“Wait, greedy. You want answers, right?” Damn it. He’s right. I nod my head.
“It's simple. After each of your crime scenes, I had it cleaned and fingerprints from Leonidis planted there. He is a soldier working for Romeo DeSantis. It was perfect.” Oh my God. This whole time he has been protecting me and I didn’t know it. I feel tears building in my eyes.
“I can’t believe you did this. What about your job? You jeopardized your job for me?”
“Once I met you I knew I was going to be done as soon as I was able to get you free of this. I resigned this morning.” Holy fuck. Is he saying we can have a normal life?
“I don't know what to say.” He leans over to the side table and pulls out a small jewelry box. Butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach, and I start hiccupping before he asks the question.
“Just say you will marry me and raise our baby with me.” He slides this beautiful cushion cut diamond on my finger and I can see the reflection of our future in it. One where I smile and laugh and have little ones that look like us running around. It’s a future where I am happy, and I find I want that. It all starts with five words.
“Yes, I will marry you.”
We celebrate that answer for the rest of the day.
EPILOGUE
CALLUM
TEN YEARS LATER
“Daddy, look!”My ten-year-old says, riding a horse like an expert. I wave at her and shake my head, thinking she is so much like her mother. Scared of nothing. Speaking of my wife. I turn and look around our backyard, filled with people who are here to celebrate our oldest, Lena’s, tenth birthday.
Finally, I spot my wife, my ray of sunshine, my fierce warrior, my soulmate. She is throwing her head back laughing at something one of our friends said and I have to take a second to gather myself. Like the first moment I met her, every time I look at her it takes my breath away. I don’t move. I wait for her to feel me staring. I know the minute she feels it. She stops, her back straightens but her breath becomes shallow and then she turns just like I was sending a signal to my location.
Her face lights up the way it always does, when she sees me, and it hits me right in the chest. This woman is my life. Her and our three kids and the one in her belly. “Daddy, come watch me flip.” Callum Junior, whom we call CJ, pulls on my arm. My son is big for his six years, built like his dad, but he has a heart like his mom. Always looking out for the underdog.
I follow him to the bounce house, before looking and spotting our youngest, three-year-old Lucy with my mom at the toddler section of the party. I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist. Holding them to me, I shiver when she whispers in my ear. “How’s my hero?” Smiling, I turn so I am facing her.
“I am no one’s hero, Angel. Just a man in love willing to do whatever it takes for his family.” My hands go to her hardening belly and rub my son that is kicking up a storm. “How is mama feeling?” She cradles her bump and smiles at me.
“Happy and tired. Horny. Needy. Achy. Pick one.” I hiss, her words making my cock hard. Fucking brat knows it too. She smiles, licking her lips.
“I will take care of all of that once all these damn people are out of my house.” I hate sharing my family with anyone, but I also know how important this is for Cat. After she realized she was free, she vowed to make the most of everyday and celebrate life. So, I give her this.
“You promise?” I raise my eyebrow at her question. She throws her head back and laughs, before standing on her toes and kissing me. “I love you, Callum. Thank you for giving me another chance at a life I didn’t know I wanted.” Fuck this woman undoes me.
“It was selfish baby. I did it because I couldn’t let you walk away from me. I couldn’t let you wake up one day and decide you wanted this and then some other fucker who wouldn’t worship would get it. No. I did it to have you all to myself, Angel. I love you more than my last breath, baby. Thank you for finally surrendering to the inevitable.”
“Until my last breath, husband.”
Forever.