Desert Bound (Cambio Springs) (33 page)

“Kasey?” he heard one of the officers call.

“What the hell was that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“There was a guy. Then there wasn’t.”

“Clear! Suspect on the ground. Unconscious. No weapon.”

“Kasey, we’re the police. We’re gonna take you home.”

“My brother’s in the bathroom. Mark!”

More feet and the sound of doors opening cautiously. “Mark? Trevor? I’m a police officer. Don’t be scared.”

“We’re going to take you back to your mom now, okay?”

The officers were being gentle with her. Calm. He heard one of them calling for a medic for Avery. Heard him calling out medical information over the radio, but Sean focused on the kids. He heard Mark start to cry in the bathroom again, but Kasey was there.

“It’s okay, Marky. The policeman’s going to take us back to mom.”

“What happened?”

“—boy and a girl. No sign of the other boy. No injuries apparent. We’re bringing them out now.”

“Kasey, are you hurt?”

The sound of gagging.

“She’s vomiting. Pete, get a trashcan or something. And get another medic—”

“Pulse is irregular. Get a board. We need to get him out of here as soon as possible. No anti venom in the truck.”

“—might be shock. She’s sweating like crazy.”

“Where’s the other boy?”

“—on the phone with San Bernardino.”

“Kasey, honey? Kasey, what happened to your uncle?”

“—wait until she’s at the hospital, Brannon.”

“I need to know what this is! I’ve never seen this kind of reaction before. Did it bite the kids?”

“Kasey?”

Sean waited for her to speak. Skittered closer to the hole in the wall to look through.

The girl was huddled in the corner, clutching a trashcan. Her brother hung on her shoulder, but the girl sat up straight, her eyes plastered to the seizing man they were strapping down to the board in front of her. Sean blinked. Looked again. But the girl’s eyes didn’t waver. The police crouched around her, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, she whispered, “There was a snake.”

“Let me through!” Ted shouted as soon as she saw the kids. “I’m their doctor. Let me through!”

She ran toward Caleb, who was shouting at someone in a black uniform.

“Caleb?”

“Yes, she
is
their doctor,” he yelled. “And a friend of their mom’s. Get her over there and let’s focus on finding Trevor!”

Ted walked toward Kasey and Mark. No one stopped her.

“Kasey!” she called out.

“Doctor Ted?” The girl’s eyes came to her and her shoulders slumped.

Just then, a stretcher raced past her. As soon as Ted saw Chris Avery, she knew exactly what had happened. Her eyes flew to Kasey’s, and the girl started to cry.

Ted ran to her, pulled her away from the officer in black BDUs and into a fierce hug. She was shivering, but Ted guessed they were the normal shakes that happened after a first shift.

She whispered, “Good girl, Kasey.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“You were scared and you protected your brothers. Good girl.”

“Trevor’s not here.”

“What?” She looked around. Mark was sitting in the back of an ambulance, sucking on a juice box as a ponytailed paramedic checked him out, but there was no Trevor.

“Trevor ran. I don’t know where he is.”

“Okay, sweetie. Don’t worry. We’ll find him.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor Ted. I didn’t mean—”

“Shhhh.” She pressed the girl’s face to hers and whispered, “Not here.”

Kasey clammed up immediately and nodded.

“Let’s get you checked out, okay? How are you feeling?” 

“I threw up a lot, and I’m really cold.”

She squeezed the girl’s hand and brought out her phone at the same time. Then she flipped to Alex’s number and hit ‘call.’

“Ted, what’s going on? They won’t let me close.”

“Avery was bit by a snake.” She let the silence hang until she knew Alex must have caught on. “Not sure what kind, but he’s in bad shape. Kasey and Mark are okay. No injuries. Get on the phone to Old Quinn. We don’t know where Trevor is.”

“He ran away,” Kasey whispered. “Before we got in the car. He ran behind the house, but I don’t know where he went. I thought he was going back inside for Mom. That’s why I didn’t yell.”

“You get that?” Ted asked.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “I’ll call the old man. Who has my keys?”

“I sent Harper to wait in your pickup. She has them. You might send her ahead and see if she can find anything.”

“Got it.”

“I’m staying with the kids here. Catch a ride with Caleb or something. Go find Trevor.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “If he’s around the Springs, we’ll find him.”

“I know you will.”

“With any luck, they’ve already picked him up. Love you, baby. Take care of those kids.”

“Later.”

“Later.”

A half an hour later, Ted got the call that a giant black cat walked out of the desert with Trevor Quinn clutching its back. He’d been found at the old cave behind Alma Crowe’s house. He had no injuries, but was pretty hungry and worried about his brother and sister.

Chris Avery lapsed into a coma while doctors pumped over fifty vials of anti-venom into him. He was breathing, but the prognosis was not good. Officers tore the room apart, but no one could find the snake.

Within a few hours, Kasey and Mark Quinn were released into the custody of Caleb Gilbert and Doctor Teodora Vasquez after paramedics determined that the children had no injuries or health problems other than an inexplicable fever in Kasey that the paramedics put down to stress. 

Official statements could wait. The children needed to go home. Ted gave them her phone to call their mother from the car.

Five minutes after the call, Josie Quinn started making pancakes, and the nightmare was over.

Chapter Twenty-six

“How are they doing?” he asked, sitting on the top step of Jena’s porch.

Ted looked across the yard to Josie and Kasey, sitting side by side at the curb, watching the little boys play on their bikes, racing up and down the quiet street on Sunday afternoon. The sun was almost down and Alex could smell dinner wafting from the house.

“Physically, Kasey’s fine. It was early for her to shift, but we all know trauma can bring it on. Other than that, I just told Josie we’d watch her. But everything seems fine. Emotionally, we’ll have to wait and see. Josie’s keeping a close eye on her. Sean, too.”

“Thank God he was able to get to her right after. And that he was able to talk her out of the shift.”

Ted smiled. “I think ‘Uncle Sean’ has a shadow now. If anything can convince him to stay, that sweet little girl’s hero worship might do it.”

“Avery is still in a coma.”

“Good.”

They sat in silence, listening to the kids’ shouts. Kevin and Low, perched on their bikes, Jena’s son, Bear, Allie’s Justin and Austin, and Josie’s two boys  were running around them. Allie’s daughter, Lorelie, hung on the back of Ollie’s big mastiff, Murtry, following behind the older boys. Ollie and the surprising addition of Rafael Flores were leaning against Ollie’s Bronco, keeping watch.

“What’s that about?” Alex asked, nodding toward Rafael.

“Josie says that Trevor keeps asking for him,” Ted answered. “I guess Rafa slept on their couch in the front room the first night back. Only way Trevor would calm down enough to go to bed.”

“Hmm.”

“Rafa won’t mind. He’s quiet, but kids like him.” Ted sighed. “The boy lost his dad and his uncle tried to kidnap him. It’s understandable that he’s scared.”

“He’s also got a great mom, lots of new friends, and a town full of bodyguards, one that seems to be keeping a particular eye on the situation. So, eventually, he’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder and he said, “Still sucks it all happened, though.”

“Yeah.”

“But it’s done.”

Her arm slipped around her waist and Alex put his around her shoulders, tugging her closer.

It was done.

Once the police in Las Vegas were able to search Chris Avery’s house, they found the evidence they needed to link him to Marcus’s murder. They may never know exactly what happened, but Avery was stupid—or arrogant enough—to keep the gun that shot his brother-in-law. There was no evidence of the drugs, but the gun would be enough. Along with Chris Avery’s cover-up and his actions afterward, even if he got out of the coma, he’d be in jail for a long, long time.

The bribery investigation had destroyed Crescent Construction, though. Josie was talking to two of Marcus’s foremen, Quinn cousins, who were looking to buy the existing equipment and start something new. Josie seemed more than happy to sell, and Alex was happy that out of all the heartbreak, something could be salvaged. It wouldn’t be much for Josie and the kids to live on, but since Alex already had her in his sights to manage the resort spa, he had a feeling it was all going to work out.

As for his friends, it all seemed to be settling.

Sean Quinn was back. For how long, nobody really knew. But Old Quinn was working hard to get his nephew to corral the crazy group of snake shifters he grudgingly called family. There was no love lost, but at the same time, no one really had the guts to challenge Sean. The old man was in charge for now. How the future would shape up, no one knew.

Caleb and Alex had come to a truce. Caleb didn’t want Alex to poke his nose into any more murder investigations. Alex was hopeful no one else would get murdered. Since neither one wanted to anger a very pregnant and very cranky Jena, they’d just decided to be friends. 

Or at least act like it in her presence.

Allie seemed to be fine, though Joe had yet to reappear. Her dad and one of her sisters helped her hire a lawyer in Indio to start divorce proceedings. Kevin had stepped up, as Alex knew he would, and was helping out his mom. 

Alex watched him with the younger kids. He was careful never to let one fall too far behind. Lifted his little sister in his arms when she fell and bumped her knee. Watching. Already a young man at only fifteen.

“If we have a boy,” Ted said, “I want him to be just like Kevin.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

Allie had also asked Ollie if she could pick up evening shifts at the Cave to make some extra money now that she was on her own. Ollie, being one of her oldest friends, said yes.

Everyone was curious how that would go.

Alex and Ted were back. In some ways, it seemed to Alex like the years they’d been apart had never really happened. They still bickered with each other. Their families both gave them headaches, though Lena Vasquez and Julia McCann were now seen at the Blackbird Diner at least once a week, sharing coffee and laughing about something or other. Alex didn’t ask. His mother didn’t share.

All he wanted was Ted.

Ted in his bed at night. Ted under him every morning. Ted at the table while he cooked dinner for her. Ted in the bathroom, nagging him about using too much hot water or dropping his towels on the floor. Ted in his arms, dancing at the Cave. Ted laughing at anything.

He’d lost her once. He’d never take her for granted again.

He was at the fridge, grabbing a beer while Ted took her shower after work. She’s needed it. In fact, the array of scents she regularly came home with, combined with his preternatural sense of smell, was making Alex seriously consider an outdoor shower added on to their bedroom.

Two months after the moon night they’d first shared together, the most recent one seemed to have triggered a rash of adolescents changing. Four new wolves in his pack, two bears that he knew of. A bird. Five cats. And nine snakes.

The Springs was growing, and most of the time, Alex couldn’t be happier.

Ted could do with a little less nausea during office checkups, though. Young shifters puked a lot.

“
Mi querido?
”

“
Si, mamá?
”

She snickered every time he called her that. Then she teased him about being her “
lobo macho
” and usually ended up kissing her. So he kept calling her
mamá
. If he had his way, she would be one soon enough.

“Who’s cooking?”

“I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah, so am I.”

“Pizza?”

“Yesssss,” she groaned in relief as she collapsed on the couch. He opened another beer and brought it to her just as someone knocked on the door.

She cocked her head. He shrugged and sniffed the air. Human, not shifter.

“I’m not expecting anyone. You?”

“Nope.”

Alex opened the door and tried not to show his surprise at Cameron Di Stefano standing on the other side.

“Cam!”

“Hey, Alex.”

“How do you know where I live?”

Cam’s mouth curled up in the corner. “This town really
is
friendly. It’s almost scary how quick they’ll tell a stranger where you live.”

That’s because they know a full grown wolf and large mountain lion live here and we’re not afraid of one guy in a suit.

Alex didn’t share that. “Well, you know small towns.”

“Not really.”

Alex chuckled. “Not to seem unwelcoming, but—”

“Why the hell am I out in the middle of the desert?”

“Yeah, kind of wondering that.”

“Chris Avery came out of a coma last night.”

He felt Ted at his back before he even opened the door.

“Come on in,” Alex said. “Beer?”

“That’ll work. Heya, Ted.”

“Hey, Cam. What’s up with Avery? He’s awake?”

“Kind of.”

Alex tried to control his hackles while he opened a beer for Cam and Ted led him to the living room. He knew Avery knew about the shifters—had seen his own niece turn into a Mohave green rattlesnake—but no one knew how much he remembered. According to Ted, a patient in a coma lasting this long rarely woke up and more rarely were they the same person.

So no one knew how this would go.

“Here you go.” Alex handed Cam a bottle of beer.