Page 89 of Rescuing Erin

Dad saw Mom and he didn’t delay, he stalked over to us, pulled her from my arms, and held her to his big, broad chest as she cried.

“Rissa, baby, I’m okay. Everything’s okay.” My dad’s voice was gruff and thick with more emotion than I thought possible.

“Tommy,” she cried.

“I’m safe. We’re all safe.”

Colin pulled me against his side and kissed my cheek. “I love you, Erin.”

“God, I love you, too.”

My big, strong soon-to-be husband wrapped both his mom and me in his arms and held us close. Thank God, everyone was safe, or so I thought.

Chapter 32

“I’m sorry, sunshine, we have to debrief. It shouldn’t take that long.”

“We’re fine. Take your time,” Erin told me. “I’m just relieved to be standing here in front of you.”

She tried her best to smile. “There was never a doubt I was coming home to you. Or bringing your dad home. This will be fast, your dad isn’t going to let anyone take their time. He wants to get your mom home and soon.”

“She was trying to be strong all day. I mean, she was strong, but you could tell the longer it went on, the more upset she was getting.”

“And what about you? Are you okay?”

“I was scared,” she admitted. “But after all of us talked, I was reminded I had to trust in your ability, trust you’d come home to me. Once I did that, it made the wait easier. But—” She stopped and sucked in a breath before she leaned closer and whispered, “I was afraid they’d kill my dad before you could get there. In my head, I was planning for everything I’d have to do to help my mom,” she admitted.

“I’m so sorry you were scared. We weren’t going to let anything happen to your dad.”

“But sometimes shit happens, and you can’t control everything.”

She was more right than she knew. Shit did happen, bad shit to good people. But not this time, I tried to remind myself. This time the good guys won, and everyone came home.

“No, but we’re good at controlling what we can. Thank you for taking care of my mom.”

“You’re welcome. Go talk to the guys so we can go home.”

“Damn, I love it when you’re bossy. Your forehead crinkles, and you look fierce.”

“Are you saying I have wrinkles?” she mock-glared. “You have no idea what that comment cost you in expensive skin cream.”

How in the fuck it was possible I was smiling at a time like this was beyond me. I would’ve thought it inconceivable that not even two hours after being in a battle for my life I could be this happy. But I was. And it had everything to do with Erin.

“Be back soon.”

With one last, all too brief, kiss I headed to the other room where everyone was waiting on me. I passed by an agent standing at the door, and Tom’s concerned eyes came to me.

“How is she?”

“Shaken up.” His head fell forward, and I quickly added, “But you know Erin. She’s her father’s daughter. Nothing and no one is going to break her.”

“First, thank you all for your hand in today’s mission. As you’re aware, the world will never know how you saved my life, kept peace and order in our great country, and risked your own lives in the process. Being the quiet professionals you are, I know you don’t want the attention. But what you do have is my gratitude and that of my family.

“Wolf and his team are at the White House with Tex preparing the files I need. But before we get to that, we have a problem.”

Tom stopped and tapped a stack of papers on the desk in front of him.

“All the information we have on Omni is right here. As you can see, it isn’t much.”