96
EMERSYN
I stepped out of the SUV and the harsh northern wind cut through my clothes.
I inhaled the wildness of it and let it sink into my bones.
We’d just spent the last twenty-four hours traveling.
First by SUV convoy, then on a large transport aircraft, and finally another long drive to get to the staging area my father’s team had constructed.
It was on the coast of the mainland, as close to the island as we could get, which was roughly thirty-six hours by boat.
There were a few large tents constructed in a small, cleared space between the trees. Through which I caught a glimpse of the boat we’d be taking the rest of the way. I stopped and stared, because honestly, at what point did a boat become a ship?
I heard Nyx’s voice as he spoke to Atlas behind me.
“When I said I wanted to go out on the boat,” Nyx said. “I meant it more romantically than tactically.”
Knight whistled low in appreciation. “That’s your boat?”
My father chuckled. “That’s the boat.”
The boat was a stunning piece of work that bobbed ominously in the water of a small cove. It was the size of a yacht really—all matte black and geared out for tactical operations. There wasn’t a single piece of chrome anywhere.
There was an empty landing pad on the stern where the helo would go, and the whole thing looked fast and lethal. The boat would get us the rest of the way to the vicinity of the island and be used as our launch point.
My father clasped Knight on the shoulder. “If you’re nice to me I’ll let you drive it.”
“I’m always nice to you!” Knight exclaimed. “Remember that time I took you in when you looked like a crazed mountain man and were being followed by two homeless men?”
“Hey!” Nyx exclaimed. “That’s offensive.”
“In all fairness, we were homeless,” Atlas shrugged.
After admiring the yacht, I followed the team into one of the tents where everyone broke off to see to last minute details. Kaelin grabbed a tablet and headed over to a table where two massive military drones sat, being tinkered with by a few members of the team.
Knight slapped a hand onto Griffin’s shoulder. “Come on, man, let’s go check over the explosives.”
The rest of us surrounded a table in the center of the room, and I couldn’t hold back an exclamation of awe. It was an insanely detailed topographic map of the island complete with a model of the estate perched on a mini cliff.
“Courtesy of Atlas and Kaelin,” my father said.
“Wow—it’s very accurate.”
“Thanks to your intel,” he said. “And a lot of additional drone footage.”
I scanned the map and jerked my head at the Menagerie. “Do we have a plan to get the women out of there?”
My father nodded, but it was an unfamiliar voice behind me that answered.
“That’s where we come in.”
I turned to see a group of five men I didn’t know enter the tent.
My father shook the hand of the one who’d spoken. “King. Thanks for coming.”
“Of course, boss.” The man turned piercing eyes my way. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Emersyn, this is King and his team,” my father said. “They work for Northern Tactical’s European sector. They assisted us on a few raids searching for you, and are going to focus primarily on freeing the Menagerie and any other trafficked survivors we find.”
“I’m glad to see you home safe, Emersyn,” King said. “We will do whatever we can to help here.”
“Now that you’re all here, we’ll go over your part of the operation,” my father moved around the table. “Em, will you stay and assist? There may be some additional information you can share with them that could help.”
I spent the next hour listening to my father brief King’s team on their role in the upcoming operation. I gave them a few key pieces of information, but otherwise stayed silent.
Once they left, I frowned down at the map.
This should have felt like any other operation.
But, I realized it didn’t. It all seemed to carry more weight to me than Riggs and the crew I used to run with.
I hadn’t realized that until an ache in my gut demanded that I acknowledge how high the stakes were.
My father came and stood beside me, his shoulder touching mine in silent support.
“You ready for this?” He asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
He let the silence deepen, seeming to know I had more to say.
“When I was running with my last crew,” I said slowly. “It never really felt like this.”
My father tilted his head, and I waved my hand around at the people.
“This is—family,” I fought to explain what I felt. “My crew before was definitely not that.”
He seemed to know what I was getting at because he nodded. “It makes it harder. Sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes it makes it easier.”
I smiled dryly. “Well, that makes sense.”
He returned the smile and faced me fully. “Getting to operate next to someone you know intimately—their strengths, their weaknesses—that is something special and what ends up creating a powerful team.”
“But, you have more to lose.”
He studied my face, his eyes the color of hard steel. “Yes.”
He put his hands on my shoulders, and I felt an overwhelming surge of love and protectiveness from him.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said fervently. “None of these people are going to let anything happen to you.”
“I’m not worried about me,” I said. “What if—”
He shook his head. “No. I just got you back, Em. We’re going to make Mahoney pay, and then we’re going to spend the next year doing all the things we never got a chance to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like fishing, or maybe that hunting trip we never got to take.”
“It’ll be winter.”
“Ice fishing then.”
I laughed softly. “Okay.”
He sighed heavily. “And, then of course we have the holidays.”
“Do you decorate the house?” I asked tentatively.
A sad look crossed my father’s face and he shook his head. “It reminded me too much of what I’d lost. But, ever since Kaelin came into the picture she’s taken over. Now, Christmas is—” A strange look of amusement mixed with annoyance appeared in his eyes. “Festive chaos.”
Excitement gripped me. “Can we cut down a tree this year?”
I don’t think my father trusted his voice, because all he did was nod and then pull me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug and made sure to savor every second.
He kissed the top of my head. “I love you.”
The words, long unused, stuck in my throat. “I love you too.”
I pulled back just enough to look up at him. “Does this mean you’ve decided to give Albatron time?”
His lips thinned and a sharp look entered his eyes. A chill crept under my skin—this was the dangerous man who’d spent years going after the people who’d wronged him. The power that emanated from him was enough for me to be thankful that I was one of those he fought for.
“It’s not just because he asked for it,” he said. “We need time too.”
I nodded and sank back into his arms, not ready to let him go just yet.
I wanted another minute in the arms that I’d dreamt about.
I wanted another minute to trick myself into thinking I was safe again.
But, mostly, I wanted another minute where it was just the two of us—back together again—for as long as the universe allowed.