He took her hand, held it tight. “Then there’ll be hell to pay.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

By the time they reached the house, Dee-Ann was sitting on the stone banister, her long legs stretched out in front of her. To someone passing by, Toni would guess she looked innocuous enough in her ancient jeans, worn Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and black baseball cap with absolutely no logo on it.

But Toni knew better. She knew that Dee-Ann simply sitting and waiting was one of the most dangerous things in the world.

With Freddy in her arms, Toni walked up the stairs. She stopped by Dee-Ann, and the She-wolf tugged on Freddy’s T-shirt. “Hey, little man.”

“Hi, Dee-Ann.”

“Heard you were brave today.”

“Brave?”

“Yeah.” Dee leaned in and whispered, “And Ricky Lee Reed don’t say that about just anybody, ya know? So you must have been amazing.”

A little embarrassed and overwhelmed, Freddy smiled and buried his head against Toni’s neck.

“Go on and take him inside,” Dee-Ann coaxed. “Me and the boys will be right in.”

Toni nodded and continued on up the stairs. As she reached the top step, the front door opened and her mother stood there. She’d been crying, but she was trying to hide it. She opened her arms and Toni handed Freddy off. Jackie held on to her son with one arm and reached for Toni with the other, hugging her daughter tight.

“It’s going to be okay, Mom,” she assured her. “It’s going to be okay.”

The front door closed and Dee focused on Ricky Lee.

“You’ve got blood on ya.”

He looked down. “Oh. Yeah.”

“Any cleanup necessary?”

“They took him away. He was alive last I saw him but doubt it’ll last unless they get him to a hospital. Something tells me they won’t.”

“Why would they want the boy?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I thought for sure it was Irene they wanted.”

“Use him for leverage?”

“Maybe.”

“But that don’t sound right, does it?”

“No. The kid is brilliant on his own, Dee. We picked him up from a university class. He’s seven. When we were driving back, he said the teacher hated him because he corrected his equations or somethin’.”

Dee looked around Ricky and nodded her head at the big buck standing behind him. “Barinov.”

“Dee-Ann.”

“You got any thoughts?” The feline-bear shrugged, which meant he did. She hated when he was evasive. She didn’t like chatty men, but she wasn’t much for shy ones, either. And that was his problem, though he hid it well. “Say it now before my patience wanes.”

“If they just wantedto take the kid,” Vic finally said, “why didn’t they just take him from the beginning? Why bother breaking into the house first?” He folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t think it’s the kid they really want.”

Dee thought on that a brief moment, then slipped off the banister.

“Where are you going?” Ricky asked.

“To find out what they could possibly want.”

Jackie waited until Toni had sent Freddy upstairs to get his homework done before she talked to the rest of the kids. She knew that what she was about to tell them would not make them happy, but that was too bad.

She walked into the living room. They were all waiting for her except the twins and Dennis. Those three were still at the age where they’d go anywhere they were told. But the rest of this group . . .

There was, of course, one missing. Delilah. But she was rarely home these days. She’d turned eighteen and realized her parents had no legal way to get her to come home, so she didn’t bother. Then again, Jackie didn’t worry about her daughter like she did the others. She simply didn’t have to.

“What’s going on, Mom?” Oriana demanded. She had several pairs of toe shoes spread out in front of her, sewing on the ribbons that wrapped around her ankles. “You’re crying. Aunt Irene is trying to get in touch with Uncle Van. And there seems to be a growth of hillbilly wolves in our house.”

“Hey,” Toni warned, standing next to Jackie. “Be nice.”

“What? You’re dating a hillbilly, so now we all have to tolerate them?”

“Yes,” Toni shot back at her sister. “You do!”

“Both of you stop it.” Taking in a breath, Jackie announced, “We’re returning to Washington. Tonight.”

Troy turned to Kyle. “Now what did you do?”

“Shut up.”

“Kyle didn’t do anything,” Jackie cut in before there could be an argument. “This is about Freddy.”

Oriana sighed. “Oh, God. What did he burn down now?” “Or steal,” Troy tossed in.

“He didn’t do any of that. My God, what is wrong with you people?”

Kyle snorted. “Perhaps one should look to the upbringing of troubled children.”

“You’re not troubled, Kyle. You’re troubling.”

“Stop it,” Toni ordered. “All of you. For once, this isn’t all about you. It’s about family.”

“How is Freddy burning someone’s house down our problem?”

“He didn’t burn anything down!” Jackie roared.

Thankfully, Toni just came out with it. “Someone tried to kidnap Freddy today.”