Page 113 of Betrayed

I had a feeling Blake’s vice-like grip on my hand as she answered questions was the only thing preventing her from losing it. My suspicions were confirmed when she fell apart three seconds after the officer turned away. I caught her as her knees buckled.

“It’ll be okay.” I stroked her back as I held her head against my chest. “You’re safe. It’s over.”

She didn’t have the strength to walk, so I carried her back to the car to wait. Jack and Meg soon joined us.

Slowly but surely, so did the rest of the team.

It took hours, and we were all dead on our feet by the time John walked over with the Sergeant in charge and a detective.

The members of SSI stood to greet them.

“You’re free to go. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions,” the Sergeant said.

A chorus of 'thank you' rang out.

“I suppose we should thank you for taking out half of the Roman syndicate, but...”

“But you’re pissed you have to clean up our mess and deal with the paperwork,” John filled in when the detective paused.

“Something like that.” They shook John’s hand and nodded to the rest of us before turning away.

“Let’s go home.” John didn’t have to say it twice. I climbed into the back seat with Blake and pulled her onto my lap.

I heard Jack say, “He’s a goner,” before the door closed, and flipped him off through the window.

The car was quiet on the ride home until John broke the silence to let us know Mary, Emily, and Beth would have food waiting at the office.

Blake seemed surprised, but I wasn’t.She’ll understand once she gets to know them.

“Mary is the Mama Bear of SSI and won’t be able to rest until we’re all back, safe and sound,” John offered. “Emily and Beth are a lot like her.”

So is Meg. But Blake had already seen her in action.

The only sound for the rest of the ride was Blake’s soft sniffles and my whispered words of comfort.

It’ll take some time for her to process everything she’s been through.And I’d be there every step of the way.

Mary met us at the back door, holding it open while we filed in. Her eyes sparkled as her lips curved up when she saw my arm around Blake. She patted me on the arm as I passed. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Thank you.”

Mary Sheppard was the type of mother I wished I’d had. The kind who would wreak havoc to protect her family and smile softly while tending their wounds. Strong and caring, she was a pro at giving tough love, and an expert at lending a sympathetic ear.

Blake needed someone like Mary in her life.So do I.

Beth and Emily fawned over Doug and Jamie, respectively, when they came in. Mary was checking on Jaden and Maxwell until John walked in and she saw the blood on his arm.

“John?” the concern in her voice was palpable as color drained from her face.

“It’s only a graze.” She must have looked doubtful, because he quickly added, “I swear. You can ask Meg.”

Mary didn’t bother verifying before hugging him. When she pulled back, she said, "I'm taking you to see Dr. Greenfield first thing in the morning."

Recognizing a losing argument when he saw one, John nodded.

After a few minutes, the chaos was replaced with a low steady hum of activity as the team hauled in our gear. Jack took care of mine so I could stay with Blake, who was curled up in my lap.

John released Dean, Sammie, and Eric, who’d been protecting the Sheppard women, but invited them to stay for food.

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