Chapter 15
1304 Words
I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. What if this group hated me? Would they put a price on my head? I had to regulate my breathing before I panicked. I took a deep breath and looked at the paper. It took me a moment to realize the names on this sheet. I jumped up squealing. I couldn’t believe what this meant.
“Are you serious?”
John chuckled. “Completely.”
“Yes! They would be prefect. You can trust them fully and they would never do anything to disappoint you. When are you going to tell them?”
“I thought we could tell them together. They are yours after all.”
My heart swelled as I reached out to my crew. John was choosing them to take over for him. I could feel their confusion but they made their way to us anyway. I handed the paper back to John and squealed again. He smiled. Rachel shushed me as my crew began to file into the room. I mastered my expression so I couldn’t give anything away. Jonah was watching me with a smile. I could feel his happiness.
“What’s up boss lady?” Brooks grabbed a sandwich and dug in. “Gretchen out did herself with these. So good.”
“Listen up. John has something to say and I want all of you to listen carefully. Nothing is set in stone yet. This is a suggestion, but we need your input before we proceed.”
“Are you leaving the Agency to Angel?” Jason asked timidly.
“No. Angel is who I would prefer but she has enough going on with this new world of hers. I have decided since I cannot have her then I will take the next best thing.”
“Which is?” Sara looked at me curiously.
“It’s my crew. He will leave everything to all of you. You will run the Agency as a team.”
Shock shown on their faces. They didn’t move as my statement sunk in. I was all smiles watching them. Even John was smiling. Lee was the first to move. He walked toward me in a daze. He shook his head once to clear it.
“It can’t be.” His whispered reply got me moving then.
“It is Lee. John has worked it all out.” I took the paper again and gave it to him.
Everyone gathered around Lee as he looked at the paper in his hand. John had not only their names but what they would be taking charge of. Jason, of course, would be over the computer team. Jake and Sara would be over missions and who to send out. L, Lee, and Brooks would handle the different training programs. Olesia and Tony were over strategy and planning. John had placed everyone perfectly, even without my input. One by one, my crew looked towards me. I smiled and nodded.
“Us? You want us to take over?” I could hear the surprise in Sara’s voice.
“Yes. Although if those titles aren’t right, we can change them. I tried to think like our Angel with the placements.” John had laughter in his voice.
“You did perfectly. That’s where I would place them as well.”
“Well that’s settled. What do all of you think?”
I waited for them to say anything else. I think the shock might have been too much for them. I started to worry when the silence stretched out. I could read what they were thinking but I tried not to pry. Our thoughts should be private. Sara and Jake looked at each other and nodded.
“Jake and I would be honored.” Sara had tears falling silently.
Jake and Sara came further into the room. They both hugged me. I sent them waves of my happiness for them. These people deserved this. They had all worked so hard to be what they were today. They were smart, kind, and humble. They would excel in their new roles.
“If Angel agrees, then I’m all in.” Brooks came forward for a hug.
“Me too.” L joined Brooks and I.
“Does that mean that we are losing you Angel?” The sadness in Jason’s voice broke me.
“Jason, I will always be here for you. If you ever need me, I will come to you. Even if I have to be there alone. All of you are my family. I will never be far from any of you.”
“Then I’m in.” Jason’s smile lit up the room as he rushed me for a hug. I giggled when he lifted me off the ground.
“I’m with Jason.” Tony joined us when Jason set me on my feet.
“If Angel approves than I’m in too.” Olesia spoke fiercely into the room.
I hugged her when she reached me. There was only one left. Lee was still frozen in place. I went to him since it looked like he was stuck. He was still staring at the paper in his hands. I place my hand on his wrist. He jumped slightly but didn’t look at me.
“Lee?”
“I can’t believe this.” His whispered replied worried me.
“What is bothering you?”
He looked into my eyes then. “I don’t want to do this without you. We wouldn’t be half of what we are without you. We need you with us. Those months without you were the worst I’ve ever had. We all worried about you and just wanted you close to us so we could protect you. I am willing to do this but not without you.”
“Lee.” My voice was soft and full of love. “I will always be with you. With everything going on now, I can’t be the sole leader anymore. Once things calm down in my world then I will be with you as much as I can. This isn’t the end for our family. We are stronger together. This is the best solution available to us now. I will always come for any of you. You can do this without me by your side every minute. I trust you, all of you, more than I have trusted anyone in my life. You can do this.” Lee nodded slightly and wrapped me in a hug.
“It’s settled then. When we leave, I will finalize everything. The only thing is, your crew will have to come back with me. They will be taking over immediately.”
“I think we can arrange that. It’ll be nice to know they are safe. I ask that you leave Adam and Ben with me though. I need someone that knows how to work the command center. I can but it’s nice not being the only one. I can always reach out if I need Jason’s help.”
“Deal. Now I think it’s time for sleep. Although I really would like to talk to Gretchen before bed. She has to teach me some of her tricks.” Rachel answered for John.
I laughed as Gretchen came in right after that. I left the room to allow them to talk. My crew stayed to talk to John for a moment before they all went to bed. My brothers followed me outside once more.
“Where now?” Jonah asked.
“Time for me to get my mates sorted out. I know you’re good but the others need to get over their issues. Like I said, Jackson is the only one tied to me. The rest of you are free to leave whenever.” I headed toward Jackson first.
- Writer
