One-Knight Stand (White Knights #3) - Julie Moffett Page 0,29
loved Frankie.
“Oh, you sweet little thing,” Frankie fussed, scratching him behind his ears. “What in the world are you doing here?” She looked quizzically at me. “Angel, what’s going on? How’s your mom?”
Jax came and stood beside me. His presence steadied me. I was an extremely private person, so asking for help, even from my own team, was excruciatingly difficult. But I took a deep breath and started.
“Thanks for waiting for me and Jax to return. I know it’s a bit cold out here, but I needed to make sure we weren’t overheard.”
“Why?” Frankie asked, her expression becoming increasingly alarmed. “What happened?”
There was no way to ease into it. Just saying it made me sick to my stomach. “My mom has been kidnapped.”
There was a collective gasp, and everyone started talking at once. I held up a hand, asking everyone to keep their voices down and listen. “Please, I don’t want anyone to overhear. I believe my mother was kidnapped by the same person, or people, who tried to kidnap me.”
“Oh no!” Frankie clapped a hand over her mouth. “Why?”
Now the questions came fast and furiously. I held up a hand again until the group fell silent. “First of all, I don’t know exactly who took my mom or why. I haven’t told the police yet, either. You’re all aware that someone tried to kidnap me a few weeks ago and, thanks to you, it was thwarted. But you weren’t told why someone had targeted me specifically. The NSA withheld that information for your protection. In the meantime, my mom, sister, and I were told we’d be watched and protected, but somehow they got to my mom anyway.”
“Who’s they?” Mike asked, his eyes wide. “And who are you? Why would your mom and you would be targeted for kidnapping?”
I sighed. “There’s a lot about me and my life that you don’t know. But I’m not going to go into that here and now. What I do want you to know is that I have a plan to get my mom back. And I…” I glanced over at Jax, who was watching quietly, his arms crossed loosely against his chest. He gave me a brief nod. “I want to give you the opportunity to be a part of that plan. But I also want to be honest with you. It’s going to be dangerous, and if something goes wrong, you could get hurt, or worse. It could also adversely affect your future at UTOP. If you don’t want to get involved, I totally understand. I just ask that you don’t mention this conversation to anyone.”
I’d barely finished speaking when Frankie spoke up. “I’m in one-hundred percent. What do you want me to do, Angel?”
“I’m in, too,” Wally said. “Frankly, I’m insulted you had to ask.”
Kira wound her baby-blue scarf tighter around her neck to ward off the chill. “I’m willing to help as well, Angel. But I’m curious why you haven’t gone to the police.”
“I’ve been told by someone I trust that if the police become involved, my mom will die.” Just saying the words made me shudder. Jax noticed and put a hand on my shoulder to settle me.
“Angel, are you sure?” Hala asked, visibly stricken.
I wished I weren’t, but I believed my father. “Unfortunately, I’m sure.”
“Well, of course, I’ll help,” she said. “I’d ask for your help if it were my mother.” Her empathic tone and emphasis led me to believe there was more to her offer than she let on.
One by one, the team indicated a willingness to support me. Just like that, they fell in line. It shocked me. I hadn’t expected their support to be given so easily, especially since I hadn’t been able to provide much of an explanation. But Jax had said they would follow me, and he was right.
We’re a team, Red.
He was looking at me now, and I knew what he was thinking. I’d placed my trust in the team, and now they’d placed their trust in me. Perhaps, sometimes, it was as easy as that.
Gratitude and relief swept through me, tightening my throat. I worked to get my thoughts in order.
“Thank you. All of you.” I cleared my throat, feeling like crying and laughing at the same time. “I can’t tell you what your support means to me…to my family. I really appreciate it.” I didn’t know why it was so embarrassing for me to accept help from my friends. I still had to work on that.