. Was it an omen?
Thunder crashed far in the distance, and she could swear she felt the house move. The storm must be getting worse. Hopefully the weather had cleared up toward Denver for the guys. She glanced at her watch. They’d been gone nearly two hours. Had they found anything?
The sensor from the gate dinged and she whirled around, running to the control panel. “Yes. Benny?” She flipped the switch to turn on the video. Only garbled noise came back. “Benny?” she asked again, tapping on the screen. Nothing happened. She took a deep breath. “Benny, if that’s you, let me know. I can’t disengage the security unless I know for sure.”
A blue mitt wiped snow off the camera by the gate, and then a face came into view. “Grace? It’s Bobbi.” Her friend was pale with her light hair whipped around by the storm.
Grace stepped back. “Bobbi? What in the world are you doing here?”
Bobbi coughed, her cheeks red from the cold. “Adare sent me and said to stay here. That it was the only safe place, but to make sure you saw me so you could do something with some sort of sensor?” She coughed again, her lips turning blue. “Would you turn off the sensor?”
Grace frowned, looking at Bobbi through the camera. None of this was making sense. “Wait a sec. You met with Adare in Denver and he sent you here? How did you get here?’
“Some guy piloted me here, dropped me off, and then turned right around to go back. I don’t know what’s happening. Have you heard anything about my baby?” Tears gathered in her eyes. “Anything about Rose?” She wiped more snow off the camera. “Please, let me in. I’m scared, Grace.”
“I—this doesn’t make sense,” Grace muttered. How could Bobbi be at the gate so soon?
“I’ll explain everything once I’m warm. It’s freezing out here,” Bobbi said, coughing again. “Let me in, okay?”
Grace studied her, looking beneath the surface. The hazy camera and snowy weather hid too much, but she had a brain, and she had instincts, and she went with them. “No.”
“No?” Bobbi shrieked. “Are you crazy? Your boyfriend sent me to the middle of nowhere, into a snowstorm for help, and you won’t even open the gate? My baby ismissing.” She leaned in, her blue eyes bloodshot and her nose running. “Have you gone crazy? Lost your damn mind?”
Maybe. Was Grace just getting paranoid? Her head hurt but she pushed through the pain. She trusted Adare and she’d start there. He’d said to keep the security in place until she saw Benny. If Adare had sent Bobbi here, he would’ve also sent word that she was coming. It only made sense. “If I’ve lost my mind, I’m really sorry. We have a friend coming to the gate shortly, and then we’ll talk.” Although Benny was late. Where the heck was he?
Bobbi stared into the camera for several beats. Then her expression smoothed out. “Your friend isn’t going to make it.”
“What?” Grace asked, realization slithering down her torso.
“We might’ve blown him up.” Bobbi smiled then, the sight garish.
That far away thunder? That had been an explosion?
