Besides, Will was…nice. He might bitch and moan, but he’d do anything to help someone out, I was pretty sure. I mean, he picked out my underwear. That must mean we’ve bonded enough to ask favors of each other, right?

Turning around, I led the way toward the house, creeping quickly through the wet leaves and zipping up my new leather jacket against the cold breeze. Halloween in Thunder Bay was just as much of a big deal as Devil’s Night, so the next several hours would be quite a handful for the town’s police force. I doubted my father would send them after me anyway, no matter how stretched their manpower was later on tonight.

He’d definitely know I was here, though.

Jogging around the first garage, I snuck up to the big shop and pulled my keys out of my pocket. Gabriel knew I wasn’t stupid, but he also probably figured I wasn’t a threat. Not yet, anyway. I doubted he’d changed the locks in the two days since I’d been here.

Flipping up the key pad, I punched in the code, and when the alarm deactivated, I inserted my silver key into the door, twisting the lock.

“What are we doing?” Will asked quietly.

But I ignored him, slipping inside and pulling him after me. I immediately heard chains rattle and shuffling coming from several of the kennels. Glancing around, I saw that there was no one here yet and noticed a couple emergency lights on giving me enough to see my way.

Grabbing a handful of leashes off the wall, I tossed three to Will. “We need to hurry.”

“Wha—”

I opened the first kennel.

“They’re going to fucking bark!” he blurted out.

“They will if you don’t do exactly what I say.”

If they started going nuts, the night guard would be out here in seconds. We needed to be stealth.

I approached the dog—an older pit bull—that had been here since he was a pup. He stood without barking. He, at least, knew me and was well-trained by now, but the others might get skittish, so that’s why I needed to be the one to grab them. Will could load them into the cars.

I gave him a rub behind his ear as I hooked his leash and gently pulled, leading him out of the cage.

“And if he just gets more dogs?” Will asked as I handed Brutus to him.

“Then we’ll be back, I guess.”

Hurrying, I pulled open all the gates to the cages and walked in, leashing the dogs and walking them out. The two Great Pyrenees came easily, but one was gaunt, her ribs showing through her coat, while the rottweiler, the two shepherds, and the two huskies all shuffled away, resisting. Reaching into the baggie in my pocket, I pulled out chunks of meat I’d brought with me, quickly offering it to them.

Will had the pit bull, and I handed off the two Pyrenees.

“Go put them in the backseat of your truck.” I told him. “And hurry!”

Heading into the last cage, I saw the beagle laying down, just watching us. I moved for him, and noticed he was shaking. My throat felt like it had needles in it.

I didn’t have time to assess the damage, although I did see some scabs, so I didn’t even try to motivate him. Scooping him up into my arms, I repositioned my hold on the other leashes and left the building, walking briskly.

Will and I made short of loading all the dogs into the cars, and I debated tying them up but decided against it. They’d been trained to be aggressive, but I didn’t want to risk one falling or jumping out of the bed and strangling itself. If they fought, I’d deal with it then.

Will jumped in his car, yelling at me through his open door. “Let’s go!”

I dug out my keys, but then I stopped.

And looked back toward the house.

I didn’t have everything.

Will started his engine, and I whipped around, waving my hand. “Stop, wait!”

A couple of low barks drifted from the cars as he shot his head out the window. “What are you doing?”

“Stay here,” I told him.

“Banks!” he whispered after me. “What the hell?”

I ran up to the house and tried the door handle to the kitchen. It slowly gave way. My stomach churned. The guard had unlocked it to come and go which meant he was around. Softly opening the door, I peered inside and saw the small TV on the granite counter in the far corner was turned on. There was also a plate of crumbs in front of it. He was probably in the bathroom.

Taking my chance while I had it, I dashed through the kitchen, down the hallway, and up the stairs. Opening the door to the tower room, I crept quickly inside and jogged up the stairs.

Damon could be here.

But when I opened the door, the room was dim, the only light coming from the moon outside, and it appeared still empty. A pang of disappointment hit me. I wasn’t looking for him, and this probably wasn’t the best place for him to be, anyway, but if he wasn’t here, where else would he go?

Walking over to the dresser, I dug in the cabinet for both of the faunariums and quickly loaded Volos and Kore II into separate containers. If Damon wasn’t coming home, then there was no one to take care of them.

God, Kai was going to kill me.

Giving the room one last glance, I left and didn’t bother locking the door at the bottom of the stairs.

Racing back down the stairs, I ran right into a dark figure coming up and halted. One of the men, Sergei, stopped and looked up at me abruptly.

“What the hell are you doing?” He glared at me.

But I didn’t answer. Quickly swinging around him, I pounded down the rest of the stairs. He immediately continued up to the next floor, his pace more urgent. He was getting my father.

I walked into the kitchen, spotting Marina at the sink. She turned her head, her eyes wide with surprise. “Hey.”

I walked to the back door, fumbling with the handle and the cages in my hands as I opened it.

“Let’s go,” I told her. “You’re coming with me.”

“What?”

I turned my head. “We don’t have time to debate. I’m not leaving you here.”

With my father or these men.

She wiped her hands on her apron, confusion etched all over her face. “I can’t leave.”

“You can,” I insisted. “You can come with me. This minute. Do you want to?”

Her mouth opened but no words came out. Her eyes darted down, then up, and I’d never seen her look more conflicted as she searched the room around her like it would give her the answer she needed.

But then she blinked and took a deep breath, ripping off her apron. I smiled.

We ran out of the house, leaving the door wide open, and I looked to make sure Will’s truck was still just past the tree line. He turned on his headlights.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” A bellow nailed me right in the back.

I stopped, squeezing my eyes shut. Fuck.

I heard a car door slam shut and opened my eyes to see Will out of his truck and making his way quickly over.

I looked at Marina. “Get in the Jeep.”

She nodded and walked ahead, not looking back.

I twisted around. My father stood in black pants and no shirt with about four men standing behind him. He was masking his snarl, but I could still make out a hint of it.

“Get a new cook,” I told him, clutching the faunariums. “And don’t get any more dogs. I’m extremely difficult to deal with.”

He laughed bitterly. And then he inched toward me, his men staying back.

“You’re not taking my shit,” he growled low.

I tipped my chin up. “Consider it my severance package,” I said. “And be thankful I don’t take more as payment for keeping my mouth shut about everything that goes on here.”

His gaze narrowed on me. He knew what he was capable of, and he knew I knew. But my father was a smart man, and he knew I wasn’t alone anymore. Was it worth the trouble?

A sick smirk curled his lips. “I heard about the episode at Kai’s house last night,” he said, biting out every word. “Tell your brother I want to see him. And if you fail to keep his behavior in check from here on out, I will have him hog-tied and dragged to Blackchurch. Without hesitation.”

I clenched my teeth together. Damon had come out of prison far more hateful and distanced from reality than he’d ever been growing up. The last threads of everything I loved about him were thinning. Blackchurch would make him an animal.