“He’s going to be fine, Presley.” She leans in to comfort me.
I don’t answer but nod dully, falling into her body for support.
A few minutes later, Johnny comes in and we pile out of the house, following Jenna. Tripp and Reese climb in the car with us, while the others stay behind waiting for more information.
The whole ride is a blur. Tripp makes the necessary calls to the guys and watches out the window, not focusing on anything.
Evelyn is waiting in the doorway, with Tim holding on to her shoulders when we drive up. Jenna gives them a brief hug and moves into the house as I stand to the side, allowing Tripp to do the same.
When it comes time for me to walk in, my feet won’t budge. Evelyn looks at me with understanding and comes to me, embracing me gently.
“One foot in front of the other, honey. I’ll help you.”
It’s then I know she really gets it. Her son was in a deadly accident in Iraq. She got the call that he was alive.
My brother was in a deadly accident. I got the call saying he wasn’t alive.
Now, we both fear the unknown of Finn, and she’s comforting me. I shudder slightly and reach around her waist, raising my face to hers.
“I love him, Evelyn.”
“I know, and he loves you, too. For that reason alone, he’ll be all right.”
I nod, and we walk into the house together, waiting for news.
Chapter 29
Presley
The whole flight I cling to my dad’s arm. He tries to get me to take a nap, but every time I close my eyes, I see Finn’s handsome and flawless face, his blue eyes piercing into mine. Then the image turns to him writhing in pain, lying in a pool of blood. I’m haunted by the image and refuse to give in to sleep until I know for myself he’s going to be okay.
James arranged to have a private plane bring us to Baton Rouge. Tim, Evelyn, Jenna, Dad, Johnny, Tripp, and I boarded within four hours after hearing Finn was listed as critical. Reese offered to stay behind with Winnie, and we graciously allowed her to. I knew she was torn on her obligation to Tripp and me, but Winnie needed normalcy, and she was our only hope.
There’s a group of cars waiting for us when we deplane, and I purposely choose the last car. My nerves are on edge, and I’m grateful for a few extra minutes to gather my composure. Seeing Finn is on the forefront of my mind, but I’m terrified.
When we get to the hospital, news vans are parked near the entrance, with reporters staking out the doors. I get out of the car and don’t wait for my family. Instead, I go straight to Tripp and link his hand in mine, squeezing it in support. We walk in together, hand in hand, both of us needing the comfort.
James meets us in the lobby and leads us to the elevator, explaining we have a private waiting room on Finn’s floor. Once the doors open, the hospital smell hits me, and my knees go weak. Tripp urges me forward, and we enter the private room where Evelyn and Tim are talking to a doctor. Robbie’s hugging his mom and notices us immediately. He comes to us, giving Tripp a one-armed hug, and pulls me into a full embrace.
“He’s through surgery. The shithead scared the hell out of us, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.”
My breath hitches, and I let out an injured cry, sinking into Robbie. “Thank God.”
“He’s going to get a fucking earful from me, babe. Fucker always has to be a hero.”
“What do you mean?”
I move away as the doctor leaves, and James motions for us to sit.
“You all have questions, and I think we’ve pieced it together now. Finn was in the surveillance van with Robbie and a few of the FBI agents. The agents thought the raid was successful, so they left to help round up the members of the gang that were running from the back. By this point, we believed everyone was safe. Our team had infiltrated the hideout and had most of the perps on the ground. The shootout had already ensued, and our operator on the inside had three of the kidnappers down. It was completely by the book.”
“What the hell happened then?” Tim sounds as confused as I feel.
Robbie tenses beside me. “Finn and I saw a man coming out a side door. He was struggling with one of the children, who was resisting. I started out to lock him down, but Finn shoved me back and ran out, gun drawn. He was swift, moving through cars to stay hidden until the last minute. The guy saw him and started shooting. With the attention on Finn, the kid got loose and ran. It happened quickly, but I saw the kidnapper shoot off a few rounds before Finn got the kill shot. By the time I got there, Finn was down. Took a shot to the stomach and the arm.”
My heart stammers against my ribcage, ringing in my ears. “He saved the child?”
“Yes, he most likely saved the life of that little girl.”