Page 127 of The Wrecked One

“I’m too numb to feel anything.” He set his hands on top of mine, lightly nodding. “You’re okay, though. And your dad?—”

“He can help us take down The Collective,” I finished for him, unsure if he knew that bit of information yet. “Tonight wasn’t for nothing, and Michael will be okay.”

He nodded, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks. “Julia can’t lose her brother.” His lower lip trembled, and I leaned in and softly kissed him, hoping to somehow chase away both our worries.

“She won’t,” I promised as Sydney came over.

I took a moment to hug my best friend. Sam also surprised me by gathering me in for a quick embrace as well. After that, I stuck to Oliver’s side while exchanging a few words with the rest of the guys who’d assembled around us.

A minute later, I spotted Jessica entering the hangar along with a commanding officer from the base. He’d been the one to bring my parents to interrogation rooms the moment we’d landed. My mom was still unconscious when we’d touched down, so I hadn’t spoken to her yet. But if my father’s words were true, she was the vindictive and evil one.

The second Jessica’s husband saw her, he cut straight through the space and pulled her into his arms.

“Where’s Sebastian? The McGregors?” Gwen asked while working her way through hugging everyone, starting with her uncle.

“They decided it’d be best not to join us here,” Carter explained, sliding his hands into his pockets. “They’re staying local until we get word to them about Michael’s condition, though.”

I looked around at the crowd of operators. From Luke Scott down the line. It took me a moment to realize Liam Evans wasn’t there. I started to ask Oliver about it, then it dawned on me. His brother-in-law was Jake Summers, and Jake was one of the Marines close with Michael. Liam had probably forced himself onto that medevac chopper along with everyone else, even if there was no space.

They’d all come together for Michael on that island. No stone or rock was left unturned until they had mission success. The image of them working together to rescue him made me emotional again. And when I thought about the call they’d have to make to Julia and Michael’s wife, my legs became jelly.

Oliver hooked his arm behind me, keeping me upright. I should’ve been the one holding him up after what he survived.

Luke lifted his chin to Knox Bennett, who served as Bravo Five and was POTUS’s son, as if he was quietly requesting something of him.

Knox met my eyes as he broke away from the others and came to stand before me.

“My father’s hoping you’ll handle the questioning of your dad. He thinks you’ll be able to read him the best. Wyatt said he already gave you some insight.” Knox’s Southern roots slipped through as emotion caught in his words. Tonight was hard on all of us for so many reasons. “He’s also decided to leak a story to the Intelligence Committee that your parents, along with the Sorens, died in an operation. He’s assuming The Collective has an asshole or two embedded there, and that they’ll leak the intel to The Collective. Hopefully if the powers that be think both the Sorens and the Vanzettis died tonight, it’ll buy us some time.”

Smart thinking. “Any word on Alyssa Soren and her kids? They escape?”

“They’re safe and with Secret Service.” Knox confirmed what I’d hoped we’d hear. No clue who the hacker was, but that was a story for another day.

“You up for that talk with your father?” Luke asked me. “I know we’re all waiting to hear about Michael, but this might be our only chance to get ahead of these people for once.”

These nameless, faceless people.

“Raymond Pecker no doubt already gave The Collective our names,” Carter commented, a hard look passing between him and Luke. “I’ll personally be tracking him down, don’t worry.”

“I was never worried.” Luke tipped his head in deference to Carter.

Oliver locked our fingers together. “Let me get some clothes on and I’ll go with you.” With his free hand, he swiped at the dried blood beneath his nose. “Maybe wash my face and get a drink of water, too.”

“Michael will be in surgery for a long time, but if we get news, we’ll interrupt,” Knox said, beating me to the request I was about to make.

Sydney tipped her head in the direction of where Jessica stood with her husband, presumably waiting to escort me to the interrogation room where my father awaited my arrival. “Get clarity, too,” she whispered in my ear, and I knew precisely what she meant.

Find out what in the hell happened to me when I was younger that resulted in my recurring nightmares. And figure out why I’d spent so much of my life searching for that missing piece.

50

MYA

“I already told you I’ll be compliant, but I’ll only talk to—” His words stopped abruptly the moment we made eye contact.

Anthony. Tony. Father. Dad. Criminal? What am I supposed to call him now? I settled on Tony, taking him in from a new perspective as he rested his cuffed hands on the metal table.

Jessica tipped her head, gesturing for the two armed guards and the officer in the room to leave. “Are you sure you want to be alone?” She held the door open, looking back and forth between me and the subject in question. “Well, you’ll have Oliver with you, so not alone.”

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