Jesse bowed his head and focused on getting his breathing and heart rate under control. He’d handled the worst of the worst situations in Iraq. Remained calm and level-headed throughout the war and on missions for the CIA. But this was Ella. Her family.
“Thankfully, Gray had time to send in backup, but I didn’t realize you were in the dark about Yuri until Paris.” Zoey’s words had Jesse swiveling his head her way. “I had assumed Thatcher would have clued you in. I didn’t know how to reach out to Carter either. I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t your fault.” Carter’s surprising words had all eyes looking at him, but the burner phone rang before anyone could say more.
“It’s A.J.,” Jesse announced, which had Ella abruptly dropping her feet to the floor and standing. “What’s the status?” he asked after putting the call on speaker.
“McKenna’s safe. Beckett has some burns, and the deputy took a bullet to the arm. But between Gray’s guys and us, we killed the eight fuckers who showed up,” A.J. quickly sputtered, and Jesse’s vision blurred before he could blink away the tears of relief, his gaze landing on Ella as she buried her face in her palms. “Did you hear me? We got here in time.”
They got there in time, Jesse replayed the words as he tried to wrap his head around the fact everyone was okay.
“Let me talk to Ella,” A.J. remarked, his breathing ragged and his tone clipped this time.
Ella lifted her head and, with a trembling hand, reached to hold the phone.
“Ella, McKenna wants to talk to you,” A.J. said, and Jesse had to brace his palms against the table before he dropped to his knees.
“Hi,” McKenna whispered. “Daddy is okay. We’re okay.”
“Oh God, I’m so sorry that . . .” Ella’s voice trailed off as tears ran down her cheeks, and the sight was going to destroy him.
“I have one request,” McKenna went on. “Come home before something bad happens to you too.” McKenna burst into tears, and Beckett could be heard in the background calling for her. Jesse’s fingers curled inward into fists as he worked to fight the emotions threatening to take him under.
“Let me talk to Jesse, baby girl.” Beckett’s rumbly tone cut through the line, followed by a few short coughs as if trying to clear the smoke from his lungs.
Jesse walked back to Ella and peered down at the phone in her palm, but he knew what was coming. How could he not?
“Jesse. My daughter could’ve been hurt, or worse. She watched me kill people today,” Beckett started in a low voice, “I’ll never fucking forgive you for this.” And then the call ended.
Chapter Thirty-One
Just Outside Frankfurt, Germany
Ella peered at Jesse sitting in the blue velvet swivel chair across from her inside their posh cabin on the train. Arms locked across his chest, hands tucked under his biceps, his chin suddenly dropped to his chest as he nodded off.
For the last hour, the poor guy had done his best to resist sleep. He’d been fighting to keep his eyes open ever since they’d boarded the train that morning in Paris. But the smooth ride and ambient sounds of the train were winning the battle.
When night had fallen, she’d begged him to lie down with her and try to get at least a few hours of sleep. He’d reluctantly agreed and wrapped her in his arms. She’d passed out immediately, but she doubted he’d slept at all.
After what happened back home with her family, all Ella had wanted to do yesterday was sleep. Her heart and head had hurt far too much whenever she replayed the nightmare of events that could have gone so much differently had A.J. not shown up in the nick of time. McKenna’s and Beckett’s words had torn Ella apart, and she knew they’d done a number on Jesse too. How could they not?
The look on Jesse’s face when Beckett said he’d never forgive him had just about broken her heart. Jesse hadn’t spoken to her all that much since that call, and she’d tried to tell herself that it was because he was as shaken about what happened as she was. And then he’d been laser-focused on working with the team to come up with an action plan for Austria.
Of course, Ella also knew he felt guilty that she hadn’t joined Savanna on the plane as McKenna had requested.
She and Jesse had finally taken a step forward in their relationship, and she prayed to God that Yuri’s surprise assault hadn’t taken them back three.
“Are you reading up on Hallstatt?” Ella stole a look at Sydney sitting off to her left on the couch. Her iPad was in hand as she scrolled through information on the screen with the touch of her finger.
Gray and Jack had gone to the dining car an hour ago in preparation for the stop the train would soon be making in Frankfurt. None of them were armed for obvious reasons, but if Yuri discovered they were heading to Austria by rail, Frankfurt would be the only chance to have someone board if the bastard wanted to make any pre-Austria moves. With his failed attempt to grab McKenna in Alabama, Zoey believed he’d initiate a backup plan.
“Yeah, I’ve actually been there before, but it was a long time ago,” Sydney said, her tone soft as though lost in thought.
“Business or pleasure?”
“Honeymoon.”
“Mm.” Ella knew Sydney was divorced, so what could she say to that? And Sydney wasn’t one to engage in girl-talk, so Ella decided it best not to probe. She closed her eyes, thinking back to yesterday morning at the airport when she’d quickly hugged Savanna and Griffin goodbye before they’d parted ways for Carter’s private hangar. And right after, the rest of the team had boosted two cars from the long-term parking lot.
Once Carter’s jet had taken off, Griffin had called with the news that DGSE had been waiting at the hangar, as expected, but Thatcher hadn’t been with them.
“Thatcher let us go because, like it or not, he knows he has no choice,” Jesse had said after Griffin’s call.
“She’ll forgive you for not going home.” Sydney’s remark jolted Ella into opening her eyes. “She’s what, thirteen? She doesn’t understand what’s going on.” Sydney’s unexpected opinion had Ella looking her way. “McKenna reminds me of my son a little.” A smile ghosted her lips. “And Beckett will forgive Jesse.”
Sydney had briefly met the Hawkins family at the wedding but hadn’t had a chance to see firsthand just how grumpy and stubborn her brother was. Beckett didn’t forgive easily, especially when it came to his daughter. After everything he’d been through while raising her as a single dad . . . no, he’d go for the jugular if anyone placed her in harm’s way. And the only target in his sights right now was Jesse. Fair or not, he’d hate Jesse for what happened.
“My brother has been through a lot. Forgiveness isn’t something he’s known for,” Ella whispered, trying not to wake up the man she loved. The last thing she wanted him to hear was the doubt in her tone or her fear that she’d never be able to mend his relationship with her family.
Sydney rested her iPad on her lap, her gaze shifting to the window as the scenery breezed by. “I understand that. Anyone who so much as touched a hair on my son’s head would never see the light of day again.” Her words fell from her mouth swiftly and without remorse. And Ella truly believed the woman would cut down anyone who messed with her family. Zero hesitation.