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“Is he dead?” The words are barely above a whisper as I shake uncontrollably.
Chloe tilts her head to the side, and a tear leaks down her cheek. “We don’t know. His unit... They were captured.”
There’s a gut-wrenching cry ringing in my ears as my legs give out, and I fall to the sidewalk.
The sound is horrific.
Like a dying animal.
Someone make it stop.
Please.
It isn’t until Chloe grabs my face in both of her hands and yells my name that I realize the sound is coming from me.
* * *
Time is a funny thing. It plays with your brain.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been sitting on Coach’s couch, waiting for a breadcrumb of information from whoever called Coach with the news in the first place when it dawns on me I have my own people to call.
When I stand, Chloe stands with me, but I shake my head. Declan and Belles watch from the other side of the sectional couch.
“I can call my old roommate,” I announce. “She’s married to Linc. Or Cooper’s team leader’s wife. Either one of them might have more information.”
Declan stands and presses his hand to the small of my back like his brother’s done so many times. “Come on, Carys. Let’s go to the other room.”
We walk into the dining room, and I grab my cell phone from my pocket with shaking hands, then look up at Declan. “What if we don’t want to hear what she says?”
“He’s fine, Carys. Cooper’s too fucking stubborn not to be fine. And I think you know that.” He holds me against him, supporting my shaking body, and I call Emerson and hit the speakerphone so Declan can hear.
It rings three times, and I think I’m about to be sent to voice mail when Jack answers, “Carys. Jesus Christ, Carys, are you okay?”
The sobs I’ve been trying to control since we got here push from my lungs. “No. I’m not okay, Jack. Is Em okay? What does she know? So far, all anyone has told us is that they’ve been captured.”
“We’re at Jessie and Ford’s house. Emmie just wanted to be with Jessie.” The strain is audible in Jack’s voice.
“Can I talk to one of them, Jack? I need to know if they have more information than we do.” I force my legs not to give out from beneath me as I push away thoughts of never seeing him again.
“Carys?” Jessie’s hoarse voice comes through the phone.
“Jessie...” We both cry. “Please tell me someone gave you more than they’re giving us.”
“It’s not good, Carys. I’m waiting to hear back from one of the guys who called me earlier. He wasn’t supposed to, but he did. They’re hurt, Carys.”
Declan’s fingers tighten against my shoulders, and I look up to see everyone standing in the doorway. Nattie and Brady must have gotten here at some point because she’s standing in his arms, shaking, while Coach and Mom push into the room.
“What do you mean, Jessie? Who’s hurt? What happened? Do they know where they are?” Everyone in the room starts talking at once, and I yell at them all, “Stop! I can’t hear her.” I move out of Declan’s arms and pace the room. “What the hell’s happening, Jess?”
“I’m not sure, but I got a call from one of the guys from a different team who I know. He said they’re hurt but not captured. They couldn’t find them in the rubble, so they thought... But they’re not...” She tries to stay calm, but I don’t think any of us are capable of that right now. “He wasn’t sure of anything yet, Carys. But I can call you back the second I get word from him, or the official call. But I’ll get it from him before that.”
“I love you, Jess.” A tear hits my phone, and I wipe my face.
“Love you too, Carys. Stay strong. That’s what they’d want.”
We end the call, and I turn to look at the entire family staring at me. “You heard what she said. According to her guy, they’re not captured, but they might be hurt.”
They look at me curiously until Coach gives me a strong hug. “Alright, everyone. We have no idea how long it’s going to be before we know anything. So, we might as well all get comfortable.”
