Page 141 of Claimed

It’s a long moment before his body loosens up and I can breathe again when his fingers sift through my hair.

“Please don’t go in there and hurt anyone,” I plead.

He’s so tense, so angry, so I repeat, “Please, Greyson. Please don’t.”

Finally, his arms wrap around me, and his lips press to the top of my head.

“We’ll talk more later about all that. For the moment we’re gonna get things shipshape here or figure out where these folks are gonna set up.”

“Okay,” I breathe, relieved.

He continues, “The people should decide who they want leading them.”

“Definitely.”

“But thinking Brody should take lead when we head home until that gets decided. We’ll talk all that over with Mitch. SCC might have other ideas after everything they’ve seen here. Mitch already said they might take temporary stewardship of the pack, though he doesn’t know Brody wants to take the pack on.”

“Oh.”

“Mitch is close to Brody’s and Rye’s father. I think he’ll think Brody’s qualified to lead. We’ll see. Then we’ll see what’s what with yourfriendback in Arcana Falls. As for you ‘n me, I wanna get us home as soon as fucking possible.”

“Home?” I ask, shoulders drooping.

Grey’s expression goes even harder.

I explain, “But I want to help here. You told them not to put me on the schedule, but I can’t just leave and–”

“I know you need to help and that’s fine,” he clips a little impatiently. “I’ll deal if I have to for a couple more days. After we know everyone’s good enough. But no longer than necessary because I feel like I’m ready to blow and I don’t see that changing any time soon. I want you home, safe, away from this stinkinghellhole, and I want to find your motherfucking brother and deal with him. Jase is on fire to catch him too. Now, so’s Brody.”

I gulp. Grey is absolutely seething with anger.

“Unless he comes back here, which I suspect won’t happen. Instead, he’ll try to come at us in The Falls again.”

“Or he’ll go to that whorehouse to try to collect money.”

Grey straightens up. “Jase already said you brought that up and I need to address that idea with Brody.”

“Wyatt is obsessed with money,” I say. “I don’t know if he ran out of whatever he got for the girls before he went to Arcana Falls, but if he believes he’s owed some, I think he’ll be coming back to collect.”

“Anyway, Cat thinks three or four days of care and meds for the vast majority should have them on the other side of this. Maybe sooner if Dani’s potion or Mitch’s experimental drug helps.”

I breathe out relief. “Good.”

“Talked to Cat an hour ago. She doesn’t think we’ll lose anyone else here. One or two are on that borderline, but she’s hopeful.”

“Good,” I breathe out again. “Thank goodness.”

There’s awkward silence now. Grey is looking at me but saying nothing, though I feel the sensations of his emotions in my chest as well as see it on his face.

“Where were you just now?” I ask and try to do it casually, try to keep him talking even though it feels like he wants me to talk instead.

He jerks his chin over his shoulder. “Looked through your brother’s house for clues that might help us know where he might’ve gone. Had some conversations with some of the men from around here. Got the list of names of people poisoned bythat shithead with his soup for the SCC. Spoke to Joel, then Brody.”

“Did you get any sleep? I woke up alone.”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Are you going to?” I ask.

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