Secured Secret by Charity Parkerson Page B

either.”
    Weave didn’t hesitate. “Get his ass back on the phone and tell him to meet us at the air strip in half an hour.” This was one of those times that he was never more thankful to be the grandson of a famous pro wrestler. The family’s private jet was going to get him to Genie, and, brother or no brother, he was flying out of here as soon as he could have it fueled.
    The tension inside the plane was thick enough it could be cut with a knife. Shannon switched his attention between staring out the window, as if he could will the plane to go faster, and texting Genie over and over again. Jacob, Genie’s brother, who Weave never met before today, stared straight ahead, not seeming to so much as blink. Bob and Weave both tapped their fingers nervously on their knees, and when Jacob’s cell phone rang, they all jumped at the sound. He glanced at it telling Shannon as he answered. “It’s mom,” he put the phone to his ear. “What’s the latest?” He listened intently then dug through his pockets until he found a scrap of paper and pen. “Okay I got it,” he listened a moment longer, scratching something down. “He’s right here; do you want to talk to him?” Jacob held the phone out for Shannon, and he quickly put it to his ear. Weave switched his attention to Jacob, keeping Shannon within his sights. Shannon closed his eyes covering them with one hand while listening to Genie’s mom talk. He looked as if he were trying to hold back tears.
    “My Uncle Dan was able to find a person on the ground there, and they said Genie was taken to Mangold Memorial hospital, but whoever he talked to didn’t know her status,” Jacob said to no one in particular.
    Shannon finished his call and was back to staring out the window, Jacob’s phone still held between his hands. Jacob reached for it, bringing Shannon’s attention back to him. “Oh sorry, man,” he told him, holding the phone out. Jacob squeezed Shannon’s arm in an obvious show of support. Weave couldn’t help but wonder when Shannon became so tight with Genie’s family.
    After landing, they went straight to the hospital, exchanging as few words as possible since they were each lost in their own worries. Jacob went to the front desk as the rest of them hung back to wait. The nurse directed them to a waiting room before paging the doctor. They all refused to sit while they waited, and when a man in blue scrubs arrived, they all held their breaths. The doctor glanced between them. “Which of you is the husband?” Shannon stepped forward at the same time as Jacob pointed at him and Weave felt the air leave his lungs in a whoosh. The sound of his own heartbeat drummed loudly inside his ears, drowning out all other sound, and he searched for the edge of the chair, sitting down hard. Bob laid a hand on his shoulder while Jacob and Shannon stood hovering over the doctor, listening intently to what he was saying. It was then that Weave noticed the thin gold band that Shannon was wearing on his left hand. He had done it. He really had married her, and it was too late.
    Shannon nodded absently at the doctor’s words. Jacob waved for them to follow, and they fell in line behind him as they worked their way through the halls of the hospital.
    When they came to a closed door, they all paused with the exception of Shannon who rushed in ahead of everyone. Genie was turned on her side, one arm encased in a cast, and her body was covered in so many cuts and bruises that she was almost unrecognizable underneath the many bandages. Her gaze locked on Shannon, and a tear rolled out of the corner of her eye. He ran the length of the room, skidding to a stop at her side. Wasting no time, he framed her face with his hands, touching his forehead to hers. Shannon was openly crying now, as he spoke to her quietly, and it was then that Weave knew; not only were they married, but Shannon loved her as well.
    The flight to Texas was almost unbearable for Shannon. The not