AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She touched the pounding spot on her temple. “I can’t worry about you when we go after Julia.”
The hard gleam in his gaze caught fire. “Don’t you think I worry about you? Do you have any idea how terrifying it was to see you unconscious in that ambulance, not knowing if you were alive? I need my sister back, and I need you to live through rescuing her.” He nodded to the cup with the pill. “Take that. I’ll send your mother in to help you dress. She’s been worried sick. If you feel dizzy, get back in bed.”
She opened her mouth to protest.
He gently gripped her chin in his hand. “Understand, Snow Angel?” Without waiting for an answer, he kissed her and strode to the door. “I’ll meet you in the war room.”
She didn’t need him to clarify that the conference room was now command central. He’d probably waited his whole life to say something so cop-like.
Christ, did he make a hot warrior.
Her mother peeked her head in. “Oh good, you’re awake.”
Cannon met her at the door. “Mrs. Zenner. Nice to see you again.”
“I told you to call me Lindsay. I have plans to play cards again tonight with your aunt Annie, so we’re family now.”
His lips tilted up. “Okay. Lindsay it is. Can you help Rosalie get dressed when she’s ready?”
“Is she well enough to get up? Shouldn’t she rest more?”
“Good luck with that argument.”
He pinned Rosalie with a glare, and the hint of a smile left his face. “Don’t think about stepping foot into the war room until you’ve wrapped your head around the fact that I’m all in. With everything.”
All in. With everything.
The idea thrilled and terrified her to the point of panic. She swallowed the fear as Cannon left.Paul wouldn’t let him go on the rescue operation. It was against agency regulation, so arguing or worrying about it further seemed pointless.
Lindsay touched her forehead. “Are you sure you’re well enough to get out of bed?”
She patted her mother’s arm. “I’m fine.” But her mother didn’t seem fine at all. She hadn’t looked this haggard in years. Two years, to be exact.
“Don’t tell me you’re fine. That’s what your father used to say. I know what’s going on, and I know what happened. A young man named Jimmy told me how you fought for Dr. Ford’ssister. That poor girl.” She bit her trembling lip. “I can’t stop thinking that you…” A tear fell. “They could have kidnapped you too. God, Rosalie, I was so scared when they brought you in unconscious. I haven’t been that scared since…”
Rosalie’s heart ached at the vulnerability in her mother’s voice. “I’m okay. Julia and I made a good team. Dad would have liked her. She’s tough.”
“He probably would have talked her into leaving the Red Snow police force and being a special agent.”
Rosalie laughed. “Probably.”
“He was so proud of you.” She looked to the ceiling as if looking through to heaven. “Still is.”
“Do you think so?” Rosalie’s voice cracked. She’d never spoken to her mom about the night her father had died. “Before Dad was shot, we made a vow to catch Malgor together. You were right. It’s been two years, and I’ve let that monster hold my sense of security, my happiness, my future, God, and even my heart for ransom. Dad raised me to never surrender anything to terrorists, but I did.”
Her mother wiped her eyes and sat up straight. “Listen here. Don’t you think for a second that your father is disappointed in you. I have no doubt that he’s proud of your dedication and relentless pursuit of justice.”
“I don’t want justice anymore, Mom. I want to kill Malgor.”
“I want him dead too.”
If her mother had pulled out a bottle of whiskey and done a shot, Rosalie wouldn’t have been more surprised. “Really? You always talk like you want me to forget about everything and get married and have babies.”
“Of course I want that for you.” She placed a hand over her heart. “And me. I want to be a grandmother someday. Am I wrong in saying you’d like to be a mother sometime in the future?”
A vision of a blue-eyed child with too-long dark hair squirming on a chairlift between her and Cannon popped into her head. “No, you’re not.”
“That’s not going to happen if you get killed chasing a monster. Losing your father nearly ended me. I miss him every day. I didn’t tell him nearly enough that I was proud of him, and God knows I’ve never told you, but I am. I’m proud. I always felt the less I knew about his work, the better. Like if we didn’t discuss the bad things that happened, then, well, nothing badwouldhappen. I regret not being more engaged and supportive of his career, and I’m sorry I acted like I didn’t respect your choices.”
