Page 124 of Bossy Hero

He found me in Sue’s office and coaxed me out by agreeing to be open about his past. He promised we’d discuss it tonight. Finally, he was ready to tell me everything. It was such a victory.

Not only for him, but for me as well. Because I didn’t hide from confrontation.

We kissed, and then I joked that he’d already conquered the disaster for the day.

Ha. Foolish past me.

Fate kicked in the door a few hours later and laughed in our faces.

His team went head-to-head with danger tonight. To obtain vital intel from an unknown source, they carried out an op that resulted in Tomer taking the life of the son of the mafia leader, Viktor Lenkov. He was the first man to sexually assault Lettie during her time with those monsters.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, there was more.

According to my daughter, Lettie witnessed it all from the lair and got it in her head that Alan was planning to let the man who tormented her go free. Enraged, she blew up at Alan during the op. It ended up a moot point when Tomer’s bullet ended Viktor’s life. But for a time, she believed Alan was siding with her attacker.

If she knew her father at all, she’d never have thought he was capable of such a thing. That’s just one of the many reasons I was so insistent he get to know her. Wish he’d listened to me sooner.

He raced from HQ to the scene to run interference with the cops and hopefully prevent Tomer from being arrested. Somehow, Lettie ended up in the car with Alan. Must have been a tense ride. Had a few of them with him myself recently.

They’re still not back.

For all I know, it turned into an emotional shitstorm with her and Tomer. I hope he’s trying to repair things with them.

Whether he does or not, I’ll be here for him when he returns.

Creeping closer to the lobby door, I lean my head to the side to peek into the parking lot. He texted about twenty minutes ago, informing me he was on the way back to headquarters with the team.

I’ve been pacing ever since.

At least I’m in good company. Sue and Sammy are doing the same.

“Look at us. Hey, look at us,” Sammy says in an artificially deepened voice, gesturing between the three of us. “Look at us. Who would have thought, huh? Not me.”

Sue chuckles into her cupped hand, and Sammy joins in a second later.

“What’s so funny?” I ask Sue since I’m more likely to get a straight answer from her.

“Your daughter is being influenced by her fiancé. She’s doing impressions now. We’re all doomed.”

I glance at Sammy, one of my brows arched in a wordless inquiry.

She explains. “It’s Paul Rudd from an internet thing he did a few years ago. Don’t worry about it.”

“Ah. I see.” I shrug, resisting the urge to pull out my phone to search for it. “How does it pertain to us, though?”

“Never thought the three of us would be standing around together waiting for our men to return. Sue and me? Sure. But never expected you, Mom.”

She extends her arm, bringing me in for a side hug. “Jokes aside, I like having you with us. There’s strength and safety in numbers. Especially when it’s people you love surrounding you.” She reaches out for Sue, who reluctantly accepts the embrace. “Bad shit is so much easier to get through when I’m not on my own. It’s like when I was a kid, and you would tell us to?—”

She cuts herself off, scrunching her face and closing her eyes.

“Sammy, what is it?” My widened eyes fall to her belly. It’s too soon for her to have labor pains. “Are you okay, darling?”

Sue shrugs out of Sammy’s hold and does a full-body shimmy as if she’s ridding herself of the hug or whatever’s happening with my daughter. “Oh no. Not yet.”

Sammy wobbles her head from side to side, then blinks three times before finally looking back at me. “I’m fine, and the babies are too. It was just a shitty and rather vivid memory.” Her chin quivers, and her eyes grow misty.

I cup her cheek gingerly, tilting her face toward mine. “Want to talk about it? A trouble shared is a trouble halved.”

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