There would be time to lose it all—when Steff was back in his arms.
Fuck, why hadn’t he told her he’d fallen in love with her?
He’d wanted to, but had kept the words hidden inside him. He’d never been a coward. He’d looked death in the eye numerous times on missions and had come out on top. Yet, when it came to facing his feelings for Steff and expressing them out loud, he couldn’t say them.
If–no,whenthey got Steff back, he would tell her constantly, and make sure she never doubted his feelings for her ever again.
But first, he had to find her and deal with the fucker who’d taken her. Whoever they were, they were going to pay for it.
Jag pulled the steely resolve that had gotten him through BUD/S and numerous missions around him like a winter coat.“Right, let’s get back to the office with this and see if you’re right and if Cass was able to get something to go on. By the time we get back, Fox might have been able to speak to Cynthia.”
Together they made their way back to the street and to where they’d parked the car. Steff and whoever had her, hadn’t walked too far from Donelle’s office before she was dragged into the alley.
There didn’t seem to be any sign of struggle, and Jag didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Sometimes cooperating with a kidnapper was a way to keep control of the situation. If they thought she was compliant, they may not hurt her. Jag hoped that was the case.
What if Steff had a panic attack and was so lost in her mind, that she wasn’t aware of what was happening to her?
Jag had first-hand experience of seeing the blank look on her face when she was in the throes of an attack. It was a look he didn’t want to see again, but after this ordeal, he feared he might. She’d made such good progress.
No, she’s not weak. She’s strong. She’s going to be okay. Believe it.
Jag clung to what his inner voice was saying. No matter what happened, or what she went through, if she was different when she came back to him, he would love her just as much as he had that morning. Nothing about his feelings for her would change.
He was moving on auto pilot as he got into the car, his hand clenching and unclenching. He was aware of Hound driving them back to the office, but it happened in a blur at the same time.
“Jag!” His teammates voice finally penetrated the trance he’d fallen into.
“What?”
“We’re here.”
The darkness of the parking garage seeped into focus, and Hound was standing by the open passenger door. Jag shook his head, getting it back into the present. Steff needed him to be one hundred percent on his game. “Thanks, man,” he said as he got out of the car.
“All good. You’re not alone. Don’t forget that. We want her back as much as you do. We all know how important she is to you.”
Jag looked at his friend. “She’s my everything. I don’t know wh?—”
“Stop! Don’t even think it. We’re getting her back. Now let’s get upstairs so that we can start planning.”
Jag didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have his brothers around him. Their support meant everything, and if a similar situation arose for either one of them, he would do everything he humanly could to help them through it too.
The ride in the elevator to the office floor was a quiet one, as was the walk into the office. Yolanda looked up and offered him a small smile. She was like a mother hen to all of them, and now that her daughter was Isaac’s partner, she was even more ingrained in the Alliez family than she had been previously.
“Any news?” he asked the second he walked into the packed conference room. Everyone was there. Irish was standing behind Cass, his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them, as she pounded away on her keyboard. Ox and Growler were looking at a tablet; it looked as if they were going through some footage. Angel and Deal stood at the large map of Los Angeles that was on one of the walls, pins in their hands as they put them in, highlighting the places Steff had been that day. Isaac was on the phone–he didn’t know who he was talking to–but it looked intense. Fox was still missing, so he assumed he was still at Cynthia’s place, or was on the way back with her.
Eveline and Teresa were also there, working on computers, no doubt doing what they could to assist Cass.
“The footage Ox and Growler are looking at was what I managed to pull from the cameras surrounding the alley. There weren’t many, and the quality of the feed isn’t that good. But it’s something.” Cass didn’t look up from her computer.
“Right. Any news from Fox?” Jag checked his phone as he sat, but as it had been in his pocket, and he would’ve heard and felt it if a message had come in, it was a pointless exercise. He needed to do something.
“Not yet,” Ox said. No sooner had he finished, the phone in the middle of the table then shrilled to life.
Irish reached over and hit the speaker button. “Yes, Yolanda?”
“Fox is on the phone.”
“Great, put him through.” Irish looked over to him as if to say,your mission to lead. Jag glanced at Ox, and he gave a slight nod. The fact the team was giving him the okay to control the situation was one he appreciated, especially considering it was his woman who was in danger.
