Page 51 of Her Chosen Protector

“Then two of the coalition.”

“Maurice Schlessinger is dead, who else is missing?” Asher asked.

“Sharon Foster,” Leo answered.

“Are any of your team injured or dead? Is Ezio hurt?” Eden immediately wanted to know. She thought about the hissy fit that Sharon had been throwing. Hell, she could have gotten other civilians and some of the SEALs killed with her crazy-assed behavior!

There was a pause before Leo answered. “No, ma’am.”

She blew out a sigh of relief. And then she replayed her thoughts.

Oh God, I didn’t just say that.

She started trembling.

Eden felt it coming again. It was welling up, like an unending tsunami.

“Ash,” she started, then clamped her mouth shut.

“What is it?”

“She’s the one I called screamy-meemy. Everybody I was mean and awful to, died.”

I’m a hateful, judgmental bitch.

In less than a second, he had her hauled up against him, his lips in her hair. “Don’t ever say that.

Don’t even think that.”

“But they did, they died.” If it weren’t for Asher’s arms, she would have crumpled to the floor.

“Not you. Never you, Eden. You saved lives.” He held her tighter. It was as if he were trying to will the words into her soul.

“Asher,” Leo called out.

Ash flipped a switch on the phone. “I’m here, what else is there?”

“It’s a madhouse at the bank.” Leo choked out a weary laugh. “Hasn’t stopped Carnival, though.

Nope, they’re just taking their parade down another street.”

“And us?”

“We haven’t figured it out. The tank has backed out of the lobby and is now idling outside of the gate. The police are swarming the place like ants. They’re crazy—the building is six stories high. The thing is not stable, they should get the hell out of there.”

“Are they coming for the vault?”

“Like I said, they’re everyplace. That includes the teller area on top of the vault. That area is stable, for the moment. Kane doesn’t know how long that will last. It’s the south side that’s the problem. Kane wants to take it down. It won’t hurt anyone on the street since it’d come down within the gate, but Max is all itchy. Everyone knows he wants you to be doing the charges.”

Eden peeled away from Ash. She was good now. Tired. She was tired. That explained all the meltdowns. She felt him watching her as she drifted towards the huge row of safety deposit boxes.

What was tucked away in each box? How many people’s lives were tucked away in each individual box? It boggled the mind. Lives.

Sharon.

Maurice.

She should never have left Montana.