The damn woman was driving Ruin nuts. Every time he thought he had her figured out, she went shady on him. It was time to figure out what she was hiding. Not knowing irritated the crap out of him. It was pure stupidity to consider leaving without knowing what game she was playing. Before he hit the road to Kennewick, he was getting answers. He grabbed Charity’s arm, forcing her to face him.
Her sharp hiss of pain reminded him too late of her wounded shoulder. He barely jerked back from her incoming fist. ‘Don’t touch me.’
He ignored the flicker of guilt but didn’t waste time letting go, raising his hands and backing up a step. ‘Calm down, dammit.’
Her eyes narrowed, and her lips thinned. He braced for an angry outburst but was thrown off guard when she ordered, ‘Just take me to Mandy.’
‘Not yet.’ Determined to match her attitude, he folded his arms over his chest and settled in. Time to starting digging around and watch what rose to the surface. ‘What the hell was that, Charity?’
She blinked. ‘What was what?’
‘That.’ He waved a hand in the direction Reaper took. ‘Your little rant about Simon and who’s in charge.’
‘What? Am I not allowed to question the almighty Ruin?’ Thick mockery layered her question.
Her attitude, warranted or not, rankled. Looking away, he clenched his teeth to keep his scathing response from slipping free. When he was sure it wouldn’t escape, he blew out a hard breath. Only then did he catch sight of a young boy collecting Ruin’s horse, a needed reminder that they were standing in the middle of Pebble Creek about to get into things. Sure enough, when he looked around, he discovered a handful of lookie-loos doing their best to appear busy but doing a piss-poor job of it. He and Charity needed privacy to hash this out. Not to mention, if on the off chance he ended up throttling her, it would be best if there were no witnesses.
Without a word, he turned on his heel and started for Grave Hall, where he and the Vultures normally stayed. A beleaguered sigh sounded behind him before Charity’s light steps followed. The woman probably thought he was taking her to Mandy. Who was he to disabuse her of that notion? It was small and petty, but the sliver of childish satisfaction added a slight curve to his lips as he led her through the streets.
Before the Collapse, Pebble Creek wore a different name and a different face, and thousands called it home. After everything fell apart, and humanity began reassembling, new towns rose, built upon the bones of the old. Now, less than a thousand called Pebble Creek home. Large swaths of outlying areas lay in crumbling heaps, stripped of usable materials. In the town’s main areas old structures, such as Grave Hall, found life in new roles. Whatever it used to be, it now served as temporary living space for visitors.
He led Charity up the gently curving walkway and into the Grave’s courtyard. The single story building was framed by a variety of greenery and served as the connector for the two larger, four-story structures on either side. He held open the heavy door with an exaggerated flourish. ‘After you.’
Charity paused on the top step, her gaze sweeping over their surroundings before coming back to rest on him. ‘The kids are staying here?’
Instead of answering, he wiggled his fingers, indicating she should go inside. Shaking her head, she headed in. Once she stepped over the threshold, he followed, only to come up short as she froze a few feet in. Stuck between her unmoving body and the closing door, he wrapped an arm around her waist for balance as the door pushed against his back. For a searing moment, her every curve was pressed tight against him, bringing his slumbering hunger to roaring life. His arm at her waist tightened in unconscious reaction. Before she could snap his head off or worse, he tugged her to the side so he could get by, and then let her go.
Grave Hall was an eclectic mix of comfort and practicality. Dining tables took up the majority of space in the large room, some meant to accommodate cosy couples, while others could manage a bigger party of six or eight. The back area doubled as a library. Stuffed reading chairs huddled together in strategic positions nestled between bookcases. Off to the side, away from the dining and reading areas, sat a broken in pool table and a well-used dartboard.
It wasn’t the interior keeping Charity in place. That would be the woman sitting at one of the tables, the one person he hadn’t expected to find here—Mandy. Dammit it all to hell! Looked like he would be postponing his chat with Charity. He stalked forward, Charity behind him. With a teacup poised halfway to her mouth, Mandy watched the two of them approach. ‘Doc,’ he greeted.
There was no hiding the impatience in his voice, and since Mandy’s eyes sparkled behind her lenses as she deliberately took a sip, he was fairly certain she hadn’t missed it. She settled the delicate looking cup on its equally delicate looking plate. ‘Ruin.’ His name came out with laughter peeking around the edges. ‘Wasn’t expecting to see you here.’
‘Yeah, same goes.’
Mandy’s attention wandered beyond him, stopping on Charity. She arched a dark brow. ‘Charity, correct?’
Charity moved to stand on the other side of the table and nodded. ‘Mandy, or do you prefer doctor?’
The older woman waved Charity into the opposite seat. ‘Mandy’s fine.’
As Charity settled in, Mandy turned to Ruin. ‘You going to stand there and glare or you going to join the conversation?’
Snagging a chair from a nearby empty table, he swung it around and straddled it, resting his arms along the back. ‘Happy now?’
Mandy leant over and patted his cheek. ‘Very.’
He allowed her the affectionate move simply because she was one of the few people in Pebble Creek who managed to make a spot for herself in his life. Probably because she spent so much time patching up his sorry hide.
Sitting back, Mandy studied him, a wariness lingering in her expression. ‘Did you bring Simon home?’
‘A bit worse for wear, but yeah. Boden and Vex were hauling him over to the clinic earlier.’
Relief gave her smile a bit more brightness than normal. ‘Kendra and Bryant are on, so he’s in good hands.’ She made some minor adjustment to the teacup. ‘They’ll come get me if they need me.’ The smile slowly faded to be replaced by her normal stoic mask. ‘You took care of the Raiders, I presume?’
He knew her question wasn’t prompted solely by Simon’s welfare but a decade old scar rendered when her young family was massacred by a band of Raiders. ‘You presume correctly.’
A flash of old pain came and went. ‘Good.’ Her voice was soft. She cleared her throat, and the next part came out close to normal. ‘Were you two looking for me?’
Charity’s ‘yes’ clashed with his ‘no’ and earned him a nasty look. Mandy simply raised an eyebrow in question. Before an explanation could be given a deep voice boomed through the large room. ‘Hey, Ruin!’
A thick-chested man with a box in one arm and the other nimbly manoeuvring a crutch, entered through a doorway in the back that Ruin knew led to a storage room. Ruin stood up, took his leave of the women, and wove through the tables to head over to help. Reaching the man, Ruin took the box and set it down near a stuffed bookcase. ‘Hey, Worth, how’s things?’
The heavily tanned Worth offered his now free hand to Ruin for a quick handclasp. ‘Quiet. Not unexpected considering some are still reeling from yesterday’s attack.’ His attention drifted to the two watching women, and his harsh face softened. ‘Mandy needed some peace and quiet, so I’m letting her do her tea thing here while I restock the reading supply.’
Ruin grinned. ‘Mighty nice of you to allow her that.’ Everyone knew Worth was sweet on the doc. Besides, the poor fool couldn’t lie worth a damn. Worth’s cheeks were turning red, so Ruin figured his and Charity’s arrival interrupted whatever plan Worth had in motion.
Worth’s hand snuck out and flicked the back of Ruin’s head. ‘Be useful and help restock the shelves, numbnuts.’
Smiling, Ruin crouched down and grabbed a couple of books from the box at Worth’s side, and handed them to him, his arm brushing the empty lower leg of Worth’s jeans. ‘Wouldn’t want you to strain anything, old man.’
Worth took the books and tucked them in on the shelf, shifting his weight on his crutch with the ease of practice. ‘Did you find Simon?’
Resting his arms on his knees as Worth carefully placed the books, Ruin nodded. ‘Yeah, he’s going to be down for a bit.’ Once Worth finished fiddling with things, Ruin grabbed another handful of books and handed them over.
Taking them, Worth paused and cocked his head, his dark eyes unfathomable as he considered the younger man. ‘You all sticking around for a bit then?’
‘Not for long,’ he murmured, thinking about how soon he needed to hit the road. ‘But Reaper is stepping in to help Boden while Simon’s recovering.’
‘Good, that’s good.’ Worth set the books in line on the shelf. ‘Reaper’s being here will keep the idiots in line.’
And that was exactly why the Vultures’ leader would be sticking around. His presence, alongside Boden’s, would discourage anyone stupid enough to try and take Crane’s place while Simon was out of commission. It also left the other Vultures, Ruin included, free to hunt down the reasons behind the Raiders attack on Pebble Creek.
In compatible silence, the two men continued to restock the shelves. Behind them the muted conversation between the women continued in polite, stilted tones separated by long pauses. When the box was empty, Ruin rose and followed Worth over to the women who were now quietly watching them.
Worth stopped behind Mandy’s chair, his hand curling over the wooden back as he smiled at Charity. ‘Hello there.’
Charity was all sweetness and innocence as she returned his smile. ‘Hello.’ As Ruin came up to her side, she held her hand out to Worth. ‘Charity.’
‘Worth.’ The caretaker of Grave Hall released the chair, reached around Mandy and over the table to take Charity’s hand. Then he brought it to his lips in an old-fashioned move filled with half-forgotten charm. Neither Mandy nor Charity batted an eyelash at Worth’s greeting. ‘A pleasure to meet you.’ He let her go and settled back by Mandy’s side.
‘This must be yours, I assume?’ Charity indicated the room at large.
‘Ah, yes.’ Worth managed a graceful pivot despite the crutch and missing lower leg. ‘Welcome to Grave Hall.’
Ruin watched Charity take in the room as Mandy took another dainty sip, part of him curious as to her reaction.
‘Nice,’ Charity murmured, even as her attention shifted to Ruin. ‘If the private rooms are as comfortable as this, it explains why Ruin calls it home.’
Ruin managed not to wince at the underlying bite in her comment. Guess his scheme to get her alone so he could discover her motives was officially snuffed.
Ignorant of the undercurrents, Worth chuckled. ‘That and because I don’t mind running interference when he’s keen on avoiding unwanted guests.’
That earned Ruin a hard-eyed glare from the blonde, and an indulgent smile from Mandy, while Worth wore a shit-eating grin. Feeling a need to mount a defence, Ruin changed the conversation. ‘Reaper’s okay with letting Charity see the kids if you are, doc.’
The older woman set her teacup down with carefully precise movements and focused her attention on the mundane task. Familiar with her mannerisms, Ruin didn’t push but gave her the moment to craft her response. No doubt the rescued kids had managed to kick Mandy’s protective instincts into overdrive. Which meant she wouldn’t be so keen on letting just anyone in to see them, regardless of who was asking.
Proving her skill at reading people, Charity didn’t fill the silence with useless words but waited for Mandy to take the conversational lead.
Finally, Mandy looked up and locked on to Charity. Light reflected off Mandy’s lenses giving her a strange, alien appearance. ‘What the Raiders put those children through …’ She swallowed hard, her eyes bright with unshed tears, but they didn’t fall. ‘We’ve barely gotten most of them back on their feet.’
‘I’m not surprised.’
At Charity’s softly offered response, Mandy arched a brow, colour riding under her skin as her head tilted. Echoing the spark in her eyes, an angry edge rode through her question. ‘Are you that familiar with the damage those beasts can do to the young?’
‘Raiders aren’t the only animals that prey on the helpless.’ Darkness swam through Charity’s bright eyes, leaving Ruin unprepared for the whisper of protectiveness that woke in tandem with an uncomfortable ache in his chest. Absently he rubbed at it as the two women continued their careful verbal dance.
‘Then you’ll understand my reluctance to upset their environment.’
‘I do,’ Charity agreed. ‘I wouldn’t ask if I had another choice.’
Mandy studied the younger woman and finally came to some inner decision. ‘We’ve gotten one of the younger girls to give us her name. Not Tabby,’ she gently clarified when Charity leant forward. ‘One of the older girls is in a coma.’
‘Is she a redhead?’ Charity’s question came out strangled.
Mandy’s expression softened. ‘No, but the girl who won’t talk is.’ There was no missing Charity’s excitement, and Mandy held up a hand as if to hold her in place. ‘Be warned, neither her nor the young man who stays at her side have willingly said a word. They could be staying silent for any number of reasons, not the least of which is anger towards those who were supposed to protect them.’ Mandy’s insightful comments reminded Ruin there was more to patching people up than bandages. But she wasn’t quite finished with Charity. ‘How did they take your girl?’
Charity handled the question with better grace than Ruin anticipated. ‘I was away and arrived back just after her family found her gone. They were frantic and desperate, so they reached out to me for help. When I started retracing Tabby’s movements, I found she left that morning to go to studies but never made it to class.’ Charity shifted in her chair, then winced and absently rubbed at her injured shoulder. ‘When questioned, her friends said they saw her talking to a guy. Not one they recognised, but they didn’t think anything of it.’ She shook her head, her expression exasperated. ‘Kids being who they are, they saw Tabby talking, nothing overtly threatening happening, and shrugged it off. Tabby is known for being the type to help anyone in need, so if someone stopped to ask for directions, she wouldn’t blink twice before offering help.’ She held Mandy’s gaze. ‘This time, someone took advantage of that sweet spirit.’
Mandy didn’t say anything for a few moments, instead, she studied Charity intently. Ruin wondered what she saw because Charity wasn’t giving much away. Finally, Mandy asked, ‘If her parents are so worried, why are you here and not them?’
Ruin’s instincts were riled when something too quick to catch slipped through Charity’s gaze just before her lashes dropped veiling her eyes. ‘My skills are better suited to tracking down a missing girl.’ Those long lashes lifted once more, her gaze steady and clear.
Before the conversation could continue, the front door shoved open sending dust mote-filled light spilling across the room. ‘Doc, you in here?’ A dark-haired teen stepped into the room, only to come to an awkward halt, his face turning beet red as the four adults turned to him. ‘Um, sorry?’ He dragged a faded baseball cap from his head releasing an influx of dark curls and then proceeded to wring the cap into a twist of material.
The fumbling teen brought a welcoming smile to Mandy’s face, chasing away the shadows. ‘What do you need, Zane?’
The teen swallowed, his voice coming out high with nerves before settling down. ‘I was passin’ by your place, and Liza asked me to remind you to stop by Crusty’s to pick up her order.’
‘Thanks, Zane. I’d forgotten I promised to do that.’
Zane dipped his head in a jerky nod, then spun on a heel and darted back out the door. Mandy turned back to Charity, all traces of the warmth aimed at the teen gone, replaced by a core of determination. ‘The children don’t react well to strangers.’ When she shifted in her chair, Worth inched back, giving her room to slide her chair out and stand. From where he sat, Ruin caught the subtle brush of Worth’s hand on Mandy’s spine as she brushed crumbs from her pants. It acted like a silent warning because Mandy turned to him. Worth dipped his chin and Mandy’s jaw firmed just before she blew out a breath and turned back to Charity. ‘You’re welcome to come and see if your Tabby is my redhead.’
Next to Ruin, the scrape of wood over wood sounded as Charity stood. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me,’ Mandy muttered. ‘The only reason I’m allowing you to see the children is because you helped bring Simon home.’ She moved around the table and headed for the door. ‘That, and I won’t be responsible for keeping those babies from their families.’
Charity bid Worth a soft goodbye. Ruin stood, then followed Charity as she headed to Mandy, who held the front door open, waiting.
When Charity came even with the door, Mandy stepped in front of her, bringing the younger woman to a halt. ‘I’m not one to ignore my gut, especially when it comes to those in my care, so fair warning, Charity. You showing up on the heels of trouble doesn’t reassure me of your intentions.’
Standing behind her, Ruin waited for Charity’s reaction, expecting her defences to slam into place. Instead, she barely blinked at Mandy’s comment. ‘My first priority is to find Tabby, not to court trouble.’
The dry response managed to get Mandy’s lips to twitch, but it did nothing more to ease her formidable mask. ‘Courting it or not, don’t invite it near those children.’