Page 107 of Fangs
I flipped him off as I started down the ladder and was rewarded by a more genuine smile crossing his face.
Lee followed me to the door, but I stopped in my tracks.“Alone,” I repeated pointedly.
I expected him to argue, but to my surprise, he raised his hands in surrender and backed away, letting me continue out the door by myself.
Wolf, Kai, and Sable stood outside the clinic by one of the walls. Wolf had a tape measure, and Sable held a piece of paper. They all looked at me as I came outside, and I didn’t miss the surprise and relief that flashed across my brother’s face when he spotted me out of bed.
“Hey,” Wolf said with a forced casualness that was almost funny. “Nemo found some window panes, and we were thinkin’ if you wanted more windows in here, we could probably install them for you.”
I stopped in my tracks. Did that mean my brother was letting me stay here? And if he let me stay here, did that mean he believed me? And if he believed me?—
“We don’t have to,” Wolf said, frowning slightly, and I realized I was just staring at him.
“No,” I got out, “that’d… that’d be really nice.”
The worry in his eyes lightened a few shades.
“Where are you off to?” Sable asked.
“I just have to go talk to somebody,” I said, slightly awkwardly.
“Where’s Lee?” Wolf’s eyes narrowed.
“I told him to stay here. I can go by myself.”
“Tuck,” Wolf barked.
Tuck unfolded himself from the shadow of the clinic, startling me. I hadn’t seen him lounging there on the ground.
“I don’t need a guard,” I protested, irritated.
“How about a walkin’ companion?” Tuck asked with a grin.
He was so tall I had to crane my neck to look up at him as he stood beside me. It made me feel like a child again, glaring up at my big brother.
“This is a personal errand.”
“I’m very discreet,” Tuck winked.
Why the fuck was my face getting hot? “I don’t?—“
“Em,” Wolf interrupted. “Remember our deal.”
I was certain he hadn’t said anything about me being followed everywhere by one of his crew when he explained his stupid deal, but I bit my tongue. With an annoyed huff, I started walking, and Tuck fell along beside me. If he thought he could come into Leda’s house and listen to our conversation, he had another thing coming.
It was a gorgeous day outside. The sun felt warm, and I realized the last few patches of snow had melted away, leaving behind a thick layer of mud. Many people were out working on their houses and yards, and most said hello to me as I passed. I settled for an uncomfortable wave when they greeted me.
“People sure seem to like you,” Tuck remarked.
I didn’t answer.
“Nemo told us a little bit about the fever. I like him,” he said, gazing around the hold. “Nemo, I mean. He seems like a pretty good person.” He huffed a sarcastic laugh. “Though most anybody would seem like a saint after Madame.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to contain my shudder. We walked in silence for a while, and just when I started to think it might stay that way, he spoke again.
“So you really thought Wolf was gonna kill you?”
I glanced up at his face. His head tilted as he studied me.
