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It was only a momentary blip, and she allowed it. With a final deep breath, she was back in the present moment, and Nick was there to support her every step of the way.
She was too hard on herself, he thought.
A small smile tipped Drew’s lips up as he noticed Nick’s protective stance. The fact that he and Harper were together didn’t seem to faze Owen; he didn’t blink.
“I’m going down to speak with him. I don’t know if I’ll get anything out of him,” he told them.
“He shouldn’t have done what he did,” Drew said with disdain. A heavy sigh escaped Nick’s lips as he nodded his head.
Drew continued, “He’ll be here for a long time anyway, so if he knows what’s best for him, he should talk.”
He reached out and gripped Drew’s shoulder. Owen’s eyes softened from their usually guarded state. It was a moment of unity and understanding, a reminder that despite the betrayal, their bond as a team was still strong, and that was something he was thankful for. It was a precious moment of family trusting each other when one of their own had done something so horrific.
They needed it.
Drew huffed out a small, humourless laugh. “You’ll tell us what happened when you’re finished?”
“Yeah, I will,” he replied roughly, coughing to clear out the lump in his throat; he was trying to keep his emotions in check and not show any further signs of distress.
“Do you trust us still?” Owen asked.
While he couldn’t hear any inflection in Owen’s voice, he understood that the situation was difficult for them all. Owen was likely anxious about Nick no longer trusting them. His silent nod was meant to reassure Owen and let him know that even though they were in a tough spot, he still had faith in them; faith in his team.
“Yes, I trust you. If I didn’t trust you all with my life and my family’s life, this wouldn’t be so hard. You all have my trust.”
Taking a deep breath, Owen sighed in relief, stepped backwards, and walked back to the security box as if he wanted to have the privacy to process his emotions. He was obviously overwhelmed by emotion, and Owen appeared to be a wreck beneath all the stiffness.
“I have always been loyal to you both, and I have no intention of treating you differently. You’ve shown me the same loyalty over the years.”
“I hope you’ll both continue to trust me,” Drew said, his voice cracking with emotion.
“It’s sweet how close you are,” Harper said softly.
He and Drew exchanged smiles. Drew nodded at them, then jogged towards the security box.
Checking in with her, he glanced at her, his eyebrow arched in question. She gave him a quick nod in response, letting him know she was ready to move forward. They walked down the slope in solidarity, ready to face whatever awaited them.
Inside the building, Hanley, a Number, was waiting for them. They now needed visual confirmation and electronic before going to the cells. However, the sight of them together caused Hanley to frown until they approached, and when he caught their scent, he relaxed. “Congratulations,” he offered.
Harper replied, “Thank you so much.”
Hanley rubbed his cheek against Harper’s as he greeted her. It was a mate greeting, so she positively beamed. Hanley’s gesture was an indication of acceptance. It brought her immense joy and happiness, which was evident from her glowing smile and sparkling eyes.
He shook his head in bemusement and replied, “Thanks Hanley,” feeling nothing but pride at their mating. Because he had been so busy worrying about everything else, he almost missed how happy he was.
In light of everything going on, they were both bound to be on edge. If he hadn’t told her how much he loved the fact that they were meant to be together, he would have to do so later.
Despite her expectations of flinching at intimacy, she was much stronger than she realised. Her incredible strength had prevented any setbacks, even though they had prepared for them. Even in the face of potential adversity, her resilience and courage allowed her to remain level-headed and immersed in the moment.
“Are you going down?” Hanley asked, looking at Nick, jolting him out of his thoughts.
“Yes,” they both said.
“Greg?”
He nodded, and Harper asked, “Is he awake?”
“Yes, he might still be pacing. He hasn’t done anything but that since he woke up.”
