I was of two minds about Gwyn coming with us, but if push came to shove, I’d throw her into the SUV and drive like a bat out of hell. I’d stop when I reached Tennessee, Black Rock be damned.
The second I reached the front door, I realized Mack wasn’t exaggerating. Everyone was loading up into the SUVs, including Seiji, who was clearly read in enough to be mad. The frown marring his face promised imminent destruction.
I crammed my feet into shoes and followed out the door, automatically getting into the driver’s seat. Mack loaded in beside me but had his phone out, and the call connected to the car quickly, his contact showing up on the dash. Ah, Sylvia, good call. Pun not intended, heh.
Gwyn, Hannah, and Beau were in the back seat. Gwyn was crying, but she had anI am fed upexpression. I’d seen the lookbefore on my mother’s and sister’s faces. Hell was usually served up on a platter afterward.
The call connected and poor Sylvia sounded just done. “I am literally one toe into my bubble bath, so this better be good.”
Mack winced before replying apologetically, “Gwyn’s parents are at the police station threatening to sue.”
The sigh coming over the phone was one of a person done with life. Stick a fork in Sylvia, she was ready for today to be over.
“How do we know this?”
“The officer who helped us escort her out of her parents’ house just called me and explained what was going on. He asked for help.”
“Got it. I’m going to call him. Are you on your way?”
“We are.”
Beau leaned in between the seats. “Sylvia, it’s Beau. To be precise, we’re all going.”
“We… Who’s we?”
“The full team up here,” he said. “It’s not just her parents, but other family. We’re returning a show of force in kind.”
Sylvia didn’t seem to know how to respond to this for a second. “I know you’re in the Wild Wild West, but no shootouts, okay?”
Right now, I wasn’t making any promises.
“I’m calling McNabb, just get to the station.”
“That I can do.”
I did not obey speed limits while getting to the station. It should have taken ten minutes, but it took me five.
Now, the Black Rock police station wasn’t very large. Maybe four desks, six cells, with an attic space for filing cabinets. It wasn’t big because this place had never needed a lot of cops, the population just didn’t demand it. Every parking spot in front had been taken, which wasn’t a good sign. I ended up parking on the street one block down and then we walked the distance.
Gwyn was very quiet walking in. I glanced at her at my side. She wore quite the stony mask. I hated to think of what had formed that mask over time. How much she had pushed feelings down to survive the moment. God, this kid needed so much therapy.
And to think, her parents wanted her back so they could continue to traumatize her.
“Gwyn,” I said softly, gently, trying to reassure her. “No matter what happens, or what they say, you’re not going back to them.”
She didn’t look up at me but there was a tic in her jaw. This wasn’t fear. This was determination.
“Before I met you,” she said with the same quiet determination, “I didn’t know what peace was. I couldn’t sleep through the night without being yanked awake multiple times, I couldn’t walk somewhere without being stalked and harassed. I was miserable. I thought it would be my normal for the rest of my life. But you and Mack, you showed me it wasn’t normal. I can sleep. I can walk without fear. They’re not taking me back.”
I pitied the fool who tried. Gwyn had a bite-bite face on. Like, I thought she would literally bite the hand off that tried to hold her.
I shouldn’t condone violence, but if she started biting, I might join in.
Hannah, walking behind us, let out a loud sniff. “The hell they ain’t.”
Glad we were all of like minds.
We reached the station doors, and I went a step ahead to open the door, holding it as people filed through. Quinn had parked next to me, so everyone came in at the same time, as we’d arrived en masse.
