“Apparently you don’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘lie low,’” Special Agent Idler said dryly as she approached. Frosted leaves crunched under her feet as she left Nolan behind.
He was strapped to a gurney, a red-soaked bandage taped to his chest, his phone glued to his ear. He caught me staring and pointed to the phone.
“Wife,” he mouthed, looking delusionally happy.
My lips quirked and I tossed him a salute. He grinned and held up a friendly middle finger.
“He gonna be all right?” I asked.
“He’ll be fine. Missed all the vitals. But you know what that son of a bitch just did? He quit.”
“You don’t say?”
“Don’t know why he’s telling me since I’m not his boss. But seems he got poached by the private sector,” she said, shooting a pointed look to where Lucian was standing, arms crossed, in a huddle with a handful of agents.
“You don’t seem too broken up about having to fire my ass,” I observed.
“Maybe it’s because sometimes the greater good comes at too high a price tag,” she said, watching my brother kiss his bride-to-be as she clung to him. “Of course, maybe it’s also because Duncan Hugo knew less about his father’s operations than a midlevel employee,” she continued. “Or maybe it’s because your friend Lucian agreed to put his extensive resources at our disposal to help us take down Anthony Hugo once and for all. So you can see how I might be a little too busy to worry about whether some small-town chief of police keeps his job.”
“Back away from my chief, Special Agent,” Mayor Swanson said. It would have been more threatening had she not been wearing jack-o’-lantern pajama pants and clutching a Snoopy tumbler of hot coffee.
“We’re just having a conversation, Mayor,” Idler said.
“You make sure you keep it friendly. I’d hate for the seventy-two thousand people who liked this article about our hometown hero to find out the FBI hung him out to dry.” She held up a stack of printouts and waved them around.
I snatched them out of her hand, then regretted it immediately when I saw the first few comments.
He can protect and serve my ass any day.
Thinking about committing a misdemeanor in northern Virginia. BRB.
“Christ,” I muttered.
“If you think the FBI has the time and money to handle the PR fallout, by all means, go for it. But I’ll make it my personal mission to go on every morning show between DC and New York—”
“Mayor Swanson, Chief Morgan’s job isn’t in any danger. At least, not from my end.”
Nolan’s ambulance pulled away and I was rewarded with the kind of sight a man wouldn’t soon forget.
Angelina Solavita.
She was leaning against the side of that goddamn navy-blue Porsche, her long legs stretched out in front of her, hands shoved in her pockets. Her face was bruised, her clothing was muddy, and she was standing there in borrowed firefighter turnout boots.
She looked like a beautiful badass. My beautiful badass.
She spotted me and those full lips curved knowingly.
I stepped between Mayor Swanson and Special Agent Idler without seeing them.
“About time he got his head out of his ass,” I heard the mayor say as I walked away from them.
Lina pushed away from the car and launched herself at me.
I caught her and boosted her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist.
“Hey there, hotsh—”
I didn’t let her finish. I dragged her mouth down to mine and kissed her like it was the first time. Like it was the last time. Like it was the only time.
She went soft in my arms and I went hard. The taste of her, the feel of her, the reality of her was too much. I was never going to get enough.
I pulled back from the kiss. “It’s after.”
“Yeah, and you’re still buying me a ring.”
“You didn’t change your mind?”
“I told you. You’re stuck with me. I drafted my letter of resignation on my phone while I was waiting for you to kick Dilton’s ass.”
“How’s your arm?” I asked her.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. I don’t even need stitches.”
“I said you could probably use a few stitches,” one of the paramedics yelled from the open window of their vehicle.
Lina shrugged and grinned at me. “Eh. Same thing.”
“I fucking love you, Angel.”
Her face softened. “I love you too, hotshot.”
“You gonna marry me?”
There was so much love in her eyes that I felt like I almost couldn’t breathe. “Yeah,” she whispered.
“Good girl.”
I pulled her mouth down for another kiss, then winced when she dug her heel into my ass cheek.
“Are you sure you didn’t get shot in that perfect ass?”
“Shot? No.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll show you later. First, why don’t you give me a ride home?”
She let out a little squeal and unwound her legs from my waist. “I thought you’d never ask.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I tugged it free.
I grinned and turned the screen toward Lina.
“Why is my mom calling you?”
“I’m guessing you missed a few calls.”
“I figured we could tell them about our night together,” she said, looking guilty.
“You big, beautiful chicken,” I teased.
I snatched the keys out of her hand and tossed her my phone.
“I’ll drive. You talk.”
“Fine, but as my fiancé, I hope you’re mentally prepared for parents with no sense of personal boundaries or privacy descending on Knockemout to meet you.”
“I can’t wait, Angel.”
EPILOGUE
Nash
It was a damn miracle that we were still standing…let alone standing here. Tate Dilton was dead. Duncan Hugo was in custody. I hadn’t lost my job. And everyone I loved was safe and here. Some of us were a little banged up. But we were here and that was what counted.
My brother’s backyard was decked out for the occasion with a little help from Mother Nature. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. Fall leaves showered the guests in showy colors as the creek burbled over rocks and around bends, adding a familiar music to the lively guitar.
The rows of rustic benches full of excited guests faced the wooden arbor Knox and Lou had made together.
My brother was facing down the pumpkin-lined aisle, looking like he was about to puke all over his suit and tie. He had a cut on his forehead, a bruise under one eye, and several knuckles bandaged. I myself was rocking a few new bruises and a sore-as-hell shoulder.
Under the arbor ready to officiate was Justice St. John, who cleaned up nicely for the occasion, trading in his usual coveralls for a charcoal-gray suit.
Lucian, with a smirk, and Jeremiah took their places next to me. Together, we had my brother’s back.
Naomi’s mom, pretty in gold, flashed me an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the front row. Across from her, Liza J pulled a flask out of her shit-brown cardigan and took a nip. Beside her, I was surprised to see our dad. He looked…good. Healthy. Present. He was decked out in a suit and tie that he kept fiddling with. Next to him was a man I didn’t recognize.