“Hey, Sean, let’s go have a seat.” Sean nodded mutely and allowed Tony to guide him to my dining room table.
When Sean sat down, he reached for me, pulling me close and burying his face in my chest. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed the top of his head. My eyes were burning with unshed tears. I hated to see him hurting so badly.
Tony cleared his throat. “Okay. So, my company does more than just personal security. There are some things I can’t tell you because they’re not strictly legal, got it?” Sean nodded, so Tony continued, “We have a team that does search and rescue. I just activated that team, and we’re gonna go full out until we find your brother and bring him home.” Tony looked over at me. “We’ll need access to a charter plane. There’s no way we can take a commercial flight.”
I nodded. “Anything you need. You have carte blanche to pay for the whole thing from my account.”
Tony gave me a sharp nod, then quickly sent a text. “Okay, that set the ball rolling. Now let’s get you to your mother, Sean. I’m sure she needs you.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
SEAN
I felt like I was drowning. It had been more than twenty-four hours since we found out Liam had been taken. It felt like an eternity. To my relief, the rescue team, led by Marco, landed in Cyprus around two in the afternoon our time. And then we heard nothing. Tony warned us this would likely be the case because of the logistics of getting into Lebanon from Cyprus.
Mom spent most of her time talking to friends and relatives. People came and went. Some stayed only for a little while and others spent several hours keeping us company and lending support. Joanna brought over a feast, including Mom’s favorite dessert. Caitlin and Chris came over with Maya, who was a charming distraction. Evan and Raphael braved the weekend shore traffic to come down to be with us. Evan brought his cello, and he and Jeremy played music throughout the day to help soothe our jagged nerves.
Through all of it, Jeremy was a constant presence. He never hovered. He was just always there when I needed him. He was there with a soft touch, a kiss on my cheek, his arms around me, holding me tight when I broke down yet again. I wasn’t sure I could have stayed sane without him
It was closing in on midnight. Everyone had gone home except Sister Beth, who was keeping vigil with Mom. I’d given Evan and Raphael the key to my cottage so they didn’t have to drive back to the City and could have some privacy. Jeremy and I were camped out on the sofa in my mom’s living room. I’d encouraged him to get some sleep in the guest room, but he wouldn’t leave my side. God, I loved this man.
I’d fallen into a light doze when my phone rang. It was Tony. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely swipe to answer. “Liam?”
“They found him,” Tony said without preamble. “He’s hurt but alive.”
I nearly dropped my phone. Relief flooded me as tears filled my eyes and poured down my cheeks.
“Thank you. Oh God, thank you so much.” I heard Mom cry out with joy and then break down in tears, so Jeremy must have given her the news. I missed what Tony said next. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”
“It’s okay,” he answered. “I know it’s a lot. I said they’re taking him to a hospital in Lebanon. He’s got some injuries that need to be stabilized before they can fly him back home.”
My stomach knotted, and I felt sick. “Oh shit. What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to get into detail until we know more.”
I bit back my dozen questions. “Okay. You’ll keep us posted, right?”
“Of course. I’ll call as soon as I know anything.”
Jeremy’s arms went around me. “I’m so glad,” he said softly.
I turned in his arms and kissed him fiercely. “You did this. You made it happen. Liam is alive because of you.”
“I didn’t…” he started to object.
“Oh yes, you did,” I insisted. “I never would have known about Tony’s organization if you hadn’t told me, and there’s no way I could have gotten the money to charter a private plane and pay for all the rest of it.”
Mom came over, and I stepped away from Jeremy to wrap her in my arms. She pressed her face into my chest, and we both wept in relief. After a while, she wiped her eyes and turned to my boyfriend. “Jeremy, lad,” she said tearfully as she threw her arms around him, “You’re a blessing to this family. I’m so happy Sean found you.”
Jeremy blushed and said, “Thank you, Mrs. O’Neil.”
She playfully swatted his arm. “None of that. It’s Moira to you. You’re family now.”
Jeremy’s eyes got glassy. He swallowed hard and said hoarsely, “Moira. I’m honored to be part of your family.”
She turned to me. “What else did Tony say?”
I told her about them taking Liam to a hospital. She looked stricken for a moment, then she squared her shoulders. “All right. I’m going to have to take some leave from work so I can take care of him when he gets home.”
