“Call the guys in,” Falcon orders as he continues to look over the file I put together on the timelines and locations of Maria and Franco’s travels, along with how long it took the men to find her each time.
Over the next several hours, the Storm team reviews the extraction plan. Bull has secured transportation from and to the States through a contact who will meet us at the private airport. We have a van lined up that we bought online under an alias that, once we abandon it, won’t matter and won’t be traced back to the team. The route in and out of town has been determined with one change.
“Originally, Phoenix, Rebel, and I were going in to get Maria and her son to safety,” Falcon says, then nods to Phoenix. “In light of the new development, I think you should stay with Kailyn. And before you get angry, hear me out. This is your first baby. I don’t want you to miss a minute of it. Kailyn would never stop you from going, but if she needed something, she’d want you with her. If this assignment was closer, it wouldn’t matter as much, but you’d be across the ocean. I’m only saying this so you can enjoy the whole experience with Kailyn. You’d still have shit to do, such as getting a safe house in order for Maria and her son and making sure all communication is running, and during the operation, you and Wire would both be with us online. The choice is yours.”
I can see that Phoenix is upset over the change, but the more Falcon explains his reasoning, his expression changes, and he understands that Falcon is considering not only Phoenix’s feelings, but Kailyn’s as well.
“Can I talk to Kailyn about it?” Phoenix asks.
“We’re wheels up early morning. I need to know before then and give Bull the time he needs to get ready,” Falcon replies.
We end the meeting, and Phoenix goes right into Kailyn’s office, shutting the door. Phoenix isn’t the kind to stand by and do nothing, but since he got with Kailyn, he isn’t too excited about long trips away from her. With a baby on the way, his decision just got harder.
I pull up the satellite maps of where Maria is hiding out. I scan the streets for anything out of the ordinary. So far, the same people have been coming and going from the motel. I’ve been monitoring the cars parked in the lot, and everyone checks out as the guest they are on file. All seems calm, but I still can’t relax until we have them where we can protect them.
Vic checks in a couple of times to let me know all is well with the women. He’s also taken on the task of getting the new wheel and kiln installed at my place. Vic’s been a huge help and doesn’t consider any task menial. I really hope that he’ll consider being part of Storm for the long haul.
Phoenix pops his head in. “Hey, got a second?”
“Yeah, of course. What’s up?”
“I’m going to take Falcon up on his offer to stay back this time around,” he says, but I can tell he’s conflicted over his decision. “Tell me what I can do to help you out.”
“Your mouth is saying you want to stay but…”
“This is who I am. I don’t want to stop being who I am, and if Falcon thinks that I’m going soft because I’m having a kid, then where do I fit?” he says in frustration.
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. You know Falcon better than that. He takes care of us, and he’s trying to give you and Kailyn what you need, which is time together before the baby arrives. A baby isn’t going to stop you from doing what you love and what you’re made to do, and we all know you belong at Storm, especially Falcon…”
“Kailyn has a doctor’s appointment in a couple of days and wants me with her. She needs me too.”
“Then take the time to be the devoted husband she needs, because when it’s our turn for our kids, you’re going to be the one flying out,” I say with a grin.
“You want kids? Does Remmi?”
“Yeah, and hell yeah!” I respond. We both have a laugh before I get serious. “I have to locate a safe house. I could use your expertise. I also need to get all the security features set up in and out of the place. I was thinking of asking Falcon if Vic could be with Maria and Franco when they get here instead of us taking turns. He could stay with them until we figure it out. It means we have more resources, and they have a kickass soldier who can protect them. What do you think?”
“I think it’s perfect. Let’s go have a word,” Phoenix says with a shrug.
Phoenix feels better after talking it out with Falcon, and he’s on board with getting Vic involved. Falcon will call him later. The team has been conditioned from our army days to have a plan and to stick with it, but we’ve also had to deviate many times from what we had planned. It’s all part of the job!
Chapter 13
Strong Moms
Remmi
Wire’s been holed up in his office for most of the evening. He explained that the team is going to get a mom and her son out of danger, but to do so, Rebel, Bull, and Falcon are putting themselves at risk. That leaves Phoenix and Wire to ensure that everything goes smoothly from the command station at Storm Enterprises.
He even asked if I would stay with one of the girls tomorrow night. I was going to protest and tell him I would be perfectly fine at home with Wolfie, but I saw that this was stressing him out and acceded to his request. Wire needs to be alert, and I know that he and Phoenix would blame themselves if anything happened to any of their brothers.
Wire had dinner and then disappeared into his office, leaving Wolfie to keep me company. In a way, it’s comforting to know that Wire can be himself and go about doing what needs to be done without thinking he needs to be with me every moment. I’ve had a long day and put a huge dent in the orders coming up this month. Maya and Sadie are great help and wonderful company. We plan on going out for lunch tomorrow, provided I can get the last of the orders into the kiln. I’ll be spending the next few weeks glazing and decorating each piece with its own unique pattern or style. I love what I do, but my favorite part is bringing the pieces to life with color.
I decide to call Mina for our daily. She’s been in court all day and sent me a text earlier to let me know that she’s on a big case and won’t be free until later this evening.
“Hey, Rem, how did your day go? Are you still shacking up with that hot guy?” she teases.
I giggle. “Yep, and loving every second of it. How was court today?”
