Page 66 of Caretaker

“Rhys—”

But he was gone.

The urgency of the night once again descended, looming heavy and full of dread.

I sent Clayton to get the vests and I headed to the kitchen, where dinner and the hideous pin waited. I fastened the pin to my shirt, then spooned food onto plates as I waited for Clayton.

He returned a few minutes later with two protective vests and an armload of weapons he could sheath, pocket, and hide on his body—various types of blades, two guns, and some extra ammo.

“We can’t get those on the island,” I said.

“I’ll leave them in the car. Someone can bring them over if things go crazy. I know a man.”

“We’re gearing up for a war,” I said, almost jokingly, and then realized the grim truth of my words. Something was coming, and we all felt it.

I sat at the table with him and gulped down dinner, but halfway through I had to push my plate away as the nervous knots in my stomach left little room for food.

“Full?” Clayton asked.

“Scared,” I answered.

He reached out to touch me, flinched, then slammed his palm down on the table so hard the plates jumped.

Neither of us said anything. There was really nothing to say. We shrugged into our vests and left the house.

Alejandro was leaning against my borrowed car, his arms crossed, looking like he had all the time in the world and didn’t have an impatient bone in his body.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long,” I said, striding past him to the driver’s side.

“About an hour.” He grinned, then shrugged. “I’m used to waiting for women to get ready.” He offered Clayton his hand. “I’m Alejandro. I hear we’ll be kicking ass and taking names tonight.”

Clayton shook his hand, then got into the passenger side, leaving the backseat for Al. He said nothing.

“A man of few words,” Alejandro said. “I like him.”

By the time we reached the lake, a grim and silent darkness had descended upon the city, and upon me and my two friends.

Whatever came, I was ready for it.

And that belief was the only thing that made me hunker down into my darkness and prepare to face whatever bad shit lay ahead.