I nodded, and she handed me a glass of water.  I drank slowly and grimaced.  “Can you help me up?  I need a toothbrush.”

She nodded.

Setting the glass aside, I gripped her hand and slowly stood.  The gash on my stomach felt hot and tight.  It pulled a little.  I lifted my shirt and looked at it.  Neat little stitches ran along my skin where the cut had been.

“I did the best I could.  Luke insisted you did not want to go to the hospital.”

“Too dangerous,” I agreed, moving to my bag and grabbing my toothbrush.  The longer I stood, the more I could straighten up.  Still, I brushed my teeth, with a slight bend.  She stood near watching me closely.

“You really need to change into something clean.”

I spit, rinsed, and turned to face her. Her steady gaze met mine.  She seemed kind enough, but I couldn’t trust anyone. “Where’d Luke go?”  I doubted he’d actually listened to my muttered “go away.”

She stepped back to let me out of the tiny bathroom.  “He went to get the others.  They’ve been waiting for you.”

Just then the door to the room flew open.  Luke strode in followed closely by another man with short dark hair.

“What happened to my bike?” the newcomer demanded, looking ready to strangle Luke.

Two women followed the man.  The first one, olive skinned with dark hair, looked worried and the second one, a short blonde pixie, appeared slightly concerned.  A second man followed the group in.  I couldn’t see much of his face due to the dark hair hanging in his eyes and a full beard.  Still, his lips twitched as if he shared the amusement of the woman he followed.

“Emmitt,” the first woman said, laying a hand on his back.  Emmitt stopped his advance and glared at Luke, who ignored them all since his gaze was locked on me.  The worry in his eyes told me enough.

“Michelle, he trashed it.  It looks like he dumped it,” Emmitt said without turning to look at Michelle.  “Jim felt guilty enough that it was stolen. He won’t even look at me now.  You owe me an explanation,” he said, pushing Luke’s shoulder.

“Ah, there you are,” I mumbled.  “We were just talking about you.  You must be Peter Gibbons.”  Luke gave me a puzzled look and everyone else ignored me.  Obviously, they didn’t get the movie reference and had no idea how much I didn’t care about their drama at the moment.

Luke tore his gaze from mine.  “I don’t owe you anything,” he said.  “But if you ask nice, maybe I’ll tell you what happened so you can go running to daddy.”

Emmitt moved incredibly fast and grabbed Luke by the throat with a loose hold that allowed Luke to laugh.  Michelle paled.  I took a step forward.  That man’s neck was getting way too much attention lately by everyone but me.  Before I took another step, a hand clamped down on my shoulder, stopping me.

Luke reached up and knocked Emmitt’s hand aside.  Both started growling.

I looked back at Nana Wini and with a cold voice said, “Don’t touch me.”

Her eyes widened in shock and she immediately released me.  Neither Luke nor Emmitt paid me any attention until I stepped up to them and smacked them both in the chest.

“Stop.  Both of you.”

Luke immediately grew serious and backed up a step, while Emmitt’s jaw twitched.  He fought not to follow Luke’s retreat.

The shaggy man snorted slightly, and I arched a brow at him.  “Something to say?”

The woman standing in front of him flicked a glance back at him.  “He’d hoped to see Luke get his butt kicked.”

I turned to glance at Luke.  “Do you have any friends here?”

He grinned at me.  “Probably not.”

Sighing, I dropped my hand and looked at Emmitt.  “He did dump the bike. Several times.  Each time it was because we were being attacked.”  I slanted my head and eyed them all.

Emmitt turned his attention to me, his eyes sweeping me from head to foot.  His nostrils flared, and I knew he smelled the blood still very visible on my shirt.

“I would have been a lot worse off without him,” I commented acknowledging the truth.  If the Urbat would have found me first...  I cringed at the thought.

Emmitt sighed and nodded.  “It’s always my bike.” The dark haired woman patted his back with a slight smile on her face.

My eyes locked on her, and a memory triggered.  “Michelle,” I murmured.  One of my sisters.  The one who had the two brothers she’d tried to protect.  I wondered if she’d found a way.  She eyed me curiously, obviously wondering how I knew her name.  “We need to talk.”

My gaze drifted to the other one, her childlike face brought a sad pang.  “Thank you for sending him, Gabby.”  I glanced at Luke sheepishly.  “I wasn’t very cooperative at first.”

She smiled but didn’t get a chance to answer.

“Well, Little One, here she is.  Now what?” Luke said, impatiently.

My eyes narrowed at him.  Little one?  She had a pet name?

I looked back at Emmitt.  “I changed my mind.  Hit him.”  I turned away and went back to stand by Nana Wini who watched me with a slight tilt to her head.  Luke’s expression turned slightly pained as his eyes followed my progress.

“Bethi,” he said as the shaggy man laughed.

What did he have against Luke?

“Everybody out,” I said, then changed my mind.  “Except you two.”  I pointed at Michelle and Gabby.

“Why?” Emmitt asked casting a glare at Luke.

The shaggy man stepped forward enough to rest his hand on Gabby’s back.  Good.  She was taken.  I fought not to scowl at Luke again.  It explained why shaggy man didn’t like him.

“Because I need to talk to them.  In private.”

“This isn’t the place to do it then,” Gabby said.  “Too many sharp ears here.”

She was right.  I looked thoughtfully at the walls of the room.  They would only block so much from werewolf or Urbat ears.  I nodded in agreement. She turned and walked out the door.  The others followed with Emmitt giving Luke one last look of promised retribution.  Luke stayed and eyed me.  I wanted to stand straight but knew it would hurt too much, so I didn’t bother.

“Do you want me to carry you?” he asked quietly.

I snorted.  “No, you can save your heroics for Little One.”  Idiot.  I shuffled past him and heard Nana Wini follow.

The whole group wandered down a set of stairs, turned several corners and entered a small room.  Luke and Nana Wini followed. Everyone stood in the room, waiting around a table that filled the center of the room. I shook my head before Emmitt could close the door.

“Private means the three of us.”  Instead of looking at him, I looked at Gabby and Michelle.  “There are things we need to talk about.  Things no one else would believe,” I added.  Gabby looked a little wary but turned to meet her man’s eyes.  Shaggy-man’s lips turned down in a slight frown.  Emmitt didn’t look any happier.

“For Pete’s sake!  What do you think’s going to happen in here?”

“She’s right,” Michelle said with a small smile at Emmitt.  “We’ll be fine in here.  You should check on the boys.”

Emmitt leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips before turning to leave.  Her eyes never left him as he walked out the door.  The other woman turned to look at the shaggy man.  Neither spoke.  They just looked at each other.  Finally, he sighed, touched her cheek lightly, and exited.

The three of us turned our eyes on the remaining two.

Nana Wini met Michelle’s eyes.  “She has new stitches and should try not to pull them.”

“She’s right here,” I mumbled, sitting on one of the chairs.

Nana smiled at me and left.

“I’m not leaving,” Luke said softly.

Out in the hall I heard, “If he’s not leaving...”

“Just shut the door already,” I snapped.  Luke closed the door on a growl in the hall, his smirk annoying me.  He leaned against it, ensuring our privacy.

“I’m Bethi,” I said ignoring him.

“I’m Michelle,” Michelle said.  “How did you know my name?”