Sparkle watched Josh wrestle silently with his decision. She empathized with his position. Until ten minutes ago, he thought he’d be on a flight home in a few hours. Now the responsibility for innocent lives had been dumped straight into his hands, but more than that, he now had the chance to personally help bring his father’s murderers to justice. The possibility of the hostages being Valentino and her family, or any other family from the shelter, would eat him alive with guilt. All of that combined was one hell of a motivating force, even for an untrained civilian.
“No one here’s going to judge you for not going if that’s what you decide,” she said quietly, needing him to believe her, her conscience forcing her to give him an out. As much as she dreaded the thought of him leaving her in
