Page 35 of Rescuing Erin (Red Team #5)

“Jasmin. Gerard. May I speak to you both in the hall?” Garrett asked.

Jasmin stood and made her way to the door. “When did you get back? I thought you were in Pennsylvania?”

“Just now. Everyone else is still with Melody.”

Jasmin and Gerard disappeared into the corridor with Garrett.

The normally smiling, easy-going man looked haggard, almost as bad as Gerard, who hadn’t moved from his post by the door in the last hour.

Hadn’t so much as spoken a word, as a matter of fact.

The tension in the room was stifling. My mom, for all her tough talk earlier, was pulling into herself.

She was still as polite as ever, but her voice was monotone. Not even the twins cheered her up.

“Is anyone hungry?” I asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

“Thirsty?”

Again, they didn’t verbally answer, instead shaking their heads in the negative.

“Okay. Snap out of it. My mom was right. We should not be sitting here breaking down. Olivia, how many missions has Leo been on since you’ve been with him?”

“A bunch.”

“Violet? What about Jaxon?”

“A lot.”

“Ivy?”

“Enough to know you’re right. Zane would be pissed if he knew I was sitting here worried to death.”

“Right. So snap the fuck out of it.”

“Erin Lynn,” my mom gasped.

“Mom. You’ve heard Jas drop the f-bomb about five million times.”

“But, Alice—”

“Has a daughter in the Navy, a husband, and Colin is her son for God sakes. She’s heard it, too.”

“It’s unladylike, dear.”

“Maybe so. But it feels really good to say. You should try it. Call it stress release.”

Ivy, Violet, and Liv all chuckled but it was Liv who spoke up. “Come on, Mrs. A. You should totally try it.”

“Olivia, what would your mother think of you dropping the f-word?”

“I’ve heard her string a few curse words together,” Liv informed my mom.

My mom cracked a smile and admitted, “So have I. The woman curses like a sailor.”

“Come on, Mother, try it. Just shout it out. You’ll feel better.”

“Fuck!” Alice shouted at the top of her lungs, and I jolted in shock. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

We all broke out in a fit of laughter at Alice’s outburst, and when Jasmin and Gerard rushed back in the room to see why Colin’s mother was yelling fuck, we laughed even harder. It felt good. The pressure that had been slowly building in my chest started to deflate.

“Fuck,” my mom squeaked out.

“Mom. You can do better than that.” I giggled.

“Fuck!” she screamed. “Fuck a duck!”

“What the actual fuck is going on?” Jasmin asked.

“Fuck,” my mom repeated.

“What the hell have you done? You broke her. My debutante aunt is dropping the f-bomb.”

“Fucker,” Alice blurted, then quickly covered her mouth.

She and my mother were in stitches. They both tossed out obscenities and giggled like little girls. It was hilarious. The best thing I’d seen or heard all day.

“Never again do I want to hear anyone complain about my cussing,” Jasmin announced. “If Robert and Asher’s first words are fuck, I know who to blame.”

I wanted to ask her why Garrett had wanted to talk to her and Gerard, but I didn’t dare. The heavy weight had started to lift, which was a good thing because I didn’t think I would have survived the elephant on my chest much longer.

Come on, Colin, where are you? Please come home safely.