“They were,” Gabriel said.
“Not helping,” Halston added.
Halston’s dad joined them, slipping his arm around his wife’s waist. “Is Mom talking to you about marriage?”
“Uh-huh.”
Her dad smiled. “Okay, Sonya, let’s get you something to eat.” As he escorted her into the kitchen, he turned back and mouthed, “Sorry.”
In the hallway, Halston regarded Gabriel. “That was embarrassing.”
“That I brought up marriage?”
“No, thatshedid,” Halston replied.
“I gave you a wedding band.” He dipped down, kissed her. “I don’t do things by accident. Like you, I’m a very intentional person. You know that about me.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his finger, sending tingles flitting through her. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied.
In the kitchen, Halston made herself a plate of food, poured herself a coffee. There were no seats beside Gabriel, so she sat on the end. After peering around the table, her gaze settled on his. He was staring at his laptop, completely focused on the task. Conversations were happening about the blackouts, about the challenges her dad was having trying to quickly undo all the work his team had just completed.
Her mom, sitting catty-corner, clasped her hand. “I’m proud of you, honey. And you’re right. You two will figure it out. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”
The lights in the kitchen flickered, then went out.
Phone flashlights came on around the table.
“Did the generator die, or did someone breach the site?” Greystone asked.
Gabriel pulled his CANiK pistol from its holster. “Who’s coming with me to check?”
24
THE SITUATION ROOM
GABRIEL
Gabriel and Greystone strode outside, their guns at the ready. They rounded the building checked all three generators. The lights on the machines were on, but the systems weren’t running.
Greystone jumped on his phone. “I’ve got the app.”
After Greystone toggled around the app, the generators came roaring back to life. The system was set to preserve power, so they were operating at thirty percent of full capacity.
“What happened?” Gabriel asked.
“I don’t know. They just died.”
“Could someone have hacked in?”
“It’s possible,” Greystone replied.
They strode inside, heading toward the kitchen, when Nurse Baker Deen rounded the corner.
“The patient is out of surgery,” the nurse said. “He’s groggy, but he wants to talk. I just finished dressing him.”
“How’d it go?” Greystone asked.
“Both bullets shattered, so it was tough for the doctor to do a clean removal. She’s packing up now, if you want to talk to her.”
