“Ten-four. Panther One?”
Less than twenty minutes later Castello shifted in his seat, trying not to disturb the baby. How did he end up with the baby? Apparently, because he’d once had a kid over twenty years ago, he should know what to do with it when it didn’t stop crying.
“I remember you with Rourke.” Steele sat next to him, Mikey on his lap.
“We had some family day at Bragg. You had him with you, he was a little bigger than him.”
“Yeah,” Castello remembered the day, even if he didn’t remember Steele being there. He had only attended one family picnic, the day Rourke took his first steps. Damn, that had been a lifetime ago. He studied Krystal
and Zeke where they sat across from him, his brain trying to tell him that now Axel had her back, there was no reason for him to stay. His heart revolted, told him he was a freaking dumbass, but, yet again he locked that shit down in his mind. As soon as the bird landed, mission time was over. Then he could worry about that shit.
“You like this one, huh?” Steele asked.
“What?”
“Axel.”
Hell yes.“Um,” Castello glanced sideways, normally he would thump Steele or punch him, but with the baby in his arms he couldn’t do jack. “None of your business.”Idiot, if anyone knows what you’re feeling it’s Steele, askhim!But before Castello could work up the courage to do the one thing that made him want to run for the hills, the comms unit beeped in his ear.
“ETA, RTB, five minutes.” The pilot’s voice warned them of their imminent arrival to the safehouse.
Chapter 16
Axel rocked back and forth on his heels. He’d heard the call over the radio for the roof to open to allow the birds, as Sage had called the helicopters, to land. His chest hurt so badly that he could barely squeeze air into and out of his lungs. He had watched the operation as Castello and the guys had carried it out. Had seen that Steele Givens had been the one to find Krystal, Mikey, and the baby. But until he saw them, touched them, he would not believe it was real.
“Stand back, man.” The older dude who had been in the landing zone before advised. “You do not want to get caught in rotor wash or you’ll be cleaning dust outta your eyes for a month.” The man lifted one shoulder as he led Axel to an office where they could safely watch the landing. “I sweep in here a couple of times a day. But it’s a cave and the dust bunnies use it as a breeding ground.”
“Thank you.” Axel kept his eyes trained on the window, watching as the massive machines hovered over the opening before the pilots skillfully lowered them down into the cave. “Jesus, those rotors are close to the walls.”
“Yup,” the man told him, “Only one of the guys isn’t allowed to fly in or out. He crashed too many times in the training zone and Miss Allie nearly had a fit.”
Axel frowned in confusion, he thought Allie was Grif and Rock’s woman, why the hell would she have an issue if someone couldn’t fly a helicopter? But he didn’t have time to ask the question as the door of the first helicopter slid open, revealing one of the team. Axel found his eyes scanning the men as they stepped out. Realization slammed into him that rather than his sister, he was looking for Castello. He was impatient with the time it took for everyone to disembark. He had no idea what would happen next, but he was prepared for damn near anything.
The second Helo landed and once the rotors slowed to a stop, the man with him jerked his chin toward the door.
“It’s safe to go out.”
“Thanks.” Axel’s hand was already twisting the door handle before he had finished speaking. Damn it, all these guys looked alike. All dressed in dark camo, how the hell would he know— umm—fuck—Krystal, he reminded himself he was looking for his sister. He still couldn’t help sneaking a look at every man who passed him on their way to wherever it
was they were going.
Then the crowd parted, Moses and the Red Sea style. There they were, his heart nearly stopped as he watched them walking toward him, Krystal, Mikey, and Castello carrying the baby. His palms went slick, rubbing them against his jeans didn’t help. His pulse raced so hard he was light-headed.
“Jesus.” His sister was so freaking skinny. He looked at the child Castello carried. It looked to be about a year old. Both the kid and Mikey were chubby and well fed, his sister was obviously looking after them and not herself. He wanted to race over there. Wanted to hug her, yell at her, ask her what the hell she was thinking, but his feet somehow glued themselves to the ground and refused to move.
Axel glanced to the man who strode next to Krystal. The corner of Castello’s lips curved upward, and he winked at Axel before giving a jerk of his chin toward Krystal. Permission to move closer. Thank fuck.
“Krystal?”
“You came,” she whispered. “You came.”
He grabbed her in his arms and hugged her tight against his chest. She let out a small cry and melted into his arms, with Mikey hanging onto one of her legs. “I promised I would always come.” He stroked her hair and tried to calm his racing heart. She was okay. She was here, safe in his arms. He couldn’t even believe it. “Thank you.” Axel mouthed to Castello over the top of her head.
“Welcome.” Castello shuffled the baby in his arms and wrinkled his nose. “This one needs a new diaper.”
Krystal spun around, “Come to Momma, baby.” She held out her arms, her hands making a gimme gesture. The baby laughed and almost threw himself out of Castello’s hold and into her embrace. “Where?”
“Follow me,” Grif moved from where he had been watching the reunion.
