What felt like an hour later, Tonks went berserk again.
But over her, I heard Hutch from downstairs command, “Wait!Guard!”
I closed my eyes tight.
He was here.
I opened my eyes, not knowing if I should open the door or?—
I nearly leapt out of my skin when Hutch hammered on it.
“Mabel!Open!”
I opened.
Tonks raced out, still barking.
Hutch had the strap of a rifle around his shoulder.
He looked me up and down, caught me by the back of the head, pulled me forward for the briefest kiss in history on my forehead, then he set me aside, lunged in, scooped up Moxie, turned to me and ordered, “Go!”
I didn’t know where I was going, but I went, out and down the stairs.
Hutch was pounding down after me.
As I ran to the front door, I heard him snap his fingers, looked back and saw him pointing at Hannibal then to me.“Defend!”
Hutch opened my front door, pulled me out, Hannibal crowding me at my side.
We ran to his truck, which was right at the porch steps.He hauled open the door and I watched, dazed, as Hannibal shifted, hind to the truck, to look out into the dark, ears alert, head swinging this way and that.
One armed, Hutch hauled me up and in, dropped Moxie in my lap then slammed the door.
I clutched my cat to my chest.
He opened the back door and grunted, “Hup.”
Tonks jumped in.
Hannibal jumped in.
He rounded the grille, shoved his rifle butt in the area beside my seat, angled in, slammed his door, started the truck and peeled out.
I was squeezing Moxie at my chest, so I forced myself to loosen my hold.
“Harry—”
“I called him on my way to you.He’s on his way.”
“I think Lillian is pregnant.”
Pause, then, “Don’t think about that now.”
She was pregnant.
Oh God!
“What if they have a stockpile of firearms?”
