Page 41 of Shadows Relived
Meaghan stood, her chest tightening as she moved to stand in front of Callen.
However, his voice stopped her. “It’s all right,” he said, his tone winded but calm. “I know that SUV, and the smart ass behind the wheel. Her name’s Sage.”
She turned, blinking at him. “Who’s?—?”
“She’s on my team,” he said, already trying to sit up, teeth gritted against the pain. “So is the other one. Abbie. They’re here to help.”
Meaghan didn’t move. Not until a tall woman stepped into the pale orange glow of the streetlight, dark red braid pulled over one shoulder, a leather jacket clinging to her frame like a second skin, road dust smudging the hem. She looked strong, sure of herself. And armed. Definitely armed.
Then the passenger door opened, and another redhead emerged, taller, slimmer, with an air of sharp control and sharp cheekbones. Her movements were precise, clinical,as she closed the door and scanned the lot like she already owned it.
Meaghan felt something instinctual press down in her chest as she stared at the new arrivals. These women weren’t just Callen’s colleagues. They were dangerous individuals themselves if they were on his team. Like Callen. Like the rest of his team.
Callen pushed himself upright with a hiss. “Meaghan, you’re all right. They’re friends. I trust them. The woman with Sage, Abbie, runs our office.” He tilted his head. “First time I’ve seen her out in the field, to be honest.”
The woman with the braid—Sage, apparently—tilted her head slightly, offering a half-smile as she flicked her gaze over her, assessing but not unkind. “You must be Meaghan. Heard you’ve been through hell.”
Meaghan nodded, still hovering halfway between fight and flight. “You could say that.”
Abbie joined them, her gaze sweeping over Callen. “Blaze said you’d be half-dead. Honestly, I’ve seen worse. You don’t even look like you're dying, and I’ve seen you after you drank too much tequila.”
“I’m trying to be polite.” Callen let out a faint grunt, as he shook his head. “And for the record, I’d prefer the tequila.”
“Too bad,” Abbie replied as she set down a worn med kit she’d been carrying. “You get antibiotics and judgment.”
Meaghan choked out a laugh before she could stop it, while Sage folded her arms. “Where are the kids?”
“Asleep inside,” Meaghan said, finally relaxingenough to lean back in her chair again. “They had burgers. Mostly ate the fries.”
Sage smiled faintly. “That sounds about right.”
“We’ll get them squared away,” Abbie said, already shifting into business mode. “You did well keeping them safe and keeping this lug from bleeding out.”
Meaghan looked over at Callen, who had said little more. He looked exhausted, the set of his jaw betraying the pain he was keeping clamped down. Even now, with help here, he hadn’t let himself drop the weight.
Not yet.
Meaghan turned her gaze back to the women who had arrived like shadows with better intentions.
Maybe, for once, the cavalry had actually come through.
They walked together back into the motel room, the warm light spilling out as Meaghan opened the door. The kids stirred but didn’t wake, curled together in the bed like cubs in a den.
Callen moved back to the sofa, and Abbie moved with efficiency, opening her field bag and lifting Callen’s shirt. “Jesus, Meaghan. You did good here.”
Meaghan flushed. “I watched a lot of medical dramas.”
Sage chuckled softly. “Girl, you just survived a tactical shootout and patched up our boy here. You can do anything now, I’d bet.”
Abbie stitched and re-wrapped the wound, applied a better seal, and checked his vitals with the quiet steadiness of someone who’d done this too many times before.
Outside, Sage walked over to the SUV and returned with three small blankets and a couple of plush animals. “Brought these from the office. Blaze raided the lost and found.”
Meaghan knelt beside the kids, whispering soft words and tucking the blankets around them. She stroked Lucas’s hair, kissed Sophie’s temple, and rubbed gentle circles on Willie’s back as he mumbled something in his sleep.
“Hey, sweethearts,” she murmured, crouching beside them. “Time to go with some nice people who are going to take you home. It’s going to be okay.”
Sophie blinked sleepily. “You’re not coming?”
