Page 94 of Silver Claw

My mind was only half on his question. “Beth? She went to Colorado.” Then I gasped and jumped to my feet. “She went toColorado. Where her family lives.”

“Call her back in here,” Ben said.

I strode to the door, equal parts furious and afraid. “Beth,” I bellowed. “Beth!”

She ran back in, her face still wet, her eyes red. “What’s happened?” she cried.

I grasped her shoulders. “Was Gavin Voss inside this house?” I shook her just a little when her stare drifted back to the bed. “Was he in this bedroom?”

“Gavin?” She frowned, then pulled away from me. “Yes, he was here. He’s a friend of my father’s. I’ve known him since I was a teenager. He came to check on me before going back to Colorado. I told him I’d introduce him to Rick but Rick wasn’t feeling well.” She shrugged and glanced around at all of us. “He wanted to make sure Rick was okay. He didn’t do anything. He just stood at his bedside and looked at him. Then he asked me to tell Rick he’d meet him next time he was in town, and he left.”

“Why didn’t you tell us he was here?” I asked.

“Why did it matter that my friend came to visit?” she countered. Then she seemed to realize that somehow, we’d known Gavin Voss had been in the house. “How did you know Gavin was—”

“Did he touch Rick?” Ben interrupted.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “He touched him. He did this.”

“What?” Beth asked. “He did what? No, he didn’t touch him.” Then she waved her hand impatiently. “Once he laid the back of his hand on Rick’s head to check for fever. He’s really very sweet.” She frowned, and suddenly, she couldn’t meet my eyes. “Rick stirred, when Gavin did that. And I thought, he’s going to freak out because someone he doesn’t know is in here, and he’s going to yank his gun out of the nightstand and shoot him.” She laughed, as though it was a terribly funny joke. “What does Gavin have to do with any of this?”

I didn’t bother asking her how Gavin had known she was back in town, how much she’d talked about us to Gavin when she’d been in Colorado, or if Gavin had encouraged her to come back to Jakeston.

None of that mattered, and honestly, I was sick to death of Beth.

I turned my back on her. “We need to get him to the clinic,” I said. “Gavin will be calling as soon as he realizes we’ve seen Rick. He’s probably having the house watched.”

“I’ll fetch the stair chair from the car,” Belinda said, already moving toward the door when Jared stopped her.

“I’ll carry him,” he said, and lifted him from the bed.

I tucked the trailing ends of the sheets around him, then walked ahead of him to lead the way.

Beth wasn’t happy. “Where are you taking him? You can’t just take him out of here. He needs to be in a hospital. What clinic are you—”

I stopped at the door. “Beth. Someone will call you when Rick wakes up. He’ll need an overnight bag. Can you start packing that? I’ll be back in to get it. Pack his gun and his wallet, as well.”

A couple of minutes later, Rick had been secured in the back seat of Ben’s SUV, and Jared and I stood and watched the car until the taillights had disappeared.

I shivered, abruptly exhausted and chilled, and Jared wrapped his arms around me. “Nell will have hot food waiting,” he told me. “You need fuel. Ride with me. One of the wolves will follow in your car.”

“All right,” I said. Unlike earlier in the night, I did not want to be alone with my thoughts. “I’ll go in and get Rick’s bag.”

“I’ll go with you.”

I didn’t argue, but I thought it was a little strange that he didn’t seem to want me to face Beth without him there. Maybe he was afraid she’d hidden Voss in a closet and he’d jump out and grab me when I went back in.

Beth, still pale, but with redness scraping her cheekbones, pointed at Rick’s packed bag. She watched wordlessly as Jared picked it up.

“Thanks,” I said, still not ready to forgive her for not only drugging Rick but allowing the enemy to hurt him.

Jared held the bag in one hand and took my arm, turning me toward the door.

“Kait,” Beth said.

Jared stiffened, because he’d known, somehow, while I’d remained oblivious, that Beth had some anger brewing.

I frowned as I turned to look at her. “Yes?”