19. Gwen
Gwen
GERMANY-SWITZERLAND BORDER
“Of course I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?” My voice trembles over the call with Elaina, but hopefully she doesn’t pick up on that.
I needed to hear for myself she’s doing okay.
“We’re about to arrive at the hotel now.
Just pulled up to the gate.” I swallow. “The trip to Dubai was, well, not what I expected.” That’s putting it mildly.
“Consider me happy to be home.” God, I hate lying to her, but she can’t know the truth.
“And you’re really happy to be back because Easton’s op is over, right? I assume he didn’t pull a Jesse-and-Ella and actually marry Zoey.”
Easton glances back at me from the front seat of the SUV, and I could die.
I take the call off the speaker. What was I thinking? Clearly, I was not. Haven’t done too much of that since I was abducted from Dubai.
Easton faces forward as Dad clears his throat, and Natasha pats my leg as if she understands how awkward that was for all of us.
“Dad also told me Easton’s moving back to the hotel. Well, Wyatt told him that, but please tell me it’s true. Because that’s good, right?” I can hear the excitement in her voice, but all it does is worsen my guilt. “I’ve been dying to talk to you since he gave me the news.”
Lying is one of my least favorite things to do on the planet, especially to people I love. “Yes,” I breathe out, my stomach squeezing as the fortified gates part for us to roll through. “He’s back.” I gulp. “I should probably go now, though. We’re here. Just, um, wanted to say hi.”
“You don’t sound as happy as you should be given the news.” She pauses. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Would I lie to you?” I lie.
Please don’t strike me dead, God. I’m sorry.
“Okay, well, something weird is going on here. Please don’t worry about me, though, you know I’ll be fine.
Dad is insane about my safety.” The fact she’s trying to protect me from worrying, the guilt is guilting even harder.
“Dad won’t give me details, but I assume it’s tied to a case with Bravo Team or something.
Lots of extra security. He’s being all weird and cagey.
So, I may not get a chance to chat again soon, but I’ll check in when I can. I love you.”
“Love you, too.” I end the call before I break down, shoving the mobile back at Dad.
He tugs it gently from my hand, knowing how damn hard that was for me. The things you do to protect those you love.
When the car rolls to a stop behind Carter’s escort in front of us, Dad unbuckles and twists in the back seat to face me. “You ready?”
It’s snowing out, but it’s not the cold air keeping me immobile in the back seat, wedged protectively between him and Natasha. Not even that call with Elaina. It’s knowing how many people are inside waiting for me. Maybe even a traitor amongst one of the guests.
I’m not sure I’m ready to go through the motions, even if I love everyone like they’re family.
I also have no plans of ever telling Mum and my brothers about what happened.
They live very far outside my special operations world.
There’s no sense in worrying them for no reason.
They’d never understand anyway. But given Jezebel knows about my family and my brother’s hospital, I’m relieved they have extra security just in case.
“Hey.” Dad again. Holding my hand. Worry dripping through his tone even in that one word. “We can stay here as long as you need to.”
Easton unbuckles and twists back. “Why don’t I go in and let my sister and the others know to give you some breathing room until you’re ready.”
“Thanks,” Dad answers for me since I’m still staring into Easton’s eyes, currently contemplating what shade of beautiful brown they are tonight.
“Did Carter give my room to Nash?” Easton opens his door, and I spot Carter, Julian, and the others already starting for the hotel.
“No, um, it’s still yours,” I tell him, and his eyes narrow. Relief? Surprise? I don’t know what, to be honest. A little of both probably.
Dad leans around me to look at Natasha, blocking my view of Easton as he exits the SUV, stealing my chance to make a decision on the color wheel of his irises. “Babe? You want to stay back, or?”
“I’ll give you two a minute,” Natasha answers as Easton shuts his door.
She unbuckles and pats our driver’s shoulder.
“Cam, can you walk me in and make sure I don’t slip?
” she adds in a teasing voice. “Take your time,” she whispers to me before getting out, and Cam takes hold of her arm, because he doesn’t want to deal with Dad’s wrath if Natasha falls on his watch.
Now it’s just the two of us. Our first time alone since this nightmare began. Did I just set myself up for a lecture? Bloody hell.
“I’m not going to say anything.”
Please don’t, especially not about Elaina’s marriage comment about E and Zoey. I remove my belt and face him.
At least Cam left the engine running so we won’t freeze our arses off out here. We may be a bit.
“Just don’t tell me I’m never allowed to be alone again.” I half shrug, half smile. “Or blame yourself for anything.”
He rubs his palms up and down his jeaned legs. “This is why I chose silence.”
“Only”—I wait for his eyes to find mine before I smile and point out—“you just talked.”
“Smartass,” he teases, and it’s good to see him grin, even if it’s just for a second. “I do want you getting checked out at some point tonight before you sleep. Carter has a medical team here, right?”
I turn and look out the window at the snow swirling in the breeze, the hotel lights lining the pathway to the front fuzzy through my tired eyes. “I’m fine. Seriously.”
“Good, and as soon as a medical expert tells me that, I’ll feel better.”
No point in arguing with the man. I rest my forehead against the cool window and palm the glass by my cheek, shutting my eyes. “What if they do go after Elaina? Or that woman uses—”
“Liam will never let anyone near his family. Like I should have done.”
I jerk my head upright. “Don’t. Go. There.”
He ignores me, asserting, “And nothing that woman does with your laptop will be your fault. You hear me?”
“Yeah, well, the helo accident wasn’t Easton’s fault, and he didn’t listen. And me being taken from the hotel wasn’t yours, and you won’t listen, either. Why do you both expect me to do what you two won’t?”
“One of my main jobs as a father is to protect you, and I failed. Easton . . . well, he didn’t fail. He made the right call having you up on the bird with him on that op. There was no other choice. I told him that months ago. He’s just stubborn and won’t—”
“Listen, exactly,” I grunt. “But my job was to protect everything on my rig, and that woman faked me out with that AI video, and I handed over everything to her. I failed. And the only way I forget that fact is when . . .” I let my words go, realizing I almost admitted to him that Easton calms my mind in a way I don’t yet understand.
Dad takes hold of my chin like I’m five. “You’re going to work this case whether I want you to or not, so that means you’re going to have to accept you did what you had to do and none of us blame you. Nor does your grandfather or POTUS. No one.”
One lonely tear falls, and he releases my chin to catch it with his thumb.
“They could have tortured you for information, and you would’ve said no. She knew the only way to get you to talk was to hurt other people.” He lightly shakes his head. “You’re my daughter, all right.”
“As if there was ever a question.” I sigh. “Well, once we met, at least.”
Dad tugs me over and wraps me in a bear hug, one where I can barely breathe, and from the sounds of it, he’s crying. And when this big, tough guy cries . . . forget about it, I’m done.
After we pull ourselves together and act like we didn’t just get all emotional—because we’re Brits, and we try not to wear our hearts on our sleeves—we finally make our way into the hotel and stop outside Carter and Diana’s suite door. I’m guessing everyone else is already gathered inside.
“Are you sure you want to do this? I thought you wanted to wait?” Dad asks as we remain in the hallway.
It’s suddenly way too hot in here, so I unzip the jacket Dad forced me to put on before deplaning. “Changed my mind.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “I’m exhausted, so I want to see everyone before that quick checkup so I can sleep.”
“Tash and Emory can sleep in your guest bedroom, and I’ll take your couch. I don’t want you alone.” That wasn’t a question. Knew the man would never let me out of his sight again.
Ugh. “Yeah, okay.” I jerk a thumb toward the door. “Any word when Sebastian and his wife are returning? I haven’t seen Holly in a while. And what about Nash?”
“They just wrapped up that op in Dublin. Nash should be back in a day or two. Sebastian and his family are heading to one of their hotels in France for a few days. He knows to increase security in case this thing extends beyond Falcon.”
Dad pushes his hands into his fleece jacket pockets, and his brows pinch in confusion. He removes my charm bracelet, and based on the look on his face, he forgot he put it in there in the first place.
I push my jacket sleeve up. “Mind clasping it back on for me?” And I’m not sure why I’m getting all emotional again, dang it, but I sniffle as he quietly puts it back on my wrist.
I fidget with the charms, then pull my sleeve over the bracelet and inhale one of the deepest breaths of my life. Once I let it go, I give Dad the signal to knock, as if I’m incapable of doing it myself.
I close my eyes.
Here. We. Go.
While Diana squeezes me to death in the middle of the living room, I check out Easton over her shoulder.
He’s near the kitchen area talking with his sister, nephew, and Constantine.
And he’s also cradling his baby niece, Illiana.
Holding a baby is a much better sight than remembering that knife in his hand.