Page 120 of Unforgivable

"Youngling, take them home. There's been some sort of ruckus at the Jensen stead."

"Fucking hell," Ezra and I say at the same time.

Without another word, I turn and pick up Lyri, smiling as she sleepily protests and snuggles deeper into my arms.

"I had Johann pull the truck around to the back. I'll show you." She practically runs down the hallway with Ezra stumbling along on unsteady feet and my legs eating the ground.

"Who is at the Jensen's home?" I mutter the question.

"Not sure, you dumb pup. I had begonias to plant today. Instead, I hear from Bea that your brother is threatening to disembowel Cal Jensen," she snaps. "Not that he couldn't use a nice clean-out. I have tea for that," she mumbles under her breath.

I shudder at the thought of Gloria's tea.

"My idiot grandson is on his way over there. The Gamma got out of this pack while the gettin' was good, so maybe Beta Max is there?" she huffs out breathlessly as we near the stainless steel door marked 'Emergency.'

"Thank you, Luna," I tell her softly as she pulls a wire so the alarm won't trip. I would love to know how she knows how to do that.

"I was with Roberta when we saw the scars on that baby," was her response. Tears prick her lashes. "You take care of her. Do a better job. Incompetent moron," she mutters.

"I will," I vow before nudging open the door and helping Ezra through. "Ow," I grunt as the cane pokes the back of my legs. The door slams shut, Luna Gloria disappearing back inside, probably to hit someone else with that cane.

Ezra climbs into the truck. "I'll hold her," he offers.

I hand Lyri over. She opens one eye blearily to glare at me for disrupting her nap, I think. Then she turns into Ezra. "You smell funny, Sunshine," she murmurs.

"Yeah, Sunshine," I say sarcastically. "You stink."

Ezra just smugly smirks at me and kisses Lyri in small pecks all over her hair.

I hurry to start the truck, pulling out while keeping a wary eye on the surrounding parking lot and streets.

"Cal is one of three. Now there’s two left," Ezra murmurs.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"The last two of them. I don't know who they are. Maybe Thjis knows?"

"Well, fuck," I explode in an exhale. "I know, and it's not going to be easy to take those fuckers out."

"You know?" Ezra asks in disbelief.

"Yeah, I remember. Shit. One of them… He wasn't there long, but he was there. He was hurting her when I... well, I was... fuck. Fucker."

"Who?" Ezra drops his voice to the merest whisper with a glance down at a sleeping Lyri.

My fingers tighten on the steering wheel until the leather creaks. "Ethan Pierson."

Ezra chokes on his rage. The meaning behind it all. The fucking irony. Cloe's fuck of an older brother was one of them.

"Does that bitch know?" he chokes out. "Does Cloe know who Lyri really is to that pissant little coward? Does he know? Does Ethan know? What the fuck is happening here?"

"Shh, Ez," I toss a worried glance at Lyri. She's frowning, stirring in Ezra's arms.

"Don't leave," she slurs out.

"We'll never leave you, love," Ezra coos gently. She stirs again, then settles with a sigh. "What the fuck did Roberta give her?"

"Something strong," I mutter. Stronger than the shit I was able to get for her before. Roberta saw her scars, understands what the damage may have been, but she doesn't know. She didn't see Lyri's broken body on the bed for weeks, purple and black bruises, red marks, broken bones, weeping in her sleep because it was so much pain.

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