"Ash," he said quietly. Unafraid of her, he nonetheless knew when a wounded animal required a softer approach than he would usually consider. He crouched close enough to see her features, not about to touch her if she was close to exploding. "Ashley. Are you ready to leave?"
She shifted and lifted her head. Her eyes were haunted and her features tight. "He was here."
"Who?"
She wordlessly handed him the shoebox she'd been clutching. Jonny smelled the blood before he opened it and saw the severed hand. He nudged the top off the ring box next and observed the body parts before him, unaffected by the gruesome sight or knowledge they were pieces of her brother. He had hardened himself to violence and what his people were capable of.
"Do you think they can sew it back on?" she whispered.
"No, Ash, I don't."
She nodded as if expecting the answer. "We have to find him, Jonny."
"We will." In that moment, he was surprised to realize how serious he was. Brandon had been a side mission to him. One life wasn't going to outweigh the future of his vamps. Witnessing Ashley's tortured look, however, left him feeling cold inside.
"We better go." Gathering her knives, she pushed herself to her feet with effort.
Jonny rose as well. "You okay?"
"Does it matter?"
It shouldn't. "You're in shock, Ash."
"I'm just tired."
Jonny didn't argue. He had seen shell shocked vamps before, usually when they were new to the organization. Hell, he had spent his first two years in a state of shock and disbelief. Such phases normally didn't end well without intervention. Of everything he had on his plate, walking Ashley through this wasn't a task he had planned for.
"C'mon. Let's get back," he said and held out his hand.
Her gaze lingered on it. She put her weapons away and accepted his offer. Jonny Traveled back to the Virginia hideout and materialized outside of her room. She released him and pushed her door open.
"No chain tonight?" she asked acidly.
"Get cleaned up. I'll wait."
She didn't acknowledge him and slammed the door.
Jonny glanced down at the boxes he carried. He had a feeling tossing them wasn't something Ashley was ready for. Keeping them wasn't particularly appealing but neither did he blink at the thought of keeping severed body parts in his fridge. The smell was irritating, the scent of human blood detectable to his sensitive nostrils no matter where he stood in his suite.
He Traveled to the kitchen in his suite and left the boxes in the fridge before returning to Ashley's room.