us handcuffed and sitting in the back of a federal agent’s SUV?” Cash asked, side-eyeing Hailey.
For some reason, Hailey laughed.
Jesse couldn’t figure out why because nothing about this was funny. But she snort-laughed until tears ran down her face.
“Honestly, I lied. I had no plan. I just wanted to get the others out of here,” she said, looking out the window of the SUV as a bunch of cuffed guys were being frog-marched to a waiting HRT van. “And we don’t know if we’re in trouble yet.”
Hazel had cuffed the three of them and shoved them in the back of her SUV with orders to “Be quiet!”
Easton was currently sitting in the back of an ambulance, talking to Hazel and an EMT.
“Your nickname should have been trouble,” Jesse murmured. “That should have been my moniker for you instead of kitten.”
“Did you just use the word ‘moniker’?” She giggled again, and he wasn’t sure why, but the sound was adorable.
“Maybe we could call her Kitten Trouble. Or Trouble Kitten?” Cash suggested.
“Both those sound stupid,” Hailey grumbled. “You’re stupid.”
Cash just laughed as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“My nickname should be badass. Or boss bitch. Or good-ass since I do have a nice ass.”
“Not sure who told you that, but they lied,” Cash said.
Hailey rammed her shoulder into him in annoyance.
“Why is it that I’m still the only adult in the room?” Jesse muttered, gently nudging Hailey. He hated being cuffed, being unable to physically protect her. The adrenaline from earlier had waned, and he simply wanted to hold her—to keep her safe. It was taking everything in him to control the rage at being restrained, helpless. Because they weren’t in physical danger, something he was having to remind himself of every few seconds.
Cash let his head fall back. “I’m choosing to believe in justice and—”
“Gah, please shut up.” Hailey knocked her knee into his.
“Or what?”
“I’ll shut you up myself.”
“How are you going to do that?” Cash taunted.
“I swear by all that is holy, you two, I will demand Hazel arrest me if you don’t stop,” Jesse snarled. They were acting exactly like they had when they’d been in high school.
Thankfully, they both quieted. Mostly.
“He started it,” Hailey grumbled, but then she laid her head on Jesse’s shoulder.
And he laid his own on hers and closed his eyes, savoring the peace. They might be cuffed and probably going to jail until his lawyer got them out, but Easton was okay, and the four of them were together again.
“Look alive,” Cash murmured sometime later.
Jesse opened his eyes, saw the dash showed only twenty minutes had passed. He also saw Hazel stalking toward them. And oooh, she was pissed, given her dark expression.
Her sunglasses covered most of her face, but her jaw was tight as she opened the back door and looked at the three of them. She was silent for a long moment, then said, “Your friend is going to be okay. He’s in shock and dehydrated, and they’re taking him to Memorial.”
“So are we being arrested?” Hailey asked bluntly when Hazel didn’t continue.
The other woman shoved her sunglasses up on her head, her eyes icy. “You should be.”
Huh, that wasn’t a yes.
“But you have some very powerful friends. Some of whom I’m guessing were here today.” She looked between the three of them. “Because someone put in a call to my boss’s boss’s boss.”
No one said a word.
“You have anything to say?” Hazel pushed.
“Yeah, snitches get stitches.” Hailey’s tone was dry as she answered.
“Come on, get out,” Hazel finally muttered, motioning to Jesse first. As she unlocked his cuffs, she said, “I want to make it clear that what you all did was beyond reckless. The results could have been very, very different. You’re lucky that no one was killed. And,” she continued as she unlocked Hailey’s cuffs next, “you’re lucky that Parker wants the credit for this rescue a hell of a lot more than he wants you dumbasses tossed in jail. Because he’s not even complaining about you being let go. He’s telling me to take the win.”
Now she was working on Cash’s cuffs.
“So. Parker gets the credit, along with HRT. None of your names will be going in any reports. And I don’t want to see any of you for a good, long while. It’s like you were never here. All the assholes who were shot today saw were a bunch of dumbasses in balaclavas. So you’re free to go.”
“That’s it?” Cash asked.
Hailey elbowed him. “Dude, don’t push it.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” Hazel snapped. “Now get out of here, and go see your friend.”
“What about Senator Silva?” Jesse asked, because he couldn’t help himself. “He was behind this. Easton saw him.”
In response, Hazel slid her sunglasses onto her face and turned away from them, stalking back to a group of agents wearing blue windbreakers with FBI proudly emblazoned on the backs.
“Come on. Let’s go before she changes her mind.” Hailey slid her hand into Jesse’s, and they headed back to where they’d left their SUV and did exactly what she said—got the hell out of there.
***“This is ridiculous,” Easton grumbled from his hospital bed as he ate the chocolate Jell-o.
“Not ridiculous.” Jesse frowned down at his friend even as he was grateful everything had worked out. “They’re testing your blood and hair to see if they can figure out what drugs you were given. And you’re dehydrated, something you already know. Stop being a baby.”
“I’m allowed to be whiny,” Easton grumbled again.
Which made Jesse smile. “Yeah, I guess you are.”
“See if you can get some more of that Jell-o before we leave.” Hailey didn’t look up from her phone as she scrolled, looking for any mention of the senator getting arrested. She’d been obsessively checking news and social media sites since they’d arrived at the hospital. “And you’re sure you told the Feds about Senator Silva?”
“Pretty sure,” Easton said on a tired laugh. “Now what the hell has been going on? You guys busted in there like commandos. Also, who were the other two people with you? Or four, I guess, including the ones in the SUV. I didn’t mention them to the Feds, by the way. And why did the Feds let you go? That one agent seemed to know you, Hailey.”
“The four people from earlier…I work with all of them,” Hailey said as Jesse plucked her phone from her hand and shoved it in his pocket. She frowned, but didn’t try to get it back. Instead, she scooted her chair closer to Easton’s bed, took his hand in hers, and held it up to her face for a long moment. “We decided we weren’t going to wait for HRT to rescue you. And yeah, Hazel was and is quite angry with me. Probably will be for a long time. But I’ll live with it because you’re alive and here and absolutely nothing else matters.”
“That was really dangerous, what you did,” Easton rasped out as he squeezed her hand back, his eyes filling with tears.
The door opened, and Cash stepped in, carrying a teddy bear and a big balloon.
“Please tell me you didn’t steal that,” Hailey said, wiping away a few of her own errant tears.
Cash gave her an affronted look. “I bought this from the gift shop. And the reason I took so long is because I bought balloons for everyone on this floor. They’re being delivered right now.”
Easton sniffled even more as Cash tied the balloon around the bear’s arm and set him on the bed.
“You made him cry!” Hailey grabbed a box of tissues and handed them to Easton.
“No, it’s just…being with you all again. At the same time.” He covered his face. “Gah, don’t look at me! I can’t help it. I’m emotional.”
Hailey leaned in and hugged him, and Jesse hugged them both. Then he felt Cash wrap his arms around them.
Emotion swelled up inside Jesse, and his own eyes got hot. For this one moment, it was the four of them again.
Then Easton said, “You’re not allowed to ghost us again. You know that, right?” His voice was muffled.
“Yeah, I know.” Hailey’s voice was muffled too. “But I think Cash needs to put on some deodorant.” She pulled up from the group hug and made a face.
“I smell great! Why are you being so mean to me?”
“I don’t know! All my adrenaline crashed, and now I feel like a ball of anxiety so I’m taking it out on you. I’m sorry. You’re just an easy target because you’re so stupidly handsome and can obviously take the ribbing. Clearly, you don’t stink.”
“Did you call me handsome? Are you mocking me now?”
“I was trying to give you a compliment!”
“I forgot what they were like,” Easton said to Jesse as Cash and Hailey continued to bicker like actual siblings.
“Me too,” Jesse murmured. “I’m glad you’re home. And I’d like you to stay at my place for a while. I think there’s going to be a media circus once everything comes out, and my house will be more secure.” And he wasn’t sure if Easton was still in danger.
“Okay.”
“Really, no arguments?”
“Nope. The past few days have been…a lot. I’d like to get back to work soon, but Special Agent Blake told me that she was going to have a lot more questions for me and a follow-up. I’m pretty sure once they arrest Senator Silva, that will follow. I think they were just eager to get you guys and me out of there. So…” Easton looked at Hailey, then back at Jesse. Then he mouthed, You two together?
Jesse shrugged and then half nodded because he wasn’t sure what the hell they were. He knew what he wanted, and she’d said she wouldn’t run again. But that didn’t mean they were together.