Chapter 282 Chapter 282
Going over, Gia quickly picked up the ammo and added it to the other items in her hand. She moved through the kitchen into the room she’d been assigned. There wasn’t much for her to pack, she’d left most of her belongings in the van. Setting the things down on the bed, she looked down at them for a moment. The envelope and new phone were going right into her run pack.
“Gia.”
She spun around to see Nox standing inside the room. She braced herself for what she knew was coming.
“If anything goes down, you get to me immediately.”
She wanted to argue, to tell him she’d be following whatever instructions she was given but knew that would just result in another dramatic scene and she was done with those. Nodding quickly, she watched him look her up and down and then turn and leave the room.
Jesse stepped into the doorway as soon as he was gone. “I’ve asked Devin to replace your brother with another member of the incursion team after this.” He gave her a slow appraisal, “the others are busy elsewhere, so he can’t for a few days.”
Gia felt her shoulders relax. “Thank you.” She looked out the door to be sure her brother wasn’t lurking. “I will follow instructions if anything happens.”
Jesse smirked, “I figured that. I have two sisters; I know a brush-off when I see one.”
She smiled, “they’re lucky to have you. I hope you don’t try to control their lives.”
Jesse crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door, “there is no force on earth that could control those two.” He grinned, “they’re twins, and, in the future, I feel like they’re going to blaze a trail of broken rules.”
Gia tucked her hoodie into the bag and then looked at him, “nothing wrong with stretching a few rules here and there.” She zipped up the bag, “if we have to use those new phones,” she didn’t want to say out loud if something goes wrong, “can I call my one brother quickly before turning mine off?”
Jesse rubbed a hand over his jaw, “very quickly and give no information.”
She nodded, “thank you. It’s just so he can let my mother know I’m all right.”
Nodding, he glanced back out the door, “get loaded up, grab some extra supplies from the garage. There’s jerky, juice, bars, and a few other things.”
Gia inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Jesse,” he glanced back at her, “thank you, for having me on the team.”
“Amari gave me raving reviews about you,” he gave her a wide-eyed look, “and she doesn’t approve of most, so that told me that this is where you needed to be.”
She watched him walk away, then jumped and looked around the room. Her nerves felt like they were live wires in her body. “Nervous is good.” She whispered, remembering what Deacon had told her. Taking the ammo, she tucked it into the other bag Illias had given her earlier. Her weapon bag… She had a weapon bag.
Going out through the kitchen, she noticed everyone was in motion, things being packed or carried, and the whole team seemed like they had been activated at once. There were no smiles, no banter or chatter, just focus.
As she stepped outside, she watched Deacon come across the yard carrying his bag and gear. He didn’t seem nervous at all, in fact, his expression wasn’t any different than it had been prior to the planning discussion. She motioned to the van when he looked up and noticed her, “I can put your gear in if you want to go grab extra supplies from the garage.”
He paused in step and then nodded, “I’ll give Shaelan a hand bringing her stuff out first.”
Gia tried to keep a smile on her face, but she wasn’t feeling it right now, so again she just nodded and turned to go to the van.
“Giana.”
She turned back to look at him. She hated her given name, but the way it sounded from him made it seem special. Then again, any other time it was said, the person saying it was going to tell her what to do.
He offered her a soft look, it even reached his eyes, taking the toothpick out of his mouth, he smiled slowly, “it’s going to be fine.” He set his bag down, “you just have to have faith it will go off without a hitch.”
Huffing out a breath she nodded again, “but be prepared for sudden changes.”
He smiled again, “exactly.” Winking at her, he put the toothpick back in his mouth and walked toward the deck.
“Have faith,” she whispered, “faith in myself, faith in my team,” she watched him go in the house, “faith he will watch my back.” Blowing out a breath, she went over to grab his gear. She was torn between having a nervous breakdown and fist-pumping in the air. This was so much more than she thought she’d be doing on the co-ord team. This was being on the front lines, so to speak, being right there when people from her world were rescued. “Let’s do it.”