Asher hung up and continue to watch the camera footage inside the restaurant. The woman waited fifteen minutes exactly before she got up from her table and left the restaurant. Asher rolled back the tape to the moment before she got up and wrote down the hour, minutes and seconds. He texted Colton the restaurant cross streets and the half hour timeframe following the moment the woman stood up. If she met anyone outside the restaurant he might be able to see it.
While Angelo and Kara were busy, Asher opened up a dozen tiny tracing devices called Black Widow trackers created by Lockwood Industries. They were tiny as hell, basically the size of a black widow spider, almost invisible in most places where they could be attached. He placed the trackers inside of Kara shoes, bags that she’d left out in the living room. Later he’d tag her new suitcases. If Kara ran or if she was taken, Asher and his team would be able to track her. It was only a matter of time before one of those two things would happen. He’d been doing this for a long time, and it always came down to what he called a crisis moment. There was always a crisis moment and as his gut tightened, he knew that Kara’s moment was coming.
Trying to distract himself from the nervous feeling in his gut, Asher checked in with his New York team. Callahan and O’Leary were still in Manhattan but that could change in a heartbeat. He had to be ready to act on whatever happened. He wasn’t going to let anyone get hurt on his watch.
Not ever again.
Chapter Sixteen
Kara’s heart fluttered with nerves as she finished putting on the last touches of her golden eye shadow as she stood inside Angelo’s bathroom. Her hair was still loose in wild waves, but the waves looked good tonight. She smoothed her hands over the dark emerald green evening gown, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach.
The gown was an off-the-shoulder design with an A-line neck, but it had a slight V-shaped cutout between the breasts, not enough to be overly done but enough to be flirty with what it revealed. She’d been a little hesitant to buy something so powerful in appearance when she was used to hiding herself, but when Shana and the other girls had all clapped their hands and squealed, she’d let them add it to the pile of clothing to buy.
The short sleeves draped down against her upper arms and the fabric was a rich green velvet threaded with faint gold as though the velvet had been shot through with sunlight. She wore a tear-drop pearl necklace and dangling pearl earrings. Angelo had presented the jewelry to her tonight before she had gone to change, and she’d been stunned to realize how well it matched the ring on her finger.
Kara almost didn’t recognize the woman looking back at her in the mirror. This woman was a goddess, a woman unafraid to live, to let the sunshine warm her face and allow the world to see her.
This is who I could have been… if my father had left me alone…
A slowly building fury like a hurricane upon horizon loomed within her. She wanted to scream, to tear apart everything that mattered to the man who’d hurt her. He had taken everything away from her and her mother, all for what? He was dead and his men believed they had a claim to her. It was unfair, it was horrible, it was… She gave herself a little shake.
Drawing in a steadying breath she released the anger. Anger would only ruin tonight, and she wanted to enjoy the night with Angelo.
“Kara, we’re ready.” Angelo’s voice echoed up the stairs. She snatched her lipstick off the counter and tucked it into her gold clutch purse. Then she stepped into the golden sandals that wrapped up around her lower calves in a way that made her look like she wore the sandals of the Greek goddess.
“You can do this,” Kara whispered as she descended the stairs.
Asher and Colton were the first spot her. Both men halted in their respective pacing around the room. Angelo turned then, his gaze first on her feet, then slowly roving up her body to her face. The pit of her stomach tingled as she saw the burning longing in his eyes. Angelo’s lips parted as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Well?” she asked, hoping to hear some small praise even though his eyes had already done so much for her self-esteem. She’d never gone to a school dance or prom. This might be her only chance to dress up and feel like a princess in a fairy tale.
“You…” Angelo cleared his throat. “You look incredible.” His cheeks turned a ruddy color and his voice was a little more gruff.
Asher snorted and then shot a wink at Kara. “I think he’s a bit awestruck.”
Angelo, still gazing at Kara, smiled bashfully in acknowledgment. He slipped closer to her, his fingers skimming down her arm to collect her free hand and bring it up to his mouth. The soft kiss he pressed to her knuckles stole her breath away.
“How could I not be? She’s gorgeous.”
Kara swallowed, holding still against the urge to fall into his arms and beg him never to let her go.
He released her hand after pressing one more kiss to it, then he held up her evening coat. It was so domestic, so caring, the way she turned for him to button her up in the black velvet coat. Then he offered her his arm. She took it, glancing in the foyer mirror to see their reflection together, a gilded couple out for a gilded night. Like a princess and her prince in a fairy tale, a fairy tale she had never allowed herself to believe in.
She almost couldn’t believe tonight was the gala at Thad Worthington’s hotel. It felt like she’d gone shopping with Felicity, Shana and Veronica months ago, not a handful of days ago.
When they reached the hotel, Colton pulled into the covered drive and Asher opened the door for them. There were plenty of people near the entrance of the hotel, and she immediately reacted to being in a crowd shrinking in on herself slightly.
“It’s all right, everyone is busy worrying about themselves,” Angelo said soothingly as they walked through the glittering lobby and headed toward a pair of golden elevators. They took the elevator up to the ballroom. Hundreds of elegantly dressed people were queuing up to go inside.
“Angelo!” Thad’s voice cut through the crowd of Chicago’s elite.
Kara spotted the golden haired man weaving through the throngs of people. Veronica was at his side, her hand in his as they joined Kara and Angelo.
“Kara, you look amazing! I knew that green would show off your red hair.” Veronica released Thad’s hand to hug Kara.
“You look amazing too,” Kara said. Veronica’s silvery blue dress looked stunning with her luminous skin and dark hair. “Is your daughter here?”
“No, we left her with a babysitter along with Hayley, Jared and Felicity’s daughter. I imagine they’re in the middle of a Frozen movie marathon right about now.” Veronica chuckled.
