Page 68 of Jericho

Aspen

"They have him," Casper says from the computer station. "Aspen, they have him!"

I stood from the couch the second we heard that Eli was within the vicinity of a bomb. I didn't even know that Damien had such skills or extensive uses of such weapons.

"What?" I ask, unsure if I heard him right.

My hand is hovering over the handgun on the kitchen counter.

"ETA is less than five minutes," Casper says before nodding to something he hears in his headset. "I'll have EMTs en route."

"He's safe," Max assures me, his eyes going from me to the gun on the counter. "Aspen, acknowledge that you heard me."

"He's safe."

"Damien is dead."

"Damien is dead," I repeat, but it doesn't register until the words play back in my mind in an echo. "Damien is dead?"

"We can show you the video," Max says as he slowly inches toward me, as if he thinks I could lose my shit at any moment.

"Eli is safe?"

"I don't know that you'll be able to pry him out of Jericho's hands, but yes, sweetheart. Eli is safe."

I pull my hand back, clamping my hands together and lifting them to my lips as a sob bubbles out of my throat.

As if he could predict how I'd respond, Max is right there, catching me before I fall to my knees.

I know what he's saying is true, but I don't think I can fully accept the good news until my son is in my arms. I hope Eli doesn't mind, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to let him go after this. He'll feel smothered before his eighth birthday.

"ETA two minutes," Casper says from the other room.

"I'm going to take you to the sofa, Aspen. Jericho is riding a high right now, and I don't want to get shot if he comes through the door and sees you in my arms."

I chuckle through a sob because that seems utterly ridiculous, but just as he said, he gets me to the sofa and he backs away, holding his arms up as if apologizing for touching me in the first place.

"Thank—" I begin but the front door opens so quickly, that it smacks against the wall.

Nolan's eyes lock on me, but all I can see is the scared little boy in his arms.

He's in front of me the second I stand, but my knees are too weak to hold my weight.

As Max said, he doesn't release Eli. We balance him between us, sobs racking both our bodies.

"Momma?" Eli asks when I pull back and hold his sweet little face between both my hands.

The look on his face is heartbreaking. It's almost as if he doesn't recognize me. We always go through this weird period of him not really knowing me when we get to see each other. He's so young, and his memories aren't completely formed. I know that was just one more way for Damien to hurt us. It breaks my heart for him to look at me like he would any other stranger.

I sweep hair off his forehead, circling my finger there, something I've always done. But when that doesn't seem to work, I begin to hum the song I always sing to him before bedtime. He softens some, but not fully, and I can't really get upset at him for the damage Damien has caused. But that doesn't stop it from breaking my already shattered heart a little more.

"Momma?"

In the next breath, Eli is scrambling away from Nolan and climbing into my arms.

I hold him as tight as I think I can without breaking bones, and I can feel just how small and fragile he really is. I want to grill him about what has happened. When was the last time he ate? Is he hungry now? What did Damien do to him? Has anyone hurt him?

"We need to get him to the hospital," Nolan says.

---