Page 125 of Trapped
Jamie walked up beside them. Jack and Jay followed. “We won’t let anything happen to him, Ma,” Jamie promised.
“You see, your sons have my back. There’s nothing to worry about,” John said while rubbing her back.
“But who’ll make sure nothing happens to you?” She asked, turning to each of her sons.
“We’ve got their backs, Mrs. Sheppard,” I answered.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “It’s Mary.” She straightened her shoulders and pinned me with a look. “Don’t make me tell you again. Now, get your asses out of here and bring Ashley home.”
My jaw hit the floor. She’d flipped a switch and turned badass in the space of a heartbeat.
“What, you’ve never seen a wife or mother have a moment of weakness seeing her family geared up like warriors?”
“Yes, ma’am, I mean Mary.” I’d just never seen them turn it off so quickly.
“Something about this mission feels different from the others.” She looked around the room. “You will all come home safely. Do you understand?”
Being my first mission with SSI, I couldn’t speak to it, but the looks shared between everyone else told me it wasn’t different. Mary just didn’t know it.
“Yes, ma’am.” The room answered as one.
“Meg, let’s get Violet and go home. We’ll plan a feast for when they return.”
Meg hugged Jack. “Come home to me, Charming; our little one needs a dad.” She addressed the rest of the team. “That goes for the rest of you, too. Don’t you dare get hurt.”
Another round of, yes ma’am, filled the room, making Meg laugh. “I kind of like it when they do that.”
“Want to know a secret?” Mary asked before saying, “So do I.”
John and his boys escorted them to the car. At the door, Mary turned and said, “Be safe.”
When the Sheppards returned, I said, “Let’s go earn our feast.”
Chapter 44
Ashley
“Looks like I was wrong. I figured your Prince Charming would rush over to save you, but it appears he’s waiting until tomorrow.”
I stared at him with scratchy eyes, no doubt red from all the crying I’d been doing. My plan to steal a phone was a joke. Al left me alone for hours while he and his guys got ready for Nathan.
“I’d hate to think all the traps we set were for nothing.”
I couldn’t stand looking at him another second, so I stared at my feet.
“I expected a smart-ass remark. Guess the chair scared the snark right out of you.”
“Fuck you,” I whispered without moving my head.
He laughed. “Not all of it. Maybe I should call Nathan and let him hear you scream.”
My head snapped up as my heartbeat doubled in speed and my breath caught in my throat.
The whimper I tried suppressing, escaped. “I don’t know his number,” I said, trying to be brave.
“That’s okay, little worm, I do.” He turned his phone towards me. “And he’s still at the SSI office.”
I didn’t doubt they’d come for me, but apparently it wouldn’t be tonight. The sun was already low on the horizon, and it’d be dark soon. It’d be a hell of a lot harder to rescue me in the dark.
