"Mary." He paused and then just said it. "Nessa and DeLinda are in danger, Danny's dad died, and Sam's in pretty serious surgery."
She had a million questions, but only one answer. "I'll get the next flight home."
The tall blonde waited impatiently, searching for two girls, DeLinda she hadn't seen since she was ten, and Nessa she only knew through photographs. She hadn't heard from Ed since her father's death, years ago. When he called, entrusting her with the task of getting the girls back, it had been a true blast from the past, but considered it a favor for an old friend and she ALWAYS took those seriously. It was Ed who'd been her father's favorite 'spook'and, growing up, her favorite as well.
"Ms. Ryan?" She turned to see a tall, attractive black American man coming toward her, approaching carefully. "My name is Mike. I work with Ed and DeLinda; I used to date Nessa." Mike Cannon pulled out one of Ed's business cards and his cell phone. "Ed's number is on here. Feel free to verify it."
She dialed and listened to Ed's voice before hanging up and handing the phone back. "Julie Ryan," she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," Mike shook her hand before they looked for the girls.
She let security take the hitman from the plane away while they went to the girls. "Mike," Nessa Holt said as he hugged her, the thousand nightmare scenarios coming to a halt as he held her safe in his embrace.
DeLinda Deline searched the other woman's face. "Julie?"
Julie nodded. "Your dad's been going crazy. Come on, we'll go call him, let him know you're all right, then catch the next flight back."
"No, no way. I want to see my sister," Nessa said, her accent no longer out of place, but still the best sound Mike had ever heard.
"Come on," Mike said, an arm around Nessa again. "We'll talk.
DeLinda used her cell phone to call her dad, trying the Monticito first, then his cell phone. "DeLinda?" Ed asked when he saw the number.
"Daddy, what's going on?"
"Honey, just do what Julie says, let her help you come home."
"Nessa wants to see her sister; I think she should."
"No. Absolutely not. It's too dangerous, even with Julie there. You're coming home."
"I'm not a child, Daddy, and this isn't like sleeping with Danny. This is important. I'll be back at work at the Monticito in..."
"The Monticito's gone," Ed said, the words like a knife. "Sam was in a car crash...she's in surgery."
"Like Mom?" The doctors had done everything they possibly could to save her mother, but she'd still died anyway.
"Maybe. I don't know. They think they can fix it, but the surgery's pretty dangerous."
"Okay, Daddy." She paused. "I'll tell Nessa. Does Mike know? Should I tell him too?"
"Mike's there with you?" Ed asked, relieved, knowing there was a better chance of getting the girls home if Mike was in charge of Nessa and Julie in charge of DeLinda.
"Yeah."
"No, he doesn't know. Only Danny and me...by now probably Mary."
"Okay." She shut the phone, ending the call, as Mike led Nessa back over. "We need to go home."
Mike looked at Julie, unsure what had brought this turn in events for one of the girls. "Daddy said the Monticito's gone...Sam's in surgery," DeLinda told him.
Nessa found herself torn between the sister she'd never known and the sister she'd adopted two years ago. "We'll go home." When she called Vegas home, she felt surprised, yet reassured. Mike had tried their whole relationship to get her to see that Vegas was her home, but it took her friends hurting, the place they loved destroyed, to make her understand.
Mike held Nessa and chatted with DeLinda as Julie went to get the tickets, making a phone call to hersitter so that she could go with them, assuring a safe passage for the girls and Mike.
Matt hugged Mary as she got off the plane. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I think so." She paused. "We broke up."
"He's an idiot."
Mary managed a smile. "Thanks."
"Danny's still at the hospital. He hasn't left the chair outside surgery."
"He loves her; he just thinks I don't know."
"You're okay with it?"
"I've given up on us working out and he deserves to be happy. I'm justglad it's a friend as opposed to someone I don't like. I wish he'd stop trying to hide it from everyone, especially me and Ed. It's ridiculous." She knew though, that Danny didn't want to hurt them, and he wasn't sure, since Sam was like a sister, if it would hurt her and no one wanted to add anymore to what Ed was dealing with, even before everything fell apart.
Marylooked out the window andMatt drove until she told him to stop outside the rambles of the Monticito. She got out of the car and just looked at it; he followed her. "Mary?"
"I knew...I knew they were talking about blowing it up, but..." She turned to him and he held his arms around her. "I know about Danny and Sam," she finally said, a lump in her throat, her eyes red, his shirt wet with tears. "Where's Ed and the girls? What about Mike?"
"Ed's trying to get in touch with the girls; he's got a friend in England there to bring them back. He's also trying to find Mike."
"We should go to the hospital. Danny needs us." He nodded, an arm still around her, opening her door for her, closing it when she was in, and going around to his side, driving to the hospital.
Not a lot of Sam/Danny in this, but still trying to introduce everyone. More next time, I promise, and thank you for the reviews I received. I love getting them.