this was going to
be over soon.
He just hoped he lived to
see his family again.
Chapter 12
Jack pulled Hayley into a
hug and sat back on the sofa, and Eli sat opposite, watching him for signs of a
breakdown probably. Carol hovered at the door, having taken care of the twins
and Max, and the Feds sat at the table with cell phones silent and laptops
open. Robbie had left a while back; he, Vaughn, and Liam still had chores, and
horses waited for no kidnapping.
Someone gave him a whiskey,
Eden. She placed it in his hand, then resumed her seat curled up next to Jack
holding his other hand. Sean and Riley’s mom were in the kitchen making food, and
Riley’s dad was on the phone to the legal department at Hayes.
“We can get ten within an
hour,” Jim announced to the room. The Feds glanced up at him, and Carson typed
a message in on his laptop. What message he sent, Jack couldn’t even think
about. Sean came in bearing plates of food, Beth not far behind, and Jack saw
Donna, Josh, and Steve. The whole family was here.
Josh immediately crossed
to Jack and slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Anna is upstairs with the kids.
She has Lexie and Connor with Carol. She’s there if we need her.”
“Need her?” Jack looked up
at his brother blankly. What did he need? Everyone had him organized. Every
single person in this house had a reason to be here. They loved Riley, they
wanted him home, but all Jack wanted was space to be scared. No one was letting
him be scared.
Carson’s cell rang, and he
answered it immediately. He stood up abruptly, his chair clattering away from
him. “We have Riley and Tom. They’re okay.”
Jack sat up so hard he had
to catch Hayley as she slid a little.
“What?”
“Is Daddy okay?”
“What happened?”
So many questions. Carson
held up a hand, and everyone fell silent. He was smiling. “The team we had down
there has secured Riley and Tom. They’re being taken to a hospital in Nuevo
León.”
“I want Riley here, in the
US, in Dallas,” Jack said. “And Tom, I want them both here.”
Jim laid a hand on his
arm. “I’ll organize this,” he said.
And Jack was happy to let
him.
* * * * *
Riley was really beginning
to lose his shit. He was constantly being told to sleep, then woken up, then
told to sleep again. All he wanted was his family, and yet they moved him and
he swore that they were flying, that he was experiencing some kind of out of
body experience. Not since the barn fire had he felt so damn helpless. He heard
talking, efficient no-nonsense summaries of his injuries, and he even got told
that Tom was fine. But when Riley attempted to move his head, he couldn’t get a
fix on a nurse or Tom or any one of his family, or hell, indeed anything
tangible.
Every so often he had
flashes of memory, of the moment he’d pulled a trigger and killed a man, and he
felt sick, allowing sleep to pull him away to a place where he didn’t have to
think about it. The traveling, flying sensation stopped, and he opened his eyes
to a white room with a ceiling of gray squares.
“Hello there.” The voice
was soft and female. ”You’ve arrived at Dallas Mercy. How are you feeling today?”
“Where’s my family?”
“Can you tell me your
name?”
Now this was Riley
officially losing his shit. “Riley Campbell-Hayes,” he snapped. Instantly he
was contrite, but the nurse or doctor or whoever it was didn’t call him on his tone.
He was poked and prodded, and light shone in his eyes until he was ready to
snap again. “Where is Jack?”
Silence. Riley strained
his head to see who he was talking to, but all he saw was a door shutting. Then
just as quickly, it opened and he saw something that just made him want to cry.
Jack. Looking strong and solid and all his.
“Riley.” Jack crossed to
him, leaned over the bed, and held him close, talking at him about nothing and
everything, about Hayley who wanted to come in, and the twins, and Max who
didn’t understand and
be over soon.
He just hoped he lived to
see his family again.
Chapter 12
Jack pulled Hayley into a
hug and sat back on the sofa, and Eli sat opposite, watching him for signs of a
breakdown probably. Carol hovered at the door, having taken care of the twins
and Max, and the Feds sat at the table with cell phones silent and laptops
open. Robbie had left a while back; he, Vaughn, and Liam still had chores, and
horses waited for no kidnapping.
Someone gave him a whiskey,
Eden. She placed it in his hand, then resumed her seat curled up next to Jack
holding his other hand. Sean and Riley’s mom were in the kitchen making food, and
Riley’s dad was on the phone to the legal department at Hayes.
“We can get ten within an
hour,” Jim announced to the room. The Feds glanced up at him, and Carson typed
a message in on his laptop. What message he sent, Jack couldn’t even think
about. Sean came in bearing plates of food, Beth not far behind, and Jack saw
Donna, Josh, and Steve. The whole family was here.
Josh immediately crossed
to Jack and slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Anna is upstairs with the kids.
She has Lexie and Connor with Carol. She’s there if we need her.”
“Need her?” Jack looked up
at his brother blankly. What did he need? Everyone had him organized. Every
single person in this house had a reason to be here. They loved Riley, they
wanted him home, but all Jack wanted was space to be scared. No one was letting
him be scared.
Carson’s cell rang, and he
answered it immediately. He stood up abruptly, his chair clattering away from
him. “We have Riley and Tom. They’re okay.”
Jack sat up so hard he had
to catch Hayley as she slid a little.
“What?”
“Is Daddy okay?”
“What happened?”
So many questions. Carson
held up a hand, and everyone fell silent. He was smiling. “The team we had down
there has secured Riley and Tom. They’re being taken to a hospital in Nuevo
León.”
“I want Riley here, in the
US, in Dallas,” Jack said. “And Tom, I want them both here.”
Jim laid a hand on his
arm. “I’ll organize this,” he said.
And Jack was happy to let
him.
* * * * *
Riley was really beginning
to lose his shit. He was constantly being told to sleep, then woken up, then
told to sleep again. All he wanted was his family, and yet they moved him and
he swore that they were flying, that he was experiencing some kind of out of
body experience. Not since the barn fire had he felt so damn helpless. He heard
talking, efficient no-nonsense summaries of his injuries, and he even got told
that Tom was fine. But when Riley attempted to move his head, he couldn’t get a
fix on a nurse or Tom or any one of his family, or hell, indeed anything
tangible.
Every so often he had
flashes of memory, of the moment he’d pulled a trigger and killed a man, and he
felt sick, allowing sleep to pull him away to a place where he didn’t have to
think about it. The traveling, flying sensation stopped, and he opened his eyes
to a white room with a ceiling of gray squares.
“Hello there.” The voice
was soft and female. ”You’ve arrived at Dallas Mercy. How are you feeling today?”
“Where’s my family?”
“Can you tell me your
name?”
Now this was Riley
officially losing his shit. “Riley Campbell-Hayes,” he snapped. Instantly he
was contrite, but the nurse or doctor or whoever it was didn’t call him on his tone.
He was poked and prodded, and light shone in his eyes until he was ready to
snap again. “Where is Jack?”
Silence. Riley strained
his head to see who he was talking to, but all he saw was a door shutting. Then
just as quickly, it opened and he saw something that just made him want to cry.
Jack. Looking strong and solid and all his.
“Riley.” Jack crossed to
him, leaned over the bed, and held him close, talking at him about nothing and
everything, about Hayley who wanted to come in, and the twins, and Max who
didn’t understand and
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