I didn’t say anything. My emotions were too raw, too fresh for that. Owen Grayson opened his mouth again, but the sound of a car engine cut him off. He got to his feet.

“I think your friend Finn is here,” he murmured.

Grayson held out his hand to me, but I didn’t take it.

Instead, I heaved myself to my feet, using my crude walking stick for support.

“You know you can lean on me if you need to.”

I shook my head. “No need. I’m fine.”

Again that small smile quirked his lips. “I think your definition of the word fine needs a serious overhaul.”

The sound of the engine grew louder. Whoever it was, they were in a hurry. A few seconds later, Finn’s Cadillac Escalade burst through the trees and skidded to a stop in front of us. The tires turned and threw mud all over me and Owen Grayson. I grimaced. A final, messy insult on what had been one hell of a night.

The SUV doors opened. Finnegan Lane stepped out first. His green eyes swept over me, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The other doors popped open, and Jo-Jo Deveraux got out of the car. So did Sophia. The three of them stood there by the vehicle just staring at me.

Finn looked flabbergasted, overjoyed, and stunned at the same time. Jo-Jo had a thoughtful, knowing look in her pale eyes I didn’t like. And Sophia, well, the Goth dwarf was actually smiling at me—as much as she ever smiled at anyone.

“Did you guys miss me?” I croaked.

33

33

There was a lot of hugging and crying. Finn did most of the hugging, gently putting his arms around me and squeezing as tight as he dared. Jo-Jo did most of the crying.

Tears ran down the dwarf ’s face as though her eyes were the epicenter of a waterfall. They quickly overpowered her waterproof mascara. Sophia remained stoic as always.

“How did you get out of that mountain?” Finn asked.

His green eyes kept sweeping over my body as if he still wasn’t quite sure that I was alive.

I opened my mouth to answer him when Jo-Jo cut me off.

“Later,” the dwarf said. “Look at the poor girl. We need to get her back to Warren’s so I can start working on her. Right now. Sophia, if you will, please.”

The Goth dwarf came over to me and scooped me up.

Her touch was far gentler than I’d imagined it could be, and she held me as though I were some delicate crystal statue she was afraid of breaking.

“I can walk,” I protested in a weak voice. “I’ve been doing it all night and day.”

“Which is why you’re going to rest now,” Jo-Jo said.