The Westies exchanged glances, and then the man who had stepped forward held out a hand to Kara. She took it hesitantly.
“In that case… ye need not worry, love. We don’t know anything about a Kara O’Brien, do we lads?”
The men shook their heads. “And it’s nice to meet you, KaraGallagher.” She shook his hand and let go.
“For what it’s worth,” Angelo said. “She’s also going to be a Vertucci.” Kara’s face flamed but secretly she was melting inside for Angelo, and what it meant for him to say that.
“She’s under the protection of the Cabrinis.” Someone from behind Angelo and Kara added.
“Understood,” the Irish mobster smiled respectfully at Angelo, and then gave a tight nod to Leo Cabrini who came to stand beside Angelo and Kara. “Right, well,” the man said. “We’re off.” The Westies returned to the SUVs that had driven them here.
“What about Cormac?” Kara asked Angelo.
“That’s up to you,” Angelo said as Leo Cabrini and his brothers joined them by the fallen Irishman.
“Up to me?” Kara asked.
She didn’t know what to do. She knew Cormac would want her dead if he was left alive.
Leo Cabrini’s cool gaze met hers, and she knew what she had to do then.
“Mr. Cabrini, Cormac is a part ofyourworld. Not mine. I want to leave it up to the Cabrini family to deal with him and Mr. O’Leary. I want to be certain he will never be a threat to me or anyone I love ever again.”
Leo nodded in deference and spoke to Angelo. “You’d better leave now. What comes next is not for her… for either of you.” He placed a hand on the gun holstered at his hip.
Angelo squeezed Kara’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“Wait…” she pulled free of Angelo and rushed back of the plane stepping over Jim O’Leary’s unconscious body. She realized then that Atlas must’ve knocked him out at some point, but she honestly didn’t care. She reached the back of the plane and knelt down, smoothing her hands over the carpet until she found what she was looking for. Atlas had followed her and stood watch over her as she passed him to exit the plane again. She ran back to Angelo who caught her in his arms.
“I couldn’t leave without this.” She slipped the engagement ring on her finger and when he realized what she had gone back for, he kissed her. Hard, desperate, raw, and then after a moment, his mouth softened to sweeter kisses.
A polite cough broke them apart and Asher tapped his watch and nodded toward the waiting Cabrinis.
It was time to get out of there.
“Let’s go home…” Kara said. For the first time… she meant it. Because she had a home… had a family… had a man who held her heart. Her home would always be where her heart was, with Angelo.
Kara was safe. That was all that mattered to Angelo. Angelo held her on his lap in the back of the SUV, relishing the way she tucked herself into him.
Asher was in the front seat talking to Colton on his cell phone. Colton and Atlas were in another SUV heading to meet the police to retrieve the sedan out of the lake. Which meant he and Kara had some time to talk.
Her face was pressed against his chest and neck. Only one of her hands peeped out, resting on his arm. His grandmother’s pearl gleamed like frozen moonlight. The sight of it on Kara’s finger made his chest ache and his eyes burn. He didn’t know what happened or why the ring had been removed, but she’d gone back for it. Faint, angry red marks, formed a bracelet around her wrist. She’d been tied up. The rage inside of him began to build like a storm as he fought to keep it inside. He peppered her face with soft kisses, especially around the bruise darkening one of her eyes.
“I thought you drowned,” she suddenly whispered, her lashes fluttering beneath his lips as he kissed her closed eyes. The storm inside of him instantly died as he processed her words. Hehadalmost died.
“According to Asher I kind of did,” he admitted.
“What happened?” Kara burrowed her face against his neck. “You promised you’d be right behind me.”
“I watched you swim away, and I knew I had to get out and follow you—to keep my promise because I go where you go.” He nuzzled her temple, pressing soft, reverent kisses against her skin. “When I finally got my seat back and escaped, I started swimming away, I’d already lost precious time without air and…” The words he wanted to say choked him into silence.
“If it’s too much we don’t have to talk about it.” She kissed his chin and somehow her understanding gave him the strength to continue.
“The next thing I knew my life flashed before my eyes. I always thought that was some kind of silly thing that happened in movies. But it happened to me…” It felt like he was swallowing glass.
“And?” Kara’s lips brushed against his throat causing him to shiver, and then she shivered a second later. Damn, he was cold and so was she. He reached forward to turn up the heater on for the back of the car.
“Angelo, tell me,” she pressed.
