Presley shoots up and starts to bounce on my lap. “Oh my gosh, this is great.”
The room starts to buzz.
Tell us!
Don’t keep us waiting.
Is it twins?
Robbie moves his hand to Ember’s small baby bump and looks directly at me. His face tells it all. I know. Deep in my soul, I know exactly what he’s saying with only one glance. Max hisses beside me, seeing the same thing I do.
Ember’s eyes brim with tears. “We’re having a little girl.”
The room explodes; Presley leaps up and rushes to Ember’s side. The other women do the same, and I sink back into my chair, feeling Robbie’s pain.
A little girl…
A beautiful little girl…
A precious, innocent, little girl who will love her daddy like crazy….
There’s an ache in my chest, and I look back at my best friend, who’s panicked as all the women flank him and Ember. She’s glowing, but he’s wide-eyed and pale as they ramble over each other about showers, themes, and nurseries.
I take in the scene and start to laugh; it’s loud and boisterous, and soon, I’m not alone. I give Alex a pointed look. “You got anything stronger than vodka in this house?”
“Absolutely.” He goes to the kitchen and holds up a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label.
I jerk my head in approval and motion with my chin to the others. Robbie dislodges from under Ember and follows.
Alex hands out highballs with the scotch, raising his glass first. “To Robbie, Ember, and that precious baby girl.”
We all touch glasses, Robbie gulping the entire thing in one swallow. “I’m fucking screwed.” He runs his hand along the back of his neck.
“Yep,” I agree as he gives me a dirty look.
“Ember’s ecstatic. Thad and Chloe are going crazy.”
“You’ll be an excellent father.” Gabe slaps him on the shoulder.
He edges his glass forward for Alex to give him a refill.
We change the subject to Max’s new assignment in Quantico, when a shrill alert starts to beep on my phone. Robbie’s does the same thing. Max stiffens at the familiar drone.
This is the EMOP warning. This is the distress call. This is James’ private signal that something is wrong. All hands on deck, it’s time to prove why we’re the people to call when things go down.
I look behind me at Presley sipping her drink and listening attentively as Ember’s hands fly through the air. I catch Robbie’s eye, and we communicate non-verbally.
The shit has hit the fan, someone is in danger, and it’s time for us to do our job.
Chapter 27
Finn
The intensity in the office is at an all-time high. Men and women move around with hushed voices, and TV monitors stay locked on every news station, local and national. So far, nothing about the DeSantis family has been mentioned. Only our group and the team in Louisiana know that the DeSantis children and Mrs. DeSantis were taken at gunpoint last night.
The sun has already risen, when one of the technical assistants comes in with fresh coffee and boxes of food. There’s a team of us who have been here all night, going through every detail of Governor DeSantis’ life as far back as high school. The EMOP is in place, and as outlined, James was on a private plane out of Nashville within an hour of being notified about the kidnapping. He landed in Baton Rouge before midnight, and so far, we’ve had several conference calls with no real updates.
The kidnappers have been silent, which is unnerving, but our shred of hope lies in the fact that the nanny was taken as well. She’s kept her cover in place without any suspicions as far as we know. Her background and reputation as an operative has James confident everyone is okay.