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Something softened in his gaze. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Good. We’d hidden our feelings long enough. No more of that.
* * *
We landed in Long Beach at two in the afternoon local time, and I was only mildly dead on my feet.
We were shown to a private hangar, where we’d been told family would be waiting—along with Feds who were taking over the case, with Mercier staying on as a chief consultant. Apparently, he was planning to retire, but the case wasn’t closed until the last report had been submitted.
So in about seventy-two years.
Blake was back to being glued to me, arms and legs wrapped around my body, and she showed no signs of wanting to walk on her own when the shuttle stopped in front of the hangar.
“Fuck me right in the time zone,” Reese groaned and walked off the bus.
Blake scrunched her nose. “What doesthatmean?”
“Shit.” Reese turned around. “I guess you heard that.”
“Blake! Oh my God, Blake!”
All conversation was put on hold as Piper rushed out of the hangar.
I swallowed hard, and now Blake wanted down. She untangled herself from me, and then she was running toward Piper.
“Mom!”
I ran a hand through my hair, the afternoon sun beaming brightly, and I wished I had my old ball cap. I’d gone without it for weeks now.
“Holy fuck,” Gray blurted out behind me. Before I knew it, more people hurried out of the hangar, three kids leading the way. “Darius?”
Darius smiled and threw an arm around Gray. “I couldn’t help myself—and your mom had airplane vouchers she wanted to use.”
Gray let out a tearful laugh, then jogged toward whom I assumed were their kids.
Then it was evidently Ryan’s turn. He looked surprised as hell to see a woman and a few kids—and another man? Oh right, he was in one of those triads too, like the Tenleys.
“Get the fuck out, is this Christmas or what?” Ryan swooped up his wife or girlfriend and kissed her hard.
“Hi, Daddy! We flewed the plane to see you!” One of the boys threw himself against Ryan’s legs. Definitely twin boys. They had another little one too, and an older girl.
Emotions swirled around like a tornado in my chest, and I had to clear my throat. It was reunion mayhem, and throw in a handful of FBI agents and medical personnel, and I wanted to hide somewhere. Christ. And where was Elliott?There. He was talking to a woman, and it had to be about the boys. The woman was holding a car seat, presumably for Julian.
I wanted to walk over there, but I’d postponed talking to Piper for too long already.
I shuffled over to where they were hugging, tears streaming down their faces.
Fuck, I hadn’t felt this uncomfortable in ages. So out of place—so itching to get out of here.
Piper had no reasonnotto rush into my arms—with our girl trapped between us—and that’s what she did. Divorced or not, we’d found some middle ground to maintain a good front for Blake’s sake, and us hugging wasn’t weird. Whatwasweird were her lingering feelings for me, something she liked to deny, and yet…she hadn’t exactly been subtle with her wish for us to get back together.
It wasn’t going to happen, and it had nothing to do with Elliott.
She cried and thanked me over and over, and I was stuck here, patting her back awkwardly, unable to stop thinking about what she’d done. How she’d fucking lied. She’dschemedlike some snake.
“You really found her, honey,” she sobbed.
I cleared my throat and did my best to focus on Blake instead. I hugged her from behind, and she squirmed around between us and locked her arms around my neck. I wasveryfine with that.
