Chapter 16

Tsugi and Jeeves were sitting at the table when Red and Darwin returned, empty plates before them. Lester must have made everyone wait for the Alpha. Jeeves was already scuffling unhappily, and he cast a baleful look their way when the door opened.

"Imma starve to death."

"Simmer on down, Jeevesie, ya are not. Christ." Lester opened the oven and drew out the warm platters of food, piling his little brother's plate high. Red, feeling a little guilty, sat down on the floor to tug off her boots before making her way to an empty seat at the table. Tsugi poured her some wine, looking past her at Darwin. And Darwin met the Asian woman's eyes. He nodded once, some signal that passed between them. Red didn't know what it meant. She lowered her head to her plate and waited as Lester served her too. Bones on his fingers, those sleek tattoos that had to mean something very intimate and serious. Red touched his hand, and he paused.

"I'll be going with Darwin. To Tennessee on his trip. Do you think you'll be able to find my sister before I return? Even a rough estimate of her location." Worry prickled in her chest.

"Ain't a problem, like I said. I already got a good lead on her whereabouts, thanks to the info ya gave to Darwin." Lester replied, and put a few extra spoonfuls of mashed potatoes onto Jeeves's plate before sitting down. "I don't know who it was that made the decision, but it looks as though your Glory was dumped off at a Catholic shelter for special needs orphans. Didn't even know such a thing existed. Reckon she survived the ordeal just fine, but it sure as hell wasn't where you wanted her, now was it. Too exposed. An' if this ex o' yours is really as savage a customer as ya said, he'll be hot on her trail in no time too. I was gonna wait until after supper to have a word with you about it. Might as well do it now."

Red couldn't believe her ears. "You FOUND her?! That fast? Lester…" but it was to Darwin that she looked, stunned. The Tremor leader grinned as he reached for the salt shaker in front of him.

"Told you we were damn good at what we do, Red."

Lester took a sip of wine and continued, unfolding his napkin and laying it across his lap with incongruous fastidiousness. "I said 'was'. She ain't there no more. The woman I spoke to on the phone said that Glory was too wild to control. She bit, she clawed, she took to hoardin' food under her bed an' wouldn't come out for days. She refused to wear shoes, she pulled the hair of the other gals if they messed with her. I believe the good Mother Superior was kinda at wits' end with the dear angel. Called her a 'little animal'."

"Oh my God!"

"Hang on now. Lemme finish. Glory took off late one night out the window, scrambled away with a pillow case full o' food, the offertory box from the sanctuary, an' the clothes on her back. That's the last they heard of her there. But a fella at the bus station remembers her. Tiny little thing, all curls an' big dark eyes, he said. She payed in small bills an' loose change for a one-way ticket to Amarillo, Texas. So she's down there now, someplace. Got herself as far from the nuns as she could, seein' as they were in Brighton, New Jersey. After that the trail went cold. An' I needed to get the bread outta the oven anyhow."

Red's mind was reeling. She reached beside her and found Tsugi's hand already inching toward hers.

"It will be alright." Tsugi told her gently, "Lester's going after her. If anyone in the world can find her, he can."

"Texas." Red repeated faintly. Her chest hurt.

They ate in silence for a little while as the inevitable storm rolled in from over the hills. Red pushed the food around on her plate with her fork, blinking back tears. Glory. Her little feisty sister, pillowcase in hand, sitting on some plastic bus seat on the way to a state so huge it seemed certain to swallow her up. Should she really be going to Tennessee with her only real relative out there lost someplace, an unspeakable brute possibly following her? If Lester could find out this much, it was a dead certainty that Ahmed could.

"I don't want to fail her again. Darwin, do you think we could postpone your trip until after she's found?"

"No, Red. No, I can't put it off. We got work to do, this family makes its income by engagin' in jobs like this. Leave it to Lester. I don't think there's a person alive who would be better suited to findin' her at this point. He knows what he's doin'."

"I just…alright. Ok. When are you leaving, Les? I don't want anyone else to get to her first."

Lester glanced up at the clock, narrowing his eyes.

"Reckon in about two hours. Eat yer peas, Red. They ain't real tasty cold."

And that was that. In an agony of hope, Red spent the next two hours helping to wash and put away the dishes, clean up the kitchen and make a pile of sandwiches for the trip. Lester vanished into the back bedroom to fetch his things, including an assortment of weaponry should he run into trouble. Dear God, don't let him run into trouble. Tsugi helped him, and Jeeves paced like a caged animal in the living room until he could hug his brother goodbye and make him promise to come back safely. Red stayed in the kitchen. She was just spreading mayonnaise on the final slice of bread when Tsugi leaned around the corner of the hallway.

"Lester would like to see you in the bedroom." She said gently. Red handed her the knife and nodded.

"Ok. Tsugi? Do you think he'll find her? This seems so strange. He pinpointed her location at the convent thing pretty fast."

Tsugi bit her lip, seemingly about to answer, then shook her head.

"He'll speak to you about it in person. Go. You don't keep a Tremor man waiting a moment longer than you have to. I'll finish packing his lunch for tomorrow."

The door was open when Red came down the hall. Lester was dressed fully in black, and he wore a handgun in a shoulder holster. Another gun was snapped into a holster on his belt, a long hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He straightened up from lacing on one combat boot. They faced one another for a moment. Then he gestured to the door.

"Close it."

She did as she was told. Breathe, Red. You pansy. Breathe. Maybe he's always this well armed.

"Why do you have so many weapons, Lester? She's not going to fight you if she knows that you know me. Just tell her my name. Give her this, it's our mother's ring…"

He took it and tucked it into his pocket, his expression grave.

"This ain't about whether she fights me or not, Red. Now just let me talk, alright? I looked into the names you had this afternoon. Went right down the list, every single one."

There was a clot of fear in Red's throat. She swallowed hard, suddenly shaking. Before he even spoke, she knew what he was going to say.

"A-and?"

A muscle twitched in Lester's jaw. He stepped closer, his hands on her shoulders. "Dead. At least three of 'em. Pretty soon it'll be all, I'd imagine. Ya gave us five numbers, Red. Five people to go through while lookin' for clues. I found two widows an' one member of the Boston police department who answered a dead man's phone an' was real keen on knowin' who I was. I hung up. My cell is military grade, it ain't traceable. But before I did, I got outta the cop that it was one hell of a messy murder. That was your cousin, shot in the back of the head execution-style. The friend he shuttled Glory off with was murdered, shot in the back of the head as well. Same with the next friend. There's two folks left on that list. The one I contacted told me about the Catholic shelter. He'd delivered Glory there himself. I told him, friendly advice, to get the hell outta there. Run. Hide. An' I told him to call whomever it was that was supposed to collect Glory from the shelter an' tell them to get gone as well. He paused a real long time, then said 'That's Kimmy. My girlfriend's sister. She was supposed to get Glory in a week. I haven't heard from her.' Red…your ex is hot on the heels of your kid sister. I don't know what kinda madness you got yourself caught up in, but it's a whole lot worse than you led us to believe."

The color drained from Red's face, and her knees suddenly felt weak. Slowly, she sat down on the edge of the bed. Lester turned to toss a pair of gloves and a pack of batteries into his open duffel bag. "Relax. It ain't like there's any kinda danger out there that Imma back down from. Your ex is real dangerous. Alright. Duly noted."
He zipped the bag closed and placed one tattooed hand under Red's chin, tilting her face up to look at him. And his blue eyes were stern and kind. "So am I."

Red slowly rose to her feet and just leaned against him, hiding her face in the black fabric of his shirt. Smelling Aspen and Irish Spring soap and clean skin. Insane, fearless, bizarre, psychotic, weird Tremors. She was falling hard for Darwin, fascinated to the point of obsession. It terrified her. Jeeves was sweet and immense and violent, the bi-polar bear.

And this Tremor now, this strangely gentle Tremor holding her… She leaned back and touched Lester's cheek. "I never thanked you. For, you know. That first night. My leg and all. And for everything else you've done."
"Hell, you don't need to thank me. Just quit getting' into trouble, dammit. I got better things ta do than keep on savin' your ass."
"You're all bark. No bite." Red told him fondly.
Lester sighed, then took her hand in his and kissed its palm. A gesture she found touching. Foreshadowing, perhaps, of what was to come. "I bite plenty hard, woman. Believe me. Pray ta God you never have to see any of us in action. It ain't the kinda thing a soft gal such as yourself should have to witness. Now c'mon, enough talk. I gotta get movin', we're racin' against the clock."
"Understood. Please call often, whenever you can. Let me know as soon as you have her. And please keep her safe. Keep yourself safe."
Lester looked at her, tilting his head slightly, and an expression flickered across his features for a moment. Amusement, possibly. Or maybe he was touched by her concern. He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and rested his hand on the door, and Red hugged him one last time. "Should I do anything? While I wait, I mean?"
"Yeah," he replied, opening the door, "Stay close ta Darwin. Do what he tells ya. You think I'm headed into danger? Heh. You just wait'll ya see where you're goin', darlin'."

"This is supposed to make me feel better?!"

He chuckled, and cupped her cheek with one hand. "That ain't what I was aimin' for, Red. Not exactly known for givin' empty comfort. It's a rough world, especially for us. Kinda why we got some o' the rules we do. Stay calm, if that's somethin' you even know how to do. An' listen to Darwin. Always listen to him, that man'll keep you alive. I'm kinda shocked that he's trustin' you enough to go with him on this, seein' as y'all just met. But I agree with his assessment. You don't seem to possess the skill to be a government spy. An' I checked with my sources about your story too. Looks like you were tellin' the truth about most of it."

Red swallowed hard, suddenly unable to meet that keen blue gaze.

"You….ok. So you studied up on me. A little. And you learned some things about my past. You could have asked."

"Yeah. We've seen where that gets us." Lester stepped into the hall and glanced back at her. "Imma be a week, maybe. Hopefully less but let's not get carried away. I will check in at every available opportunity."

"God, thank you." She whispered, feeling the tension in her chest ease just slightly, He certainly did seem more than capable. Lester nodded once, and then vanished down the hallway. Red slowly lowered herself down onto the end of the double bed again, listening to him say his farewells to the rest of the family, to his wife. Were they upset with her for arriving in their lives and causing Lester to go on an errand this potentially dangerous? No one had acted upset yet, but Red knew from experience that sometimes people hid their feelings.

After a little while the door to the outside opened and closed, and a few moments later Tsugi came into the bedroom. She smiled warmly at Red, which somewhat eased her fears.

"I'm so sorry about all of this. Your fiancé is a great human being. You think he'll be alright out there?"

Tsugi opened the dresser drawer and pawed through it, selecting a pair of pajamas. Deep indigo silk, the finest sleepwear Victoria's Secret had to offer. She began to change, exposing an intricate lotus blossom tattooed on the small of her back. Red couldn't help noticing that she was flawless, singularly flawless right down to her toes.

"He always comes back. Sometimes injured, but always alive. They all do. Their father trained them to survive, if nothing else." Tsugi's face clouded for a moment, a rare show of anger.

"You don't like their father." Red guessed, and the other woman shook her head.

"I'd put a katana through his throat without a moment's reflection if it weren't for Darwin staying my hand. The old man lives not far from here, in a trailer on the property. You probably won't see him much. Les brings him food and beer a few times a month and he doesn't visit the house very often at all. The fact that Darwin lets him live here at all after the way he raised them all is something of a mystery to me. I guess Tremor loyalty runs deep in the blood."

Red didn't know what to say to this. She'd never been particularly close to her own parents. Only her sister. She looked around at the books on the shelves to distract herself from the knot in her gut, marveling at the diversity of the titles just as she did the first night she'd come here.

"Does Darwin read, too?"

"Voraciously. He's got a wide range of knowledge. Not much to do when you lead a secretive life except train and read in between jobs. You'd find Darwin's library in the basement and living room, though. He mostly keeps his equipment in his bedroom." Tsugi began buttoning up her pajama top, smiling slightly at Red. "But you'd already know that, wouldn't you?"

"Oh God, does everyone know?"

"In a family this small? Oh yes. I would imagine even Fritz knows you're here."

Red tugged a nature book off the shelf, flipping it open and looking at the black and white photos inside. Edwin Way Teale. A Walk Through the Year. She held it up.

"I need some distraction, do you think Les would mind if I borrowed his book?

Tsugi smiled and came over to look at it with her, and the Asian woman's arm slid around her shoulders. "He wouldn't mind at all. In fact, why not settle in the living room after your bath and read to Jeeves for a little while? He loves to be read to, and it would show Darwin that you're fearless and willing to help. Please don't worry about Jeeves, no matter what you've heard. He's been through so much, and he's such a big sweet man. He just needs to be handled carefully, the same way you'd approach a bull."

"Or a bear. He reminds me so strongly of a huge, moody bear."

Tsugi smiled and opened another drawer, bringing out one of Lester's pajama tops and a pair of sweat pants. "Get comfortable. Help yourself to anything you find in the bathroom, lotions or creams or soap. Come on out when you're ready. I'll sit with him until then. Listen, I know you probably have some questions about this trip you'll be taking with Darwin. I've gone on similar trips, I know what you're headed into. He's having you come with him for a reason. I'll share all my own memories of my past trips with you this evening when the boys have gone to bed."

Red had stopped feeling anxious about the trip, so distressed was she over the information about her sister. She nodded and slipped into the bathroom with the pajamas.

In the mirror, Red looked at herself. Her wild mess of curly hair, her hazel eyes, her pale cheeks and the soft shadows under her eyes. But God, she looked so much healthier than she did before. A truck started up outside, and headlights flashed on the pine trees beside the driveway as Lester drove off to find Glory…God, she hoped he would. And what was there to do now? Pray? She wasn't sure she even believed in any kind of higher power now. Not after all of this. She hugged herself, slowly sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, and stared at the floor. Tennessee seemed like a hell of a commitment when her sister's safety was in jeopardy. She was just working up a good froth of worry and fear when there was a brief tap on the door, and Tsugi's voice.

"Red? I brought you a few candles. Would you like them? I always love candlelight with my baths, and I thought you might too."

Drying her eyes hastily, Red turned and plugged the drain, then spun the taps to get the hot water started. "Uh…yes! Yes, that would be lovely. Come on in. You've seen me in my underwear before, after all. Might as well get the full picture."

She kept her tone light, trying to look strong even if she didn't feel it. As the door opened, Red peeled off her borrowed shirt and folded it up more or less neatly, laying it on the counter beside the sink. She stuck her hand in the stream of water coming from the tap to make sure it was warm enough. Tsugi slipped in with two lit candles, her hair shining in the warm yellow glow from them. She flashed a soft smile, mysterious and beautiful as ever.

"You've been brooding. I knew you would be the moment you left the room."

"Am I that transparent?"

"As glass." Tsugi knelt by the bathtub and felt the water too, then opened a cabinet beneath the sink and withdrew a plastic jug of bubble bath. She added a few capfuls to the running stream and swished it around with her hands, calm and efficient. Just like her fiancé. Red got in and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest and sighing in contentment.

"Take care of Bandit while I'm gone?"

"Of course. Although I think Jeeves will be the one mainly looking after him. He's positively smitten. Don't worry about a thing here at home while you're off with Darwin nothing will happen. This is a haven from the rest of the world, a good place to hide and to relax and let your guard down a little. I know you're still getting used to the idea that such a place exists. But it does, and you're here."

Red nodded, holding her peace for the moment. Maybe Tsugi was right. Maybe all of this worry was doing nothing to help the situation and it was a complete waste of her energy. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and just soaked up the heat. The comfort. The sweet scent of the bubble bath and the drowsy vanilla fragrance of the candles. When she turned her head and looked at the beautiful Asian woman kneeling by the tub, humming softly to herself and soaping a cloth, she was struck by the quiet, rustic grace of this moment in time. The honey colored wooden cabinet behind her, the faded roses and cream wallpaper, a holdover from the 70's. Real silvered mirror on the wall, foggy with the steam. Square of glass paned window, wood latticework painted white like the sill, cloud-troubled sky beyond and the distinctive shapes of oak leaves waving in the autumnal breezes.

And Tsugi. Amazing, wonderful, compassionate Tsugi who saved her life and let her stay and fed her and got the brothers to listen to her and want to protect her instead of kill her. A sheet of deep rich black hair, shimmering with glossy highlights down across her slim shoulders. Almond eyes full of peace and knowledge and the determined look of one who knows well how to walk into a hard life and make it soft.

"I love you people." Red said suddenly, apropos of nothing. Tsugi smiled.

"I think the feeling is becoming mutual."

An hour later, bath finished and warmly attired in borrowed sleepwear, Red settled down on the sofa next to a grinning Jeeves and opened the book in her hands. Bandit lay on the floor in front of the fireplace, belly full and drowsily purring. Darwin was in his bedroom, packing, and Tsugi was in helping him with the task. Red wondered if that was all they were doing, with Lester gone for the night. Was another 'pile of dynamite' going to go off? She wondered why she should care. She wondered where Lester was, exactly, where Glory was. And she tried to shut off all the wondering and just be still and present with the gentle bulk of the youngest Tremor sagging the sofa beside her.

"I like stories." He told her happily, his large hands folded placidly on his muscled tummy.

Red forced a smile, forced herself to punch away the negative feelings that crowded her mind and just look into those big blue eyes and concentrate on the kindly giant. This was the new normal. Right here. The man she was falling for was in the back room with another woman. Uneasiness and terror over what was to come settling cold and hard in her gut. Love and fear and even sorrow mixed with hope, comfort and discomfort. But over all of it hope. This was life now. And damn it, she was going to make herself get used to it all. They'd trusted her, brought her inside, fed her and her cat. They'd asked nothing of her but to follow the rules and preserve the family order. They were going to find her sister. Protect them both. It seemed a blessing. It was time to give in completely and let this new reality do with her what it would. Her hatred of letting down her guard, of intimacy, of closeness…she needed to fight it down. Even though she didn't feel like it. Even though it still made her scared. There was something ironically nonthreatening about Jeeves. Time to join the cult.

Red turned to him with a kind smile, then reached out and put her hand on his thigh.

He startled a little, almost flinching from the unexpected touch, and didn't seem to know what to do. "Uh…hey." He patted her hand gingerly. She awkwardly kissed his cheek, feeling completely reluctant and scared. She wanted to get this over with. It was what they expected, right?

Jeeves watched her, frozen in place, looking just as wary as she felt.

"You…uh…got your hand on ma' leg." He told her, looking down at the five interloping digits as though he'd never seen a human hand on his leg before.

"I know. I thought it would be a good way to…to start." She sounded as nervous as he did. As reluctant. Taking a deep breath, she crawled over and climbed into his lap. He blinked, not moving. Then, so awkwardly it was almost comical, he put his arms around her and patted her back. Like a high school kid trying to learn how to dance. She leaned in and kissed him. And he kissed her back shyly, then lowered his eyes and sighed.

"But you don't even know my favorite colors an' what I like on my toast best an' what kinds of things I think about an' what my favorite holiday is or any of that. How can you wanna kiss me an' start anything at all if you don't know all that? Doesn't it matter?"

It took Red by surprise, this response, and shot her through with shame. "I…I don't know. I mean, it does matter. It should matter. I just thought that maybe….I mean, the Blood Oath and all…isn't this what…."

She trailed off. Jeeves tilted his head, quizzically. Then he took her hand in his huge paws and kissed the palm.

"This ain't how it works. An' you don't have to do all these thangs in order to be accepted. When Bandit came into your life, you didn't make him do stuff he didn't want to. You just fed him an' accepted him. Red, we ain't gonna do what all them other men did to you. Understand? This is Tremorland. Darwin is a lotta thangs. He ain't a bad man, not like you known before." He gently eased her off his lap, and settled her beside him. "An' neither am I. So how about a story?"
Red sat still for a few seconds, her heart filled to overflowing. Then she threw her arms around the gentle giant beside her, hugging him tightly.
"Jeeves…."
He chuckled warmly.
"Story time. An' don't you worry anymore. Not about your little sister, especially. Or your kitty. Imma take care of him real well while you're off with Dar. An' Lester's gonna find…what's her name again?"
Red wiped her misty eyes on the back of her hand, feeling warmed to the core.

"Glory," she said, smiling a little finally. "Her name is Glory."

Jeeves smiled back, tilting his head slightly to the side. His large blue eyes twinkled.

"Glory. Thass a real nice name. Glory. I bet she's somethin' else."

Red gave a little laugh. "You have no idea."

She read to him. And when Tsugi reappeared in the living room, looking composed and beautiful, Red looked up at her and didn't feel the jealousy and anger she'd expected to feel. All she wanted was to go in there and see Darwin. Feel his hand on her back. Listen to the sound of his voice.

"Is he all packed?"

Tsugi nodded. "Packed and ready to go. I also packed your bag with some of the items he bought for you. And some shampoo, soap, your makeup and perfume."
"Wait, what? What do you mean stuff he bought for me?" Red was nonplussed, shocked at the idea that he would go shopping for her.

"Exactly that. Things he went into town and picked out and paid for and brought home just for you. Clothing, mostly. And boots, and a coat. Looks like you've made a favorable impression on him, and that's no easy task. Believe me. It took me quite awhile to gain his trust, let alone the privilege of getting presents from him. Not that he trusts you just yet." But she was smiling.

Red got to her feet and handed the book to Tsugi, who sat down beside Jeeves and fondly stroked a few strands of hair out of his eyes. She picked up where Red had left off, reading to the big man with the childlike grin, while Red headed down to see Darwin.

He was standing in front of the open closet, shirtless, a potential top in each hand, sniffing at one and then the other. When Red rapped lightly on the door frame he turned and casually held them both out.

"Hey, which one of these stinks the least? Kinda want to dress up for the trip, figured you deserved to see me at my best."

"Wow, getting all fancy just for me? I hardly know how to contain my excitement." She replied drily, and smelled both shirts just for the hell of it. Old Spice and just a little sweat, motor oil, pine sap and a faint aroma of the fabric softener Lester favored. She shook her head.

"They're both fine, which you probably already knew."

Darwin grinned and tossed one shirt back into the closet, pulling the other on over his head.

"Hell yeah, just figured you'd like to see me topless."

"God you're arrogant."

"Least I can back it up, sweetheart. Now look, there on the end of the bed. That green duffle bag is yours. Got you some things."

Red tentatively unzipped the top and pawed through the contents, feeling a lump in her throat. Clean fresh socks, jeans in her size, some pretty tops, a few dresses, boots, and the toiletries that Tsugi had packed. She looked up at Darwin, and was again struck by how blue his eyes were. She struggled to form words without getting all sappy.

"You didn't have to…I mean, I'm grateful for all of this, but you've done so much already. I feel a little shy now. Dammit, are my cheeks changing color? I feel like they might be. Yep, definitely changing color. Well shit. Can you maybe not look at me right now? No? Ok, I'll just not look at you, how's that." But she kept looking at him anyway, and he tilted his head. Amused.

"You really are a train wreck, darlin'. That amuses the hell outta me. Grab your bag, let's head out to the car. I'd like to put some miles behind us before we stop for the night. Les leave already?"

Red nodded, slowly zipping the bag shut again and slinging the strap over her shoulder.

"Good. He's a hell of a human being, Red. You got not a damn thing to worry about, that's a promise. The man never fails."

She was touched by the quiet pride in his voice. For all his annoying traits and his ego and his violence…here was a man who truly loved his family.

A family that she was now more or less a part of. Somehow.