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“Ambassador,” I said, refocusing his attention on me. “Tell me what happened.”
I listened as he recounted walking out of a government building after connecting with the local economic advisor. Given the political unrest in the country, we wanted to have coverage. It didn’t sound like a targeted attack. If anything, it seemed like Margot and Armando got caught up in some local gang activity that had absolutely nothing to do with them.
“God, this is so embarrassing,” Margot said once I finally let Armando pass the phone back to her.
“Nothing embarrassing about being shot,” I firmly let her know.
“They weren't even trying to shoot at us! And I got hit anyway. I feel like this is amateur hour starring me in the lead role.”
I frowned, knowing I’d probably feel similarly. And still, I didn't like her beating herself up. “You could be amazing at your job and still not know the local climate as well as you’d wish. This would have happened to anyone. This could have happened to me.”
Margot was incredulous.
I ignored her. “The team is already figuring out transportation home. Miles is on the phone right now talking to the hospital administrators. We aren't going to let you out until you're cleared.”
“But—” Margot started.
“The last thing we need is a medical incident mid-flight.”
Margot leaned back in the hospital bed, trying to cross her arms, and failing, because of the IV line. “Understood.”
“The Ambassador will go home with you, and you'll be grounded until you've fully healed,” I explained.
Margot didn't like that. I watched amused as she bit her tongue, and probably not just metaphorically.
“Excellent. I need to go take care of a few things but if you need anything day or night, you call me. I want you both on US soil ASAP.” My people came first, and I wouldn’t feel fully settled until she was back home and taken care of by the doctor we had on retainer.
“Yes, sir,” Margot replied, resigned.
I hung up and turned to Miles, rattling off at least a dozen other things we needed to do to plan the extraction.
I scrubbed a hand down my face. This was going to take a little longer than I anticipated.
Especially considering Alice was nearing hour three at Luna’s house.
What the fuck had I been thinking?
Oh, yeah, I didn't have a lot of options.
The face Luna had made when I forced her to watch my daughter: you'd think I'd just told her she had to sit down to take a final exam for a class she’d never been to.
I dragged a hand through my hair, then remembered I’d cropped it short again, just like in my marine days.
Finding any semblance of balance between my responsibilities felt damn near impossible especially under circumstances like this where I had few backup options for watching Alice. So much had changed in the last few years and it was like my mind was still playing catch up. Finding out I was a dad, becoming a one-parent household with a new child I had no idea how to care for, all the while growing my company into something I could be immensely proud of, it was a lot. Sometimes it felt too much to bear.
But then I got to go home to Alice, and all was right in the world.
I needed to find out how my girl was.
Beck
How’s Alice? Everything okay over there?
Luna
Just teaching her about world domination.
Despite myself, I chuckled as I entered the cab that would bring me back to the townhouse.