In actuality, it was the van that would hold the guys as we took them back to their bikes.
“How much longer do you think it’ll be?” he wondered.
I had no clue. Hopefully not long.
“About an hour?” I shrugged. “There’s no telling. There was a lot of damage. The power line that came down fed the entire block. We understand that you’re having trouble, but until our crew can get here to take care of the line safely, there’ll be no through traffic.”
The guy sighed. “I have a few errands I could run, anyway. Just wanted to come get my girl.”
I barely refrained from curling my lip up at him.
Without another word, he got into his car and left, executing a three-point turn to do it.
When I went back to the surveillance van, Hunt was once again staring at the screens.
“Everything okay?” I asked breathlessly.
I felt like I was high on adrenaline.
“Yes,” he answered quietly. “Good job back there. He never looked away from your crotch.”
I snorted and once again went back to watching Troup.
He was in the house now, and he was quietly talking to Cannel.
“She’s there,” I whispered.
The bodycam that Trouper was wearing was pointing directly at her.
Cannel was staring at him with what looked to be a massive amount of hope in her eyes.
Then with a cry she threw herself into Trouper’s arms.
A pang of jealousy sifted through me at the sight. All I could see now were her boobs.
“Don’t worry,” Hunt said softly. “I’ve never seen a man so hopelessly devoted to a woman like Trouper is to you. And you can see in Sin’s bodycam that Trouper is awkwardly patting her back. He doesn’t want to be where he is any more than you want him there.”
That did appease me slightly.
“I feel like a jerk for even thinking it,” I admitted.
“You are,” he replied.
I laughed at his words. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I like to keep it real,” he shrugged as he threw his arms up over his head and stretched.
For a computer geek, Hunt was sexy as hell. He didn’t seem like a geek at all.
But despite my observations, I returned my gaze to the screen and watched as they exited the building.
Trouper handed Cannel off to Sin since Sin’s entrance was easier than everyone else’s.
Cannel going with Sin would mean that she didn’t have to jump over the fence.
She could crawl under.
But the rest of the men came out the way they went in, just in case.
When they arrived at the trucks, it was to see Cannel in a state of shock.
I gestured to the surveillance van. “Put her in the front seat. We’ll drive home together. Someone else can drive the shitty delivery truck.”
Hunt snatched up the keys, but before anyone could go, I looked at the barriers.
“Now, who’s going to wait for that asshole to get home?” I asked to the group of men.
“That would be me.” Easton’s lazy drawl from behind me surprised me.
I squeaked when I turned, then smiled wide and threw myself at him.
“Easton!” I cried. “Hey!”
Easton gave me a breath-stealing hug before letting me go.
Trouper, not liking me that close to other men, even men related to him, grabbed me by the back of the shirt and tugged me back into his arms.
I went willingly.
“Thanks for the heads up, bro.” Easton narrowed his eyes.
I laughed. “Sorry, Easton. Cannel is important to us.”
“What are you going to do with her?” Easton asked curiously, his eyes going to his brother.
Trouper held up his finger as he pulled out his phone.
He dialed a number from heart and then placed it to his ear.
“Kansas.” Trouper’s gruff voice filled my right ear. “I need you to bring Toot here. We have Cannel.”
Without another word, he hung up and looked over to me.
“It’ll be okay,” I promised.
He cracked his neck. “Maybe. Maybe not. But it needs done.”
He looked over at Cannel, who was sitting on the bench inside the surveillance van looking haggard, rocking back and forth.
I didn’t know what she went through these last few months. But I was damn grateful that we were able to get her out. Able to take her out of that living nightmare.
And maybe, just maybe, I could set some of my own nightmares to rest by giving Cannel back to Toot.
CHAPTER 27
Her mouth gets real disrespectful when she’s mad. That’s why she doesn’t like to argue.
-Text from Trouper to Sammy
TROUPER
“I want you to do it.”
I looked at my wife.
“I can’t,” I shook my head.
“I know you think you can’t, but you need to,” she whispered pleadingly.
I looked over at Lynn, who listened to everything with a quietness to him that was disconcerting at times.
“Tell her.”
“The trial will mean that he might go back to prison,” Lynn said. “I have him out right now. I have him living his life. You have him. He has you and his child. Another trial could mean that he could go back. He’d have to do the rest of whatever sentence they saw fit. I wouldn’t have any control over that.”
Her shoulders deflated.
She wanted me to have my life back. She wanted me to have everything that I ever wanted. I knew that.
But she was hoping for a miracle when there wasn’t going to be one.
She wanted me to file for a mistrial, so I could possibly go back to where I’d once been, but there was no going back. Not anymore.
“You need this not hanging over your head anymore,” she whispered.
She was thinking of my Air Force career.
“Baby,” I said softly. “I know you think that that means something to me, but it doesn’t. Not a single thing. I have you and Hiro. That’s all that matters to me anymore.”
Her head thunked down on my chest, right between my pecs.
“It does matter to you,” she whispered brokenly.
She was right.
It did matter to me.
But there was nothing that I could do about it.
There was also no other route that I would take.
Because, no matter what,
