Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Gina was cognizant enough to realize Wave had saved her, but she couldn’t communicate properly. It was like her mouth wouldn’t form the words she wanted to say.
She heard them voice their concern about why she’d been taken. She wanted to tell them it was some key and a thumb drive that had something to do with money.
“What was that?” Wave asked her.
She must have said something, but she wasn’t sure what. She tried again, not sure what words she said that were decipherable and what was junk.
“You said key and thumb drive.” Wave’s voice seemed far away. “What kind of key would be with a thumb drive?”
“Crypto,” Cookie said.
She nodded, or she hoped she nodded. Everything was foggy and swirling, and she must have passed out for a moment because suddenly she was on a gurney being rolled into the ER. Cookie and Wolf were gone, and it was only Wave with her. He looked concerned.
Talking seemed impossible, then she saw a nurse pushing a drug into the IV drip that had been connected to her at some point, and everything seemed to feel much lighter as she drifted away.
When she came to, Wave was standing next to the bed, relief evident on his face.
“Hey, glad you are back. The doctor had to do a procedure. You’ve been out for a few hours.
” Then Wave lowered, moving his lips to her ear.
“The cops want to talk to you. Figure out how we found you. Just give vague answers until we have a chance to talk and you’re more awake. ”
She understood what he wanted from her. Had they done something illegal? Maybe they’d killed Pete. She hoped they had. If he was dead, she wouldn’t have to deal with his bullshit again. Pete was convinced she had something, but she didn’t have anything of his.
The next few minutes, or maybe it was an hour, passed by in a haze. The officers came in, and she talked, but played up the drug and pain-ridden angle, making sure not to give good answers.
She apologized multiple times, telling the officers she was in too much pain to think clearly. They seemed mostly satisfied by the time they left.
Wave came back in and told her that everything would be fine. He told her to sleep and that he would be back later. He needed to make sure Cass was okay. Mention of Cass made her clasp his hand tighter.
“Is she okay?”
He nodded. “She’s a bit shaken, but she’s fine.”
“I hope I get a chance to see her again.”
Wave leaned in and hugged her gently. “We’ll talk about that in the morning. I think you need to come to California with me when we leave.”
His suggestion shocked her, but she was thinking of leaving this hospital. She didn’t fit in here. It was a weird vibe, and she hadn’t made any close friends.
Wave kissed her forehead, then stepped back.
His smile warmed her, and she was glad they would have a chance to explore their relationship.
She’d been sad about the idea of never seeing him again.
Now it seemed like she would be moving with him.
Excitement and a little fear slid through her.
If it didn’t work out, she would go somewhere else, find a place to call home, and just get lost in her work.
Wave pulled up in front of the house, and the door flew open. He hated that Cass was still up, but she was young, and younger people bounced back more easily. Still, he wished she could get some rest.
“How is Gina?” Cass asked.
“She’s good. She will be okay.”
“Thank goodness.”
“How are you?” Wave asked as he stepped into the house, seeing the gang sitting around the kitchen table. “Thank you all for staying.”
Caroline gave him a hug. “We enjoyed spending the day with your sister. And we have plans for when you move.”
He shook Cookie and Wolf’s hands, then gave Fiona a hug. “Thank you all for your help.”
“Don’t mention it,” Wolf said.
Cookie put his arm around Fiona, pulling her close to his side. “Yeah, we were glad to help you.”
“If you all ever need anything, I’ll be there.”
Wolf chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”
They all chuckled, and more handshakes and hugs were passed around before they took off. He was alone with Cass. She dropped to the couch and stretched out, resting her head on the armrest.
“I’m exhausted.”
“I bet. Get some sleep. We’ll go see Gina in the morning.”
“Your friends are kind of amazing.”
Wave chuckled. “They are. Those guys are top-notch operators. They’re older now, but even with age, they’ve just gotten better. I’d trust them with my life. If they ever come to you and tell you to go somewhere, go with them. They are that trustworthy.”
Cass sat up, stretching her arms over her head. “I’m going to bed. We’ll pack stuff up tomorrow and get ready to leave.”
“I’m sorry today didn’t turn out great.”
Cass smiled and shook her head. “It’s something I’ll never forget. And I did enjoy most of the day, just not in the way I thought I would.”
He gave Cass a hug before she headed back to her room. Exhaustion pulled at him, and he was glad he’d sent out thank-you texts while Gina had been in surgery.
While he was brushing his teeth, he pulled up his email and made sure there wasn’t anything important he needed to look at. His email was clear, so he dropped into bed and fell asleep fast.
When he woke, he found an email from Thario, giving more details about Pete.
Gina was in real danger. This Pete guy had a huge trafficking and drug network.
The FBI had been after him for a while, but they didn’t have enough hard evidence to arrest him.
The current theory was that the woman who had taken the thumb drive was an informant.
She’d disappeared. Nothing good could come from Pete being after Gina.
She had to move with them. If she stayed here, her life would be in danger.