Page 136 of What Remains

“I know you do,” she whispers.

“But . . . if the president agrees, and⁠—”

“Thank you!” she rushes out before he can give his ultimatums, throwing her arms over his shoulders.

“Any chance I can convince you to stay here?” he asks Natasha as he hangs on to his daughter like she might evaporate if he lets go.

“Not a one. Tessa can take care of Emory while we spin up.” I’m not shocked by Natasha’s decision. She may not be Gwen’s mother, but the bond they share is just as solid. “And you need someone behind a keyboard right there with you just in case shit goes sideways.”

“Shit better not go sideways.” Wyatt releases Gwen, and she hurries over to me.

She grips my hand and peeks up at me, relief in her eyes.

“Trouble,” I mouth, then bend in and almost kiss her. Fak. I immediately step back, remembering we have eyes on us.

“We’ll have Reapers overhead and armored vehicles escorting us out of here,” Carter says, cutting through some of the tension. “And I trust Malachi and his people to watch over our families while we’re gone.”

“Maybe keep someone from our team behind? Like Oliver since Mya’s pregnant?” I suggest. “Or Constantine?”

“Your sister will want her husband to have your six. She’s stubborn like my wife.” Carter’s right about that. “I’ll have Oliver stay. Nash’ll come with us in case we need a pilot while you’re with Gwen in custody.”

Good call.

Wyatt looks back at Gwen. “I almost lost you twice in the last six months,” he huffs out. “I won’t survive nearly losing you again.”

Same.

Fucking same.

Emotion rattles something loose in my chest, and I have to swallow back the pain pushing up and into my throat.

“You won’t lose me.” She bumps her shoulder into my arm. “You’ll both be right next to me.”

He targets me again, eyes narrowed and intense. “I don’t need to ask for your word that you’ll keep her safe.”

“Because you already have it,” I promise. “Every step she takes, I’ll be two in front of her, watching guard.”

“Then let’s do this,” he officially agrees, and I let go of her hand, knowing she needs to hug him again.

She buries her face in his shoulder. “Mum and my brothers still have security keeping an eye on them so no one can attack them to draw me out, right?”

“Of course, but they don’t know about it,” Wyatt responds. “Why?”

“Well, there’s one perk to this plan. When Mum sees me on the news as a hacker, she’s gonna lose her bloody mind.” She lifts her head and the wicked smile on her mouth nearly makes me laugh. She taps her chin with one finger and asks, “Is it wrong that I don’t mind her reputation being ruined?”

Wyatt lets go of her and shockingly cracks a smile of his own. It’s fast and quick, but I spotted it. “She kept you from me for over twenty years. If she cares more about her reputation than her own daughter, and spazzes out about that, then so fucking be it.”

Juliette sits at the edge of the bed, holding my niece, as I pack. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m not sure about anything other than how I feel about her.” I shove my bag aside and sit next to her, opening my arms so I can hold my niece. Feel the comfort from innocence to help ward off all the bad fighting for space in my head.

She smiles and gently hands her over, careful not to wake her. “Maybe one day you two will have your own little one.”

“God willing.” My shoulders fall forward as emotion works its way into my chest all over again. “Gotta have a few conversations, and I suppose maybe a couple of dates first,” I joke instead of saying what’s really on my mind. Like still being scared of what the future holds for us.

“You don’t need to worry.” She gives my leg a motherly pat. “I mean, I know it’s hard not to, but you have to trust God’s plans for you are always better than your own. And something tells me He’s laid out quite the future for you two.”

I angle my head to stare at her. How did she read my mind and say exactly what I needed to hear?