He looks at the paper he holds. “You should’ve given me a little more notice, like an hour, or two. First I say that we’re gathered to witness the union of these two people.” He turns his attention to the guests. “I should ask if anyone objects but I will skip that.”
“We should’ve hired someone,” Hunter protests. “Why can’t you do this simple task? You don’t have to do much.”
“Exchange the vows.” He looks around, ignoring Hunter and smiling at the guests. “It’s my first time, be patient.”
“You’re doing great, Fitz.” Willow touches his arm.
She straightens her back and clears her throat. “Hunter, you’re my everything. My air, my sun, my love. You’re that happy beat I need when my heart is about to stop. You’re poetry to my soul. You’re the one person who discovered my flaws and loved me more because of them. Your love takes away my insecurities and leaves me with a blanket of warmth that keeps me safe when it’s hard for me to breathe on my own. I hope that I’m enough to fill your heart with love and strong enough to be your rock when you’re down. But most of all, I promise to love you for eternity.”
He leans in, kissing her teary eyes. “I love you.” He takes a breath and continues. “Willow, I never believed in love at first sight. But I feel that my soul has been in love with yours since the beginning of time. The day we met you felt familiar. As I got to know you, it felt as if I began to remember who you are. My soulmate, my companion, and the woman I hope to spend the next eternity with. I’ve loved you since always. I’ll love you for always. I just hope that you’ll share with me your darkest days and your brightest nights.”
Her words are beautiful, but his words and the emotion he adds pulls at my heartstrings. I’ve never seen two people more in love. That’s what I want, for someone to just love me as I am. My heart skips a beat when I find Harrison’s eyes, and he blows me a kiss.
“Stop.” Fitz breaks the silent conversation I was about to have with Harrison.
Fitz shows his paper. “Rings first. According to Wikipedia, the kiss isn’t happening just yet.”
The room bursts into laughter.
“First time, people,” he reminds us. “My first times are always messy and—”
“TMI,” Hazel whispers, patting dry her cheeks with the handkerchief that Scott handed her.
“We hired a minister and a clown,” Harrison says with a chuckle.
“You didn’t hire me.” Fitz glares at Harrison. “And who has the rings?”
The rest of the ceremony doesn’t take more than two minutes. When Hunter leans in for a kiss, everyone cheers and claps. At that moment, waiters holding trays with champagne flutes begin to waltz around the patio.
“Thank you, everyone, for joining us tonight.” Hunter raises his glass. “We wanted to do something simple, just with family and friends. My bride and I are leaving for our honeymoon, but please enjoy the small buffet and again, thank you for sharing this moment with us.”
Now I understand why they took the pictures before the ceremony. I go up to them, hugging Hunter then Willow and wishing them the best. I’ve yet to get to know them better, but I hope that I can stick around a little longer, with Harrison.
“Dude, what happened to the embarrassing toast from the groomsmen?” Harrison complains. “I’m ready to talk about the time—”
“That’s one of the million reasons why this wedding is so small and fast.” Fitz cuts Harrison off, patting his chest and taking the second flute. “No one wants to hear you giving poor little Hunter shit.”
“I love you, but you’re not funny, Fitz.” Hunter shakes his head. “Thank you for coming, Harrison. You can save the big toast for Scott’s wedding. Or Fitz’s.”
The four brothers talk over one another, and they seem to understand what’s happening, but I choose to walk away, toward the food. I’m starving.
“Here,” Willow says, handing me her bouquet.
“Umm.” I stare at it. “I’ll save it for later?”
“No, it’s yours.”
“What?”
“I’m not tossing it. I’m handing it.”
“Like tag, you’re it?” I push it back to her. “I’m not playing but thank you.”
What happened to tradition? Those old times when the bridesmaids would rush forward, struggling to find the best spot and become the chosen one. They pull each other’s hair, disarray their gowns all because they want to be the one to snatch the bouquet and find their prince charming.
“Harrison asked me to give it to you.” She winks at me, tilting her head toward the Everhart men.
I turn around, finding him, walking toward us. “Congratulations, Willow. I wish you nothing but happiness, sweetheart.”
“Thank you.” She kisses him on the cheek.
“You and I are leaving too.” He gives me a playful smile.
“We are?” I play coy, untying his tie.
He bends down and I can feel the warmth of his breath as he murmurs in my ear. “Yes, and I got us a reservation at the Four Seasons.”
I press my legs together, squeezing my eyes as I savor his words.
Finally.
“You’ve got to be shitting me.” He sighs. “What did I do to deserve this kind of fucking torture?”
I look over my shoulder to see what or who he’s staring at. Tiago is approaching us. He’s dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Why is he here?
“Everhart, distance,” Tiago orders.
“What are you doing here?” I protest. Not that I’m glad to see him, but did he come all the way from Seattle to interrupt us?
Chapter Thirty-One
Harrison
“Do you have your passport?” Tiago asks.
“Always,” I respond, turning to look at Luna. I don’t want to leave her.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
Tiago hands me over his phone. “Yeah?”
I tilt my head, grab Luna’s hand, and we walk toward Hunter’s home office.
“We need you,” Bradley is on the other line.
“I take it there’s no choice.” I sigh, putting him on speaker. “Where to?”
“Mexico City. There’s been a kidnapping, and we have to rescue the kid before they kill him.”
“Don’t they usually ask for money?” I ask, huffing.
“They did, but the family is afraid that these guys might claim the money and still kill the child. It happened to their neighbors a couple of months ago.”
I close my eyes for a few seconds. “What’s the plan?”
“The plane is waiting for you. Call me when you’re in the air so we can strategize.”
“Who else is joining us?” Tiago asks.
“Hawk and I,” Bradley responds. “See you soon.”
Luna bites her lip. She looks at her brother and then at me. “I can help,” she murmurs.
Scratching my chin, I try to find a way to tell her that she’s not coming with us. I want to hire her, but I can’t just bring her with me. Thankfully, it’s her brother who breaks the news to her.
“You’re staying.”
“That’s it, ‘you’re staying’?” She mocks her brother’s voice. “Should I sit by the door and wait for you while you come back, or get dinner ready by five?”
She squares her shoulders, lifts her chin, and gives me a defiant look. “What happened to being partners? You wanted me on your team, to work for you. How can I trust you when you say one thing but do something different?”
She turns around, tossing her hands. “Carajo! Men, they are all the same.”
I lower my head, pressing my lips tight. I hated that stony expression she had as she left the library. What do I do? She’s right, I want her as my teammate, my partner. If I break my promises, she’s never going to trust me.
“What does she mean by working for you, Everhart?” Tiago growls. “Dad told me what you did with her mother’s file.” He shakes his head. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“
I’m being her person. She needed the truth. You could’ve given that to her.”
He laughs. “My father doesn’t like me. I don’t want to give him more reasons to hate me.”
“How good is Luna?”
“She’s not coming with us.” Tiago insists, but his effort to intimidate me is useless.
“Big guy, think what our mission involves. A family wanting their child back. Bad guys asking for money. If we don’t find the kid soon, he could lose a finger, an arm, or his life.” I say, painting him a picture.
We’ve dealt with kidnappings before. One time, the family received a finger as proof of life, and as a warning that next time it’d be his head.
“She’s good, and they are wasting her talent. We can make a difference today, and give her a chance to move to a better place, meaning our company.”
And I can’t leave her. I have to be with her.
I text Bradley.
Harrison: Agent Santillan is coming with.
Bradley: Give me one good reason why I should agree to that.
Harrison: Other than the file you stole from the FBI? I’d say she’s capable of holding her ground, and she focuses on rescuing missing people.
Bradley: Fine, you’ll babysit her.
I send a message to Jensen, requesting he pack my usual bag. He can meet us at Hazel’s where we can pick up a few things for Luna before we leave.
“This is a bad idea,” Tiago calls after me, as I leave the room in search of Luna. It doesn’t take me long to find her. She’s leaning against the doorframe on the patio, watching the few guests eating.
“Where is everyone?”
She shrugs. “Hunter and Willow left for the airport. They said that Jensen is unavailable. That you’ll know what that means.”
Fuck, I run a hand through my hair.
“Hazel and Scott decided to leave. Fitz left with one of the musicians.”
I nod, unable to resist leaning down and kissing her neck. “Do you have your passport at home?”
Her eyes brighten, but her mouth tightens.
“I need an answer, we’re leaving now.”
“I’m always prepared,” she responds, staring down at her phone then back at me.
“That’s my girl.” I grin, giving her a quick kiss. “We have to take you home so you can pack some clothing. I have a case for you that I think you’re going to love.”
Tiago pulls me to the side while Luna is getting her bag ready.
“Are you sure about this?” He says through gritted teeth, his entire body tense. “She’s my little sister. This ain’t a field trip to the zoo. She’s all my father has. If something happens to either one of my siblings, I think he would die.”
He doesn’t say it out loud, but his world would collapse as well. They aren’t as close as my siblings and me, but he loves her. I understand. If something were to happen to my brothers, it’d destroy me. They’re all I have.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. You have to believe in Luna,” I press. “She can help us find the kid faster. I get it, you see her as your baby sister. But man, if she wants, she could take us down just by snapping her fingers.”
“That’s an exaggeration, Everhart.” Luna walks into the hallway dressed in a black shirt and a pair of black jeans. She stretches her arms, wrapping them around my neck and kissing me hard. “But I appreciate your confidence in my skills.”
“Luna, what the fuck are you doing?” Tiago yells, scaring the fuck out of me.
“Kissing, it’s called kissing, Tiago.” She gives me a quick peck and releases me.
“I like the way you say my last name, Agent Santillan.” I wink at her, taking her bag and her hand. “I’m looking forward to working with you during this mission.”
“She has a job,” Tiago insists, poking the elevator button.
“They are wasting her talent at the Bureau,” I counter with the same stuff I told him before. “We need her. Wouldn’t you rather know that she’s doing what she loves and have her working with you?”
“This is the last time you talk about me as if I’m not in the room,” she warns us, her eyes firing up. “I haven’t said that I’m quitting the Bureau. This is a one-time mission. Why would I want to leave all my benefits, for you? I believe in bringing justice, not…what is it that you do?”
“Defend the innocent and help those who can’t help themselves,” I inform her. “While also doing some side protection for rich people for money. We do a lot, Luna.”
I stare at her and shake my head. “No, you have to leave all that shit behind. The last time we traveled with them, it took you hours to take them off and put them on.”
“He doesn’t know, does he?” Tiago asks, sharing a smile with Luna when she shakes her head.
Then, he changes his side. “You should join us. Lucas should too.”
“Dude, now you’re adding more people?” I complain, trying to remember who the fuck Lucas is. “Oh, Luc!” I say with a snap of my fingers, remembering their brother. “His name is Luc.”
Tiago shakes his head in exasperation. “You offered her a job, right?” His voice is loud. “I think we should offer one to our brother too. Luna and Lucas could be a good addition to our company.”
Tiago’s somber face makes my back straighten and my attitude change.
“I can vouch for Luna. I’ve witnessed her kick-ass movements.” My hand covers my neck at the memory of that sharp thing pointed to my head that is now holding Luna’s hair up.
“We can use someone like her.” I look at both of them before stepping into the elevator. “How about Lucas, is he as good as you two?”
“He’s like Dad,” Luna offers. She chews her lip looking at Tiago who shrugs. “But I doubt he’d accept the job.”
“Lucas will, if you do it first,” Tiago utters, then he flashes me an angry glare. “Stop kissing her hand. Do not touch my sister.”
“I will only stop if she protests.” I smirk at her, waiting for a comeback.
The doors open on the third floor. I pull Luna closer to my body, snaking my arm around her waist. An old couple steps into the elevator. They eye us briefly, nodding curtly and turn back around to stare at the closing doors.
“Have a good day,” Luna calls after them once we arrive in the lobby and they step away without acknowledging us. “Rude.”
“Not many people are as friendly as you are, Luna. Actually, only a few are friendly in this city.” I bend down, kissing her lightly. “But don’t let this place change you. I like the way you brighten everything around you.”
“You’re a sweet talker, Everhart.”
“Just to you.” I kiss her again, this time I don’t rush it. I savor her sweet lips but stop myself before I end up pushing her back into the elevator and into her bed.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Luna
We’re on a private jet heading to Mexico City. I settle back in my seat as I process the information Harrison provided me. The forensic information is easy to digest. Five-year-old male, brown eyes, blond hair, forty-three inches tall, fifty-two pounds, with a scar on the corner of his left eyebrow. He was last seen wearing his school uniform.
The last time his nanny saw him was at the playground. Witnesses say that he was in the park playing with his friends when a couple of large dogs— could’ve been German Shepherds or Dobermans—charged toward the children. Everyone began to scramble, adults and kids. The owner appeared right behind them, and though it took him time, he was able to control them and take them with him. Once everyone settled, little Esteban wasn’t around.
An hour later, the father received a call from an untraceable phone. The voice on the other end demanded a million dollars in exchange for their son. According to the father, the voice sounded like it was coming from a machine. Three hours later, a box with the shoes the little boy was wearing and a note appeared on their doorstep. The note said they shouldn’t call the police, and they had seventy-two hours to respond to their demand if they wan
ted to see him alive.
“Unmarked bills. They didn’t ask for an untraceable transfer,” I repeat, leaning my head against the window and watching the fluffy clouds under us. “You said that something similar happened with the kid next door too. Do we have more on that case?”
“There’s no such thing as an untraceable transfer,” Harrison clarifies.
“There are a few similarities between one and the other,” Tiago responds.
The sound of typing makes me turn in his direction. Harrison is at the computer. My brother’s eyes are focused on his iPad, and he continues giving me what I need, but without giving me the slightest glance.
“The kid next door disappeared during a school field trip,” Tiago says. “His parents blamed the teacher and the principal for their negligence. There’s a lawsuit pending.”
“Were they the same age?”
“No, the child next door was eight, and they requested less money. Only two hundred thousand,” he says.
“The two houses share something. And it’s more than the neighborhood. Nannies, housekeepers. They share an activity, like soccer? What is it? We have to interview everyone.”
“We don’t have much time to do that. They gave them seventy-two hours. We only have fifty left to find this kid,” Harrison says evenly, still typing. “And if we start interviewing people, we might be alerting the kidnappers that we are onto them.”
“Can you pull any footage of the CCTV around the park?” I ask, trying to contemplate other ways to find out more without interviewing witnesses.
“Mason is pulling the video as we speak. He’s letting the people who hired us know that it might take us a couple of days to reach them,” Harrison responds.
I take the folder on top of the table, looking at the picture of the little boy. There’s a glow in those eyes and a sweetness in that smile. We have to reach him soon, before it’s all lost. I put the picture down and close the folder again. “How did they return his body?”
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