A knot formed in Willow’s stomach as she stared at the front of Gus’s house. At first, the neighbors who were outside glanced curiously at them, but when more SUVs pulled up on the street, they openly stared. Willow ignored their gawking looks as she focused on the unlit house. It was midmorning; there was no reason for lights to be on inside, but she wished for some sign of life from the home.
There was none.
Had the Savages somehow figured out this was where they hid? Did they learn Gus was the one who took them from the woods?
As they’d driven through it, the rest of the town was as she recalled with people walking the streets, mowing their lawns, or sitting on their porches while they sipped drinks and watched their neighbors. Today the roads were busier than the last time they drove through the town and Vicky informed her it was Saturday.
Culver was still the suburban ideal it was before monsters roamed the streets days ago. However, those monsters most likely retained control of some, if not all, the minds in this town. Willow forced herself not to gulp at the possibility they were being watched by a bunch of Savage-controlled automatons right now.
When one man rose from his porch swing and returned to his house, the hair on Willow’s nape rose. Was he going to call the Savages who controlled his mind, or was he refilling his drink?
All around her, doors opened and closed as the other members of the Alliance exited their vehicles. They probably all looked like members of the mob or FBI with their black SUVs and the fact most of them wore black.
Although, from what she knew about the FBI, they wore suits and ties. But then, most of her FBI knowledge came from watching Supernatural, so she didn’t consider herself an expert on the subject.
Declan also sported jeans, boots, and a black shirt. Willow was almost the same, except Abby had given her a dark blue shirt instead of a black one. Her jacket was gone, and his was ruined, so they both had stakes tucked discreetly into their waistbands. He’d removed his sword and left it in the vehicle before exiting.
Between the six vehicles, there was a total of thirty of them, and they were all gathering around Ronan.
“We can’t go straight to Gus’s door,” Willow said.
“We’re going to spread out and go to a lot of doors,” Ronan replied. “We’ll find out what these people know.”
“I doubt it’s much,” Declan said. “The Savages would have covered their asses before leaving here.”
“Yes, they would, but because there are so many people, they may have missed something or messed up. Someone here might know one minuscule detail that could help us get a lead on Lucien. Now, spread out, but stay in pairs as you go to each house,” Ronan commanded.
Willow watched as they all spread out down the street. Her sisters waved to her before crossing the road with their mates to start on the houses over there. When Vicky waved to an older man and practically skipped up the porch steps to him, Willow turned away. She didn’t envy Nathan at all.
She glanced up and down the street before focusing on the house again. Gus’s beater of a truck was gone. That gave her some hope the family was out somewhere, but it didn’t ease her anxiety.
“Declan,” she whispered.
He rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. “Stay here while I go.”
Willow couldn’t stand the idea of discovering a bunch of dead bodies, but when she joined the Alliance, she’d known there would be things she didn’t want to do. She’d signed up knowing she would never come out of it the same—if she ever came out of it, which wasn’t likely.
As a member of the Alliance, she would see things she’d never unsee and fight a battle she might not survive. No matter how much dread she felt over this, she couldn’t back down from the reality of the world she chose.
“No, I’m coming with you,” she said.
She almost went back to retrieve the sword, but under Savage control or not, none of these people would find her parading around with a sword normal. If they didn’t call the Savages, they would call the cops. Besides, they couldn’t know where the sword was.
Willow glanced longingly back at the vehicle as she walked with Declan up the walkway to the porch. She hated leaving the sword behind, but it was safer in the SUV than out of it. The door was locked, the alarm set, and if any Savages lurked nearby, she would kill them before they got to the weapon.
When she turned her attention back to the house, she had to practically drag her feet up the steps and across the porch to the door. So far, the Savages had left the town mostly untouched, but appearances could be very deceiving. She held her breath and bit her lip as Declan knocked on the door.
When his loud knock echoed hollowly through the house, she released her bite on her lip while trying to look as nonchalant as possible. If there were Savages anywhere nearby, they couldn’t think there was something special about this house. However, there was something special about its residents, and she was terrified she’d gotten them killed.
A few seconds that seemed more like endless minutes passed before she heard the distant call of “Coming!”
Willow almost swayed while listening to the distant thud of footsteps coming toward them. Then the door opened to reveal Cheryl wiping her hands on her apron. A streak of flour smeared her face, and she wore her hair in a loose bun against her neck.
“Can I help you?” she asked with a smile. There wasn’t even a glimmer of recognition in her eyes.
Willow’s relief was so profound that she couldn’t find words as she fought the urge to hug the woman.
“We were wondering if you’ve seen any unusual activity in town recently?” Declan asked.
Cheryl’s forehead furrowed. “You mean more unusual than the bank robbery?”
Declan was a little taken aback by that. He had to sound like an authority to get her to answer his questions without retaking control of her mind, and if they were the authorities, they would know about a bank robbery.
“Yes,” he said. “We’re looking for any small detail that could give us more information about the robbery. Sometimes, people see things they don’t realize could be important, but it actually is.”
“Hmm.” Cheryl rested her finger against her chin and tapped her lips as she pondered his words. “No. We didn’t know Billy and his friends tried to rob the bank until the next day. Those stupid kids. I can’t imagine what they were thinking. I know they were having a difficult time finding work, but that wasn’t the answer to their problems.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Willow agreed.
“Are you with the same agency as those other guys?” Cheryl asked.
“What other guys?”
“Some men from the government came around here a few days ago asking if we’d seen or heard anything from Billy.” Cheryl frowned at them. “I’m sorry; I didn’t catch who you work for.”
“We’re with the bank,” Declan lied smoothly. He preferred not to invade her mind again. He’d messed with her enough during their time here.
“Oh, I didn’t think Billy got any money out of the bank.”
“They didn’t, but the bank would still like to protect their interests.”
“Umm… okay,” she murmured as she gazed between them before looking at the vehicles parked on the road. “There sure are a lot of people here for a failed bank robbery.”
“What can I say? Our employers like to waste money.”
She gave a small, derisive snort. “At least someone has money to waste.”
“Has anyone seen or heard from Billy?” Willow asked.
“As far as I know, they’re still on the run. No one knows what they’re driving since Billy drove his truck into the bank, and the others all left their vehicles behind.”
Willow realized that Derrick must have hit them with Billy’s truck. “How many people were with Billy?”
“Three of his friends from town. Their parents are worried sick, but as far as I know, they haven’t had any contact. Although, they probably wouldn’t tell us if they did hear from them. No matter what they did, they’re going to protect their sons.”
“That’s understandable,” Declan said.
He highly doubted any of them would hear from their children again. He didn’t know how Billy and his friends came into contact with the Savages, but they were used as the fall guys in this, and if they weren’t dead, they were probably on their way to becoming Savages.
“Is there anyone else from your family we could talk to who might know a little bit more?” Declan asked.
“I doubt any of them has seen or heard anything more,” Cheryl said. “But my husband and son are at their hunting camp, and my daughter is out with some friends.”
“Thank you,” Declan said. “You’ve been a lot of help.”
Cheryl twisted her hands in her apron as she stared over his shoulder. He turned to find Saxon and Saber talking with her neighbor across the street.
“They really must have a lot of money to waste,” Cheryl murmured, and her eyes darted anxiously around the street.
“Have a good day,” Declan said and turned away.
“You too,” Cheryl said and closed the door.
Willow descended the steps beside Declan. She was torn between happiness and sorrow as they strode toward the vehicles. Everyone in Gus’s household was alive, and she still planned to see Gus and the kids. Billy and his friends were a completely different story. She couldn’t imagine being their parents. They would never know what became of their children.
And then a wave of fiery anger burned through her. The Savages had caused this heartache, and she would make sure they paid for it. Her fingers itched for her sword—
No! Not her sword, but she still yearned to use it to dust every single Savage she could find. And when she finished with them, she’d move on to the demon bastards manipulating this growing problem.
When Declan cupped her elbow, she tipped her head back and blinked to bring him into focus against the sun’s rays. “We have to make them pay,” she said.
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and bent to kiss her forehead. “We will.”
“Can we do something about Billy’s parents and the parents of the other kids if we find out who they are?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Make them believe their kids are living their best life in Fiji or something.”
“Don’t you think that might be a little cruel?”
“Crueler than leaving them to wonder what happened to their kids or having them believe their children just up and abandoned them for no reason? No, I don’t.”
Declan lifted his gaze to the busy street. “We’ll find them and make sure they have a happier memory about the disappearance of their children. For now, let’s finish meeting the neighbors.”
It was early afternoon by the time they went through the streets, uncovered the parents of Billy and his friends, and arrived on Main Street. Orange cones circled the crumpled brick wall of the bank. At the time, Willow hadn’t realized the truck had plowed into a bank, but she saw the sign for it now.
The truck was gone and the debris cleaned up, but a few onlookers stood on the sidewalk. Their whispered gossip floated on the breeze as they pointed at the scene. This had to be the biggest action in town in decades; their grandchildren would be talking about it fifty years from now.
Despite every resident they spoke with having the same story, the Alliance interrogated everyone in town. Willow, Declan, and Saxon went to the hunting camp to talk to Gus, Junior, and the other members. None of them knew anything more either.
After leaving the camp, they located Gretchen in the woods, smoking cigarettes and drinking with her friends. Willow almost hugged every member of Gus’s family when she first saw them but managed to restrain herself.
She doubted they would appreciate a stranger throwing herself at them. Still, by the time they were ready to leave town, she felt as good as she could about the whole situation.
“We’re going to have to make sure no one follows us, so it will take us a while to get home,” Ronan said when they were all settled in the SUV again.
“Understandable,” Declan said. “We’re ready to go home.”
Willow couldn’t agree more as she nestled against his side, but she couldn’t shake the knot of anxiety forming in her chest. She told herself she wasn’t going to do it, but couldn’t stop herself from pulling away and bending to touch the sword. She smiled when her fingers fell on the cool metal and closed her eyes before releasing the weapon and snuggling against Declan again.
He gave her a questioning look she chose to ignore as Ronan left Culver behind. The sword could never be hers, but until they took it from her, she would protect it.