Jesse looked up to see two familiar people walking down the hall—Becket and Holden. Jesse had texted both when he’d gotten to the hospital.
“Okay,” he finally responded. “Call if you need anything, Luke.”
He hung up.
Jesus. What a fucking mess.
He turned to his brother and best friend. “Hey.”
“How’s Aspen?” Becket asked, an anger in his eyes that matched Jesse’s.
His family was loyal, and the second Aspen had been introduced as his, she’d become part of that family. And today, their family had been threatened. “She’s doing as well as can be expected.”
“Are you thinking this was Dylan, and your deputy got in the way?” Holden asked.
Of course he was on the same page. They’d served on the same Ghost Ops team for so many years that they knew how each other’s minds worked. “It’s the most obvious conclusion.”
Becket’s gaze moved in either direction along the hall before landing back on Jesse. “We’ll watch the hall and trail you both home.”
Exactly why he’d called them. His deputies were good, but they weren’t former special operations like Becket and Holden.
“I appreciate it.” He nodded before heading back into the room just as Aspen was hanging up. “Get through to Callie okay?”
She nodded, but she looked pale.
Shit, he needed to get her home. He cupped her cheek. “Ready to go?”
“Past ready.”
“Me too.” He slipped an arm around her and led her out of the room, Holden and Becket sticking close.
It was late.She should be in bed. But Jesse was talking to deputies on the phone while he made hot drinks, and she knew if she got into bed alone, she wouldn’t sleep. Because every time she closed her eyes, she felt Margot’s warm but lifeless skin beneath her fingertips. Saw the crimson blood soaked into her uniform like it was still right in front of her.
She swallowed, watching Jesse as he balanced the phone between his shoulder and ear and poured hot milk into a mug while she sat on the couch.
He was certain this was Dylan. And yeah, there didn’t seem to be anyone else itcouldbe. But then that made Margot’s death her fault, right? Or at least partially her fault. Dylan wouldn’t behere in Amber Ridge if it wasn’t for her. And he wouldn’t have been at the station tonight if she hadn’t been working there. That meant Margot would still be alive if it wasn’t for her.
The thought sat in her belly like an immovable rock, weighing her down. Pressing on her.
Jesse hung up the phone and turned, two mugs in hand. He looked so big and strong and angry. He was trying to hide that anger, but she could see it in the darkening of his eyes. In the tensing of his jaw.
He handed her a mug. “Here, I made you a hot cocoa. My sister also gave me something to put in it. Don’t ask me what, but she said something about a calming herb.”
“Thank you.” She took the mug from his fingers and the warmth slipped down her arms, moving beneath the surface of her skin.
Jesse sat beside her, but he felt too far away. She wanted to shift closer. Heck, every part of her craved the closeness of crawling onto his lap and pressing into him.
She didn’t. Because she blamed herself for him losing one of his deputies tonight?
She lowered her gaze to her mug. “Does Margot’s family live here in Amber Ridge?”
Jesse shook his head. “No. They live in Bozeman. Claudia called them.”
She nodded.
“Hey. Don’t do that.”
Her head shot up. “Do what?”
