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“You arranged back up? How?” Why hadn’t she considered that? Because she’d been too absorbed by her own vengeance against the cartel and the DEA mole enabling the operation. “You called Ross and his Cypress Security team.”
He nodded, though they both knew it wasn’t a question. “They’ve been working the case since before you arrived.”
“Before?”
“Just a few hours before.”
“When you found Tim.”
He nodded. “I asked Rick to put eyes on Beth and Kyle, just in case. Eva took it upon herself to expand their involvement from there.”
“I should have known.”
“When she learned more of the details of what went down in Baltimore, Ross coordinated additional surveillance here.”
“No.” She pushed to her feet and pushed her hand through her hair. “They must be dead if Kellerman managed this.”
Bart’s cheeks turned ruddy. “I told them not to interfere.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He stood up as well. “Better to catch the perp in the act, we decided. Kind of regret it now, but I didn’t think he’d do more than try to kidnap us.”
She laughed. It just bubbled up out of her at his hang dog expression. “I hope you’re insured.”
“Well enough,” he said with a nod. “Hey, it balances the scales. You didn’t shoot entirely straight with me, I hid a thing or two from you.”
“I’m almost scared to say I understand that logic.” They could hear sirens and people shouting orders now. “Your home is destroyed.”
His fingers brushed through her hair. “Battered, maybe, but far from destroyed.”
She reached up to examine his head for trauma. There would be no salvaging anything from his apartment. What didn’t burn would be destroyed by smoke. Except possibly the panic room. “You’re not making sense.”
“Only because you’re not listening.” He caught her hands and held them right over his heart. “Hannah.”
Her pulse skittered as his deep brown eyes filled with emotion.
“My heart is yours,” he said. “And my home is wherever you are.”
She knew she should say something, but she couldn’t get any words past her dry mouth. Pressing up on her toes, she kissed him lightly at the corner of his mouth. His heart pounded under her hands, echoing her own galloping pulse.
Then he dropped to one knee. “Will you marry me?”
“You said the ‘m’ word again.”
He nodded. “Only for you.”
She ran her thumb over warm gold of the plain wedding band he wore to mark their fake marriage. “We’ll have some fun explaining that to your staff.”
“That’s just the start of the fun in store.”
He bent his head and his lips met hers in a kiss that carried them both so far from the moment that neither of them heard the pounding on the storeroom door.
“Bart! Hannah! You in there?”
“Leave it to Rick. His timing sucks,” Bart said, keeping her hand clasped in his. “I told you they were okay. You ready for this?”
She nodded. With Bart by her side, she knew she was ready for anything, motherhood included.
