Page 38 of No Fear
Craig glared at her for a long moment and then seemed to decide something, his lips twitched slightly as he backed away, “No need to make this a fight. She’ll come home herself eventually. Won’t you Ray-Ray? You still know who your real family is.”
With that, her brother turned and walked out of the salon and Rachel sagged in defeat. Craig hadn’t come to get her out of some misplaced worry. His only worry had been that she knew he was a rat and would tell someone but this scene had proven that she either didn’t know his secret or if she did that she hadn’t told the Bomars yet. If she had, they would have been all over him just now. Instead, Ford had given him the option of leaving peacefully under his own power which meant the Bomars didn’t know he was their traitor. Even being forced to leave without her, she had a feeling Craig considered this little show a victory.
She curled into herself, unsure whether she had bought herself some more time or signed her death warrant.
“What the fuck is going on?” Ford demanded as soon as the door shut behind Craig. “She’s shaking like a goddamned leaf. Did he hurt her? I swear to God if he…”
“He didn’t touch her.” Skylar frowned as she bent down towards her, “Rach, honey, he didn’t hurt you. He can’t hurt you ever again. You’re safe.”
That wasn’t true but Rachel couldn’t find her voice so she just shook her head. She curled into a ball and tucked her face against her knees. She needed to hide. She needed for all of this to not be real.
“Damnit I leave for ten minutes and you girls somehow get yourselves into trouble.” Ford was cursing somewhere nearby, “Hey, look at me? You’re okay. Rachel, look at me.”
She was so surprised he knew her name that she turned her head and winced when she realized he was right in her face. All she could see were a set of sea-glass blue-green eyes and a thick beard that camouflaged what was probably a very strong jawline. There was concern in those beautifully colored eyes and she felt tears well in her own all over again.
They were worried about her. All of them. Her friends. The Bomars.
“Shit.” Ford cursed again, “Sky, go get Remy. Now. He’s the only one gonna get through to her.”
She heard footsteps and the door and squeezed her eyes shut. Remy. Skylar was going to get Remy. Everything was going to be okay. Remy would make it okay. She was sure of it. When the door dinged again less than a minute later, she knew he was there by the sheer sound of the heavy, rushed footsteps.
“Jesus, what the hell happened?” Remy growled and then, softer, “Rach? Baby? What’s going on?”
Her entire body shuddered when she felt those warm, familiar hands on her. She forced her eyes open and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. Remy. Her Remy. Dark, worried blue eyes and a grim set to his soft mouth. She reached for him, uncertain how she could suddenly move her limbs when she’d been locked up only moments before. He was right there when she wrapped her arms around his neck, hauling her up against his chest. He cradled her close and she buried her face in his broad chest the way she’d wanted to do from the first moment she met him.
“Craig was here.” She heard Skylar explain from somewhere that sounded far away.
“What the fuck did he want?” Another male voice that must have been Colt asked.
“Her. He wanted her. He was very insistent that she go with him right now.” Jemma answered.
“What? Why? What’s Bug want with Rachel?” It was Bentley that spoke this time.
Rachel cringed, trying to bury herself deeper against Remy to escape this. There were too many of them. Too many people worried about her. Too many people that cared. She hadn’t had anyone a day ago and now she had all of these intense, dangerous people worried about her.
And she was lying to them.
She shuddered and a sob escaped her. Remy shifted her in his arms, getting a better grip on her. He stood easily, as if she didn’t weigh a thing, and she realized this was the second time she’d fallen apart on him in twenty-four hours. The second time he’d had to carry her because she couldn’t carry herself. And it wasn’t fair, not to him, not to any of them.
“Let’s go home baby.” Remy kissed the top of her head and then spoke louder, to everyone else, “I’m taking her home. We’ll figure everything else out later. Right now, she’s my priority and she needs to be somewhere she feels safe. That’s with me and we’re going.”
Rachel clung to him as he carried her out of the salon. She was fully aware that the others were talking about her as they left. Just like she was fully aware that when they did get home, she wouldn’t be able to escape Remy’s questions forever. Last night, she’d fallen asleep before he could convince her to tell him everything. She had a feeling that wasn’t going to be an option this time and honestly, she had no idea what she was going to say to him so she kept quiet.
