Chapter 33
Charity
“Well we touched a nerve with that Grigori guy, that’s for sure…” Cutter said quietly, peeking out the curtains at the cops retreating down the drive. They took Nothing’s gun into evidence, and took photos of the bathroom and red marks on my skin that may or may not turn into bruises.
I sat, shuddering on the arm of Nothing’s couch. Post combat shakes, Hope called them. I was pretty sure it was just the after effects of the adrenaline wearing off, but then again, it should have worn off much sooner than this. The cops had been here for hours taking their fingerprints, dusting the house, taking their pictures, and evidence.
Hope rubbed my back in useless little circles, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. At least the investigating officers were from Ft. Royal’s little police department, although I got the impression they were none too happy with The Kraken at the moment. Of course, I got the impression that The Kraken were none too happy with the current state of affairs, either.
“What’s going to happen?” I asked dully.
“Nothing, Baby. We’re good. The gun is mine, registered to me, and legal to have in my own home. He broke in here, and Florida has a King of the Castle law in place, just like most of the rest of America. They can’t touch me. It was justifiable.”
“Helps that y’all saved his life, not going to lie,” Cutter said.
“That’s if he makes it,” I murmured.
“He will, I’ve treated a lot worse,” Nothing said.
“What next?” Hope asked, dropping her head back and sighing, staring at the ceiling.
“Is Faith okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine, Trouble,” Cutter said.
“We’re perilously close to club business,” Nothing warned.
“Good call, brother,” Cutter grunted and let the curtain fall back into place.
“Oh give it a rest, she’s family,” Hope said glowering at the both of them.
“Right, and given her profession, the less she knows, the better,” Cutter said giving my sister a pointed look.
Hope stuck her tongue out at him, “I hate it when you stick me with a point that’s right.”
“Do it every night, might as well do it every day too.”
“Gross,” I uttered and the ensuing laughter eased the tension.
“So, what now?” I asked, wearily.
“Now, you go rinse the dried soap out of your hair, and we spend the next few days circling the wagons,” Cutter said.
“What’s that mean, exactly?”
“We all go back to the Captain’s house on lockdown. It’s not safe to be spread out throughout the town anymore.”
“Do you think he’ll deliver your message?” I asked.
“Probably, can’t say for sure,” Nothing said, and gripped the back of his neck, pulling.
“What message?” Cutter asked sharply.
Nothing sighed, “He asked why we were trying to save him, I told him to go back to his boss and tell him it was the kind of people Char and I were, and that he’d picked the wrong girl to attack.”
“Heat of the moment kind of a thing,” Cutter said, and there wasn’t any question about it.
“Yeah.”
“Shit, well, looks like I need to set Atlas and Radar to some digging, maybe get a hold of Ruth. See if we can’t get these guys to back off of us. I’m pretty sure they’re tired of losing men, and I want this to stop before we lose one of ours. The way we been going at each other, it’s only a matter of time.”
I think Cutter forgot I was still sitting there, but I knew when to keep my mouth shut. Even still, Hope nudged me and said, “Blossom, go get washed up, get dressed and let’s get out of here for now.”
I nodded, and went back towards the bathroom to clean it up, Nothing called out to me, “Leave it, Babe. Use the shower in my room. We’ll get it.”
I looked at the red ruin of my shorts and tank, spattered with the man’s blood and the water pooled on the floor, tinged pink with yet more of his blood and didn’t even put up a fight. I did what Nothing asked, and went to his room instead. I was chilled down to the bone, and I was pretty sure it didn’t have anything to do with how high the air conditioning in the house was turned up.
I took yet another shower; the door locked tight this time, and wondered if there would ever be a time that I didn’t lock the bathroom door in the future. I closed my eyes as I rewet my hair, and sighed out in relief. Thank god Nothing was there, that he hadn’t been knocked unconscious, and that he’d managed to keep his wits.
Two knocks at the door and I nearly jumped out of my skin, “Char you alright?” Hope called.
“Yeah! Sorry,” I called back, “Be out in a minute.”
“No, take your time; I just wanted to check on you!”
“Thanks, sister-mom!” I called back, but I had to force the sarcasm into my voice.
“No problem,” Hope called back and I shuddered and let it go, having a quiet cry to myself in the shower just to get the pent up emotion out.