Page 26 of Protecting Gina

Wave kissed her forehead, then stepped back. His smile warmed her, and she was glad they would have a chance to explore their relationship. She’d been sad about the idea of never seeing him again. Now it seemed like she would be moving with him. Excitement and a little fear slid through her. If it didn’t work out, she would go somewhere else, find a place to call home, and just get lost in her work.

Wave pulled up in front of the house, and the door flew open. He hated that Cass was still up, but she was young, and younger people bounced back more easily. Still, he wished she could get some rest.

“How is Gina?” Cass asked.

“She’s good. She will be okay.”

“Thank goodness.”

“How are you?” Wave asked as he stepped into the house, seeing the gang sitting around the kitchen table. “Thank you all for staying.”

Caroline gave him a hug. “We enjoyed spending the day with your sister. And we have plans for when you move.”

He shook Cookie and Wolf’s hands, then gave Fiona a hug. “Thank you all for your help.”

“Don’t mention it,” Wolf said.

Cookie put his arm around Fiona, pulling her close to his side. “Yeah, we were glad to help you.”

“If you all ever need anything, I’ll be there.”

Wolf chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”

They all chuckled, and more handshakes and hugs were passed around before they took off. He was alone with Cass. She dropped to the couch and stretched out, resting her head on the armrest.

“I’m exhausted.”

“I bet. Get some sleep. We’ll go see Gina in the morning.”

“Your friends are kind of amazing.”

Wave chuckled. “They are. Those guys are top-notch operators. They’re older now, but even with age, they’ve just gotten better. I’d trust them with my life. If they ever come to you and tell you to go somewhere, go with them. They are that trustworthy.”

Cass sat up, stretching her arms over her head. “I’m going to bed. We’ll pack stuff up tomorrow and get ready to leave.”

“I’m sorry today didn’t turn out great.”

Cass smiled and shook her head. “It’s something I’ll never forget. And I did enjoy most of the day, just not in the way I thought I would.”

He gave Cass a hug before she headed back to her room. Exhaustion pulled at him, and he was glad he’d sent out thank-you texts while Gina had been in surgery.

While he was brushing his teeth, he pulled up his email and made sure there wasn’t anything important he needed to look at. His email was clear, so he dropped into bed and fell asleep fast.

When he woke, he found an email from Thario, giving more details about Pete. Gina was in real danger. This Pete guy had a huge trafficking and drug network. The FBI had been after him for a while, but they didn’t have enough hard evidence to arrest him. The current theory was that the woman who had taken the thumb drive was an informant. She’d disappeared. Nothing good could come from Pete being after Gina. She had to move with them. If she stayed here, her life would be in danger.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Cass hurried into Gina’s room ahead of him. He found her beside the bed, holding Gina’s hand, tears making her eyes bright. Cass cared about Gina. It was easy to see how much she cared. They’d been through a lot, and he hoped this drew them closer instead of further away.

After wiping her eyes, Cass blew out a breath. “I was so worried about you. I’m glad you made it out of there. Any idea when you’ll get out of here?”

Gina’s smile sent relief through him. She could be annoyed at Cass’s questions or how she’d rushed in. He knew he wasn’t a good patient the few times he’d been sidelined during a mission, but Gina was being very nice and calm.

“Maybe this afternoon. They said they have to do another CT scan and make sure everything is okay.”

“Good. And you’re coming home with us. We’ll help you pack up your apartment,” Cass said.

Gina’s gaze darted between them. “I am?”