He rested his chin on her head and tried to fight through the emotions that threatened to drown him.
“I saw my life… and it… led right to you at the end. You were my last thought before…” He couldn’t finish, but she seemed to know what he couldn’t say.
Kara…She had been the last thing his mind clung to as his life faded away. He knew the poets had been right about love all along. He suddenly smiled.
“Life can be made stronger than death, if man learns carefully and unmistakably the language of love,” he murmured.
Kara lifted her head up to look at him, her brows rose in silent question.
“It reminded me of your poetry. Sri Chimroy wrote it.”
“Poetry?”
“I started reading some after you went to bed last week.” He stared in her eyes, seeing a host of stars. His private galaxy. He cleared his throat. It still hurt like hell and he swore he still felt water in his lungs, but he was alive. “I was thinking about your idea for the cookbook. It might be a good one. I want to write it with you.” He tightened his grip on her slightly.
“Really?” Those stars in her eyes grew brighter, shonedeeper.
“Really.” The thought of sharing his grandmother’s recipes with the world and sharing stories of her life in Italy… and his life with Kara now, it feltright.
Kara relaxed in his arms just a little more. They were both quiet for a long while before she spoke again. “I still don’t understand it. How did you find me after you got out of the lake… and how did he… Atlas show up with the Westies?”
“I can answer that,” Asher said from the front seat as he hung up his phone. “I put tracking devices in various articles of clothing as well as your suitcases. Angelo and I discussed that if you decided to run, we would track you both in case something happened.”
She looked up at Angelo a flash of betrayal in her eyes.
“Kara, I was never going to let you just run off, not when I knew your father’s men would never let you be free. Asher and I agreed that I’d go with you, and he’d track us and we’d try to lure Cormac out.” He bent his head, his nose brushing hers as he breathed slowly in and out. “Even if you didn’t want to stay with me, didn’t love me, I wasn’t going to let you lose your life, not to Cormac or anyone else.”
Tears clung to her lashes and she blinked several times, making him want to kiss those lashes and dry her eyes.
“Am I forgiven?” he asked.
She nodded and he lifted his head again. Asher was watching them through the rear view mirror and took that as his moment to continue his explanation.
“I was on the tail of the SUV following you but I didn’t know it was Cormac’s men until they rammed you into the lake. When they hit you, they started arguing and didn’t immediately get out of the car. So I ran past them and down the embankment where I found you. I dove into the water to get Angelo out. They took you while I was in the water.”
Kara grimaced and touched her hand to her chin where a bruise was forming. One her eyes was black, and Angelo wanted to know how she’d gotten that but didn’t have a chance to ask.
“While I was getting Angelo out of the lake Colton rendezvoused with the Cabrinis and got into contact with Atlas who said he was bringing in the Westies on a private flight from New York.”
“Who is Atlas?” Kara asked.
“He was my man running point in New York. He kept track of every moment while they were there. He got a job at a local café they went to every morning and kept tabs on them. They somehow figured out he was tailing them and blew up his car. Thankfully Atlas wasn’t inside. He and the Westies met up at the airfield and caught a flight right after Callahan and O’Leary did. They actually beat Cormac to the plane he hired to bring you back to New York and he knocked the pilot out cold. It was a dice roll. Atlas didn’t know for certain if Cormac had madehimor just his car. Colton worked with the Cabrinis to have a little discussion with the Westies about you and your situation before they met you. And it turns out, they were willing to listen and willing to let you go.”
Kara relaxed even more in his hold, and he kissed the top of her head before resting his chin against the crown of her hair. Angelo knew he and Kara would have more questions later, but he didn’t want to think about anything but Kara and getting her home.
When they got his house, Angelo shook Asher’s hand gratefully. Kara hugged the private security specialist and wiped her eyes.
“I don’t think either of you need me anymore, but my team is going to stay in town a few weeks just to make sure,” Asher said with a reassuring smile. “I trust Leo Cabrini to see to the work of the disposing of Callahan and O’Leary.”
Kara flinched and Angelo put an arm around her shoulders.
“You go on inside, you’re both freezing,” Asher said. He didn’t seem to notice that he was also still wet and cold.
“Thank you,” Angelo said. “For saving our lives.”
“I’d say ‘any time,’” Asher chuckled. “But that means I’d have done my job poorly if you end up in mortal peril again.”
“Good point. In that case I hope we never see you again.” Angelo laughed and they headed for his front door.
