Shane is waiting with a big, fluffy towel.
“Come here.”
I step out to him, and he wraps me in that terrycloth and pulls me to him. I lose control and cling to him as I start sobbing. I’ve always thought that people who wail when they cry are just dramatic, but I get it now as I bawl against the strongest man I’ve ever met.
The man I love with all my heart and soul.
And grieve once more for the mother I loved so much, and the father I hated with everything in me.
When I’ve quieted to soft hiccups, Shane finishes drying me and wraps me in a white robe, then leads me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom with a queen-sized bed.
He pushes a button and speaks into a microphone.
“She’s out of the shower, and we’re safe in the bedroom. You’re cleared for takeoff.”
Shane pulls back the crisp, white linens, and we lie down, tangled in each other, just clinging to one another as we hear the engines come to life and feel the plane start making its way down the runway.
When we’re airborne, and my tears have stopped flowing, Shane turns my chin his way.
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”
My chin wobbles, but I lick my lips and rub his nose with mine. “I wasn’t scared. I was just…mad. And when I killed him, I wasn’t sorry.”
“Yeah. I get that.”
“Does that make me an evil person?” I wonder aloud. “Does it make me like him that I was able to end his life with no remorse?”
“No.” His voice is firm as he urges me to look him in the eyes. “You’re not evil, Ivie, you’re human. It’s over now. He’s gone, and he can’t hurt you ever again. We’ll do some more digging to make sure that it ends with Ivan and Elian. I suspect it does, but we’ll cross every t and dot every i, just to be sure.”
I nod and blow out a breath. “It’s over.”
“Yes.”
My breath hitches. “Curt can go home, where he’s happiest.”
His lips twitch. “I’m so happy to hear that you’re worried about Curt.”
“What will you do?” I ask.
Shane’s eyes sober. His hand cups my cheek again, and just when I think he’s going to kiss me, he says, “I love you, Ivie. I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You’ve wound your way inside me, and I can’t let you go.
“So, to answer your question, I’m going to talk to the people I work for and set new parameters there. Because I refuse to ever leave you alone. I will not put myself into a position that might mean I never come home to you.”
A tear falls down my cheek, but it’s not because of my father. It’s from the hope that’s just set up residence in my belly.
“I love you, too.”
“Good.” He grins and kisses me lightly but then pulls back again. “I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart because I’d like to ask you a serious question now. I’d get on one knee, but this feels a little more intimate, and pretty much perfect for us since we haven’t done anything the traditional way since the day I met you.”
I bite my lip, waiting.
“Marry me, Ivie. Make me the luckiest man in the world. I know that my family is a lot to take on, and as crazy as they are, they will love and protect you until the day they die. You will never want for anything. You’ll never wonder for even one moment how much I love you, how devoted I am to you. Be my wife.”
“That sounded more like a command than a question.”
His lips twitch. “Well, I’m used to giving orders, so…”
I laugh and wrap my arms around him. “Yes, Shane Martinelli. I’ll be your wife. Under one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You give me babies. I want lots of children. I might not come from the best of parents, but I know I’ll be a good mom.”
A slow smile spreads over his gorgeous face. “I’m on board with that. In fact—” He pushes the robe open and slides a talented hand inside. “Why don’t we get a head start on that?”
“You’ll get no argument from me.”
“That’s a first.”
Epilogue
~Annika~
One Month Later…
“It is my honor to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Martinelli!”
We all stand and clap as Nadia and Carmine walk into the ballroom of the Martinelli family home just outside of Seattle. She’s changed into the sexier gown she bought, just for the reception.
Leave it to my cousin Nadia to be more than a little extra on her wedding day.
But I wouldn’t have her any other way.
The weather held beautifully for the ceremony out by the pond. There were even swans swimming gracefully across the still water as Ivie and I stood by Nadia’s side and watched with pride as our best friend promised to join her life with Carmine’s.