Page 78 of Rescuing Erin

“Wheels up in five.” Zane jogged out of the room, and the rest of us took a moment to allow the gravity of the situation to settle over us.

The President of the United States was MIA.

I didn’t know which I was more concerned about, the search and rescue or how Erin was going to react.

Goddamn clusterfuck!

Chapter 27

I couldn’t get the last words Colin had said to me out of my head.

I promise we’ll find him.

Find him.

My dad was missing.

I couldn’t stop pacing. Jasmin, Olivia, Violet, and Ivy had all come into the office to stay with me while their husbands had gone out to find my dad.

The door to the conference room opened, and Jasmin had her pistol out of the holster on her hip and pointed in that direction before I could blink.

“Jasmin.” My mother’s smooth voice carried. “I don’t believe that’s a proper greeting for your auntie, is it?”

My mother’s brow raised, and Jasmin lowered her weapon. “You can never be too careful.”

Gerard was standing behind my mom, looking angry. Angrier than I’d ever seen him before. And that was saying something because I’d pushed the man to his limits with all my sneaking off.

“Come here, little rabbit.” My mother opened her arms, and I lost it. Her arms tightened around me, and she let me cry on her shoulder. After a few moments, she murmured, “That’s enough, Erin.”

“What?” I raised my head so I could look into my mother’s face.

“Dry your eyes. That’s enough crying.”

How could she say that? My dad was out there somewhere with a target on his back. If something happened to him, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to stop crying.

“Dad is missing,” I said unnecessarily.

“Your father is the strongest man I know. And he’s smart. He’s also surrounded himself with men who will stop at nothing to find him. Right now, our job is to not fall apart. He needs us to be positive.”

“But what if—”

“What if, nothing. Dry your eyes, sweet girl, your dad will be fine.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because the man I married is a tough son of a bitch. A UDT. A sailor who fought and won in the most horrific of conditions. He will not break. He will not give in. The man I married will hold his own until the Calvary comes for him. And, this time, the Calvary is your future husband. Don’t you have faith in the man you’re going to marry? Don’t you trust in his ability to bring your father home safely?”

I’d never heard my mom speak so strongly or with such conviction. Her confidence in my dad made me feel a fraction better about the situation.

“Of course, I do.”

I was affronted my mom would suggest I didn’t believe in Colin. I knew he was more than capable. I’d seen it with my very own eyes how deadly he could be.

“Good. Then you hold onto that trust. Don’t allow anything else to creep into your mind. There is no other possible outcome. Your father and his men will be home safe and sound before the day is out. You can bet on it.”

My mother stood tall, with her chin tilted in defiance. She believed what she’d said, believed in my dad. I needed to follow her lead and believe in Colin and the rest of the team to do their jobs.

“You’re right, Mama.”