I was still a little weak and dizzy, but the fresh air helped soothe me. I sank down onto the boulder and put my face in my hands.
Grace was gone.
I couldn’t blame her. Antonio needed her.
So do I.
It was true. I needed Grace. So much.
“Ya gonna tell me what’s bothering ya?” Josephine demanded. “That girl again?”
I groaned, rubbing a hand roughly over my face. “Yeah, that girl again.” Why wouldn’t Josephine just go away?
She plopped her hands on her hips. “Ya never told her ya loved her, did ya?”
I sighed. “No.”
She let out a loud harrumph. “Figures. Stupid man.”
I lifted my head and sent her a glare. “Can you go away and leave me alone for once?”
She shrugged. “Fine. I’m leaving. But I think you’re a fool. Go tell her you love her before it’s too late.” She turned away.
“Wait!” I called, sighing deeply. “You’re right.”
She paused, turning back to me. She cocked a brow.
“I’m a fool.” I paused. “Thanks for being my friend and for listening to me. And for giving me advice.”
Josephine grinned. “You’re welcome, you grump. Now go to Grace. Tell her how you feel. I don’t want to see you back here pining over her ever again.”
She disappeared, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Now go to Grace. Tell her how you feel.
Grace.
Fuck, I missed her. I would be utterly miserable without her in my life.
I was miserable now.
I missed everything about her. Everything.
Her spunkiness. Her courage. Her strong will. Her gorgeous green eyes. Her sexy, kissable lips. That long, thick copper hair. Her toned, athletic body, and round, firm breasts. Her kindness. Her goodness. Her maternal instincts.
My chest squeezed.
Grace.
I loved her so damn much. Hell, I had for a while now. She’d broken through my walls. And now she’d burrowed deep inside my heart.
My heart. The one thing I’d refused until recently to admit I had.
Grace had not only found my heart. She’d opened it up for me. She owned me now. All of me. I think she had all along.
I was so fucking in love with her I couldn’t see straight. She consumed me. Every single inch of me.
I had done nothing but take and take from Grace, not giving her anything in return. I was a selfish bastard. I absolutely refused to go to her empty-handed. I was done taking. I needed to give her something special. Something big in exchange for all she’d given me.
And suddenly, I knew exactly what to do.
By the time the other dregs reached the surface to hear what I had to say, I’d concocted a plan. It would take some research, and some help from Noah and probably Alissa. It might take a little time.
But I had the perfect plan now. One I prayed would start our future off on the right foot.
The other dregs listened quietly while I told them the truth about seeing ghosts, talking to them, listening to them, and what Gordon had told me before he died.
None of them were upset with me for keeping it a secret all these years. They all seemed to understand my silence. Tracker, in particular, was happy knowing Gordon had talked to me at the end. He clapped me on the shoulder and thanked me for sharing that.
Finally, everyone disbursed.
It was time to enact my plan.
Grace had made herself vulnerable by telling me she loved me. That had been a very brave thing to do. I swear nothing scared that woman.
And now it was my turn.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Grace
Hey, bounty babe. What you wearing right now?
I chuckled as I read Tony’s text, then replied: Absolutely nothing.
I could almost hear his groan as he responded: You’re killing me, woman.
It’s your own fault. You’re the one who’s taking so long to come to me.
I told you I was done being a selfish bastard, came his response. I’m not coming to you until I have something big to give you. But it’s taking some time. So be patient, bounty babe. Please don’t give up on me.
Never, I promised. I’ll be waiting for you, stud muffin. Impatiently. And don’t you know the biggest, best thing you could ever give me is yourself?
His response to that was to send me a smiling emoji, one with its tongue hanging out. It made me laugh for a long time.
Tony had begun texting me several nights ago, and we kept at it each night. He’d explained that he was working something out, and that he couldn’t come see me until everything was arranged. I had no idea what he was planning, but I’ll admit I was curious.
Alissa had informed me Tony had suffered a mild stroke on the left side of his face, but that the symptoms had now faded, and he was back to normal. I missed him so much, but at least the texts made being away from him bearable.
I’d gone back to work, back to my life, and had taken in another foster child a few days after Antonio. The new addition was a little Hispanic girl named Guadalupe who preferred to be called “Lupe”. She was an adorable, precocious nine-year-old, who’d lost both parents in a car accident. So far, the state had been unable to locate any living relatives. I had been more than happy to take her in. At just a year older than Antonio, she settled right in and immediately began bossing him around. Antonio took it all in stride, a little shy at first, but over the coming days, he and Lupe became fast friends. I often caught the two of them conversing quietly in Spanish, probably so I wouldn’t know what they were saying. I decided I was going to learn Spanish so I wouldn’t be left in the dark with my foster kids.
The chief had agreed to let me return to day shifts so that I could be home when the children were out of school. I soon settled into a regular routine again. The Black Dragons had not returned to Eatonton since the night I’d shot Darcy, though my fellow officers often stopped by to make sure I was okay. The entire community now knew that the dregs were good guys, but the dregs still only ventured outside at night. Alissa had told me they were just being cautious, and I didn’t blame them. The Company might still be hunting them. But with Darcy and Aikens both dead, the threat to the dregs had diminished, at least for a while.
The only thing missing from my life now was Tony. The texts were nice, but they weren’t him. I needed him. His physical presence. I needed to touch him. Hold him. I missed the verbal sparring between us. The constant battle of wills. And the smoking hot sex. I missed just being with him.
It was a week later that Alissa called to tell me she and Nate were taking a trip across the country, and that they might not be back for a while. She asked if she could see me before they left, so I invited her over for dinner on Friday. She said that would be perfect, and asked what she could bring.
“A hot guy named Tony,” I joked, though I was aching inside, wishing he really would come. What was taking him so feckin long? What was he doing?
She cleared her throat. “Well, I’ll see what I can do about that, but I can’t make any promises. He’s been working really hard on something. And that’s all I’m allowed to say.”
I sighed. “I know.” What was all this mystery about? Alissa must know what was going on, but Tony had sworn her to secrecy. We talked for several minutes more before saying goodbye, but she wouldn’t budge and tell me any more about Tony.
Friday finally rolled around. I got off work, picked the kids up from the neighbor’s—who watched them after school for me—then prepared dinner while they did their homework. The kids finished their homework, then begged to go outside and play for a little while before dinner.
“Don’t forget your jackets. You’ve got about a half hour before Alissa gets here. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.” My apartment complex had a playground for children, and the kids knew they could play on the playground and around the apartment complex, but that they were to immediately come in
side if approached by a stranger, and that they were never, ever to get into a car with someone they didn’t know.
I finished up the dinner preparations and glanced at the clock. It was ten to six. Alissa was supposed to be here in ten minutes.
I went out to round up the kids, heading down the sidewalk that led around back to the playground.
And stopped dead in my tracks.
Tony was sitting in the shrubs in the same general area where he’d been that night with the stray dog. Lupe sat on his left, and Antonio sat on his right. Both children watched attentively, their eyes alive with fascination, as he showed them a magic trick.
Tears swam in my eyes. My heart leapt into my throat. He’d come. Finally, he was here!
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
Then Antonio lifted his head and grinned at me. “Look Grace! Tony came back! He’s teaching us magic tricks.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Tony
I looked up and there she was.
My breath caught.
She was an angel. Her glorious red hair falling freely down her back in gorgeous waves. Her eyes bright with unshed tears. Her mouth fighting a smile that she couldn’t stop as it slowly spread across her face. She was dressed in faded jeans and a purple sweater. Simple, casual clothes.
Fuck, she was stunning. Amazing. And I’d missed her so damn much.
Where moments ago I’d been terrified, afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do this, all it took was one look into her eyes and I knew, I just knew this was the right thing to do. The only thing to do.
I rose to my feet, handing a deck of cards to each of the kids.
“Cool!” Antonio shouted. “Can we keep them?”
“Yeah. They’re yours.”
“Go inside and wash your hands for dinner,” Grace called as the children raced up the stairs with their cards. “Aunt Alissa will be here soon.”
She turned back to me, her gaze bold, yet curious, and hopeful, as she took me in. “You look good, stud muffin. I haven’t seen you for so long, I was starting to believe you were just a dream I had a week ago. Did Alissa convince you to come?”
Her quip caused a chuckle to vibrate through my chest. I stuffed my hands in my jacket pockets, needing something to do with them, needing to keep them busy so I wouldn’t touch her. “No. I convinced me to come. I asked her to set up this dinner.”
Her eyes widened. “You did? But…does this mean she’s not coming?”
I hesitated. “She’ll be here. In a little bit. But first, I have some things I need to say to you, Grace.”
Her eyes devoured me hungrily, raking me up and down. My fingers twitched in my pockets, aching to touch her.
“You have something to say to me,” she repeated softly, her gaze crawling back to mine and staying there. “I’m listening.”
I drew in a deep breath for courage. “I’ve never told anyone…” I broke off, swallowing hard. My heart was pounding so wildly, I half-expected it to just burst out of my chest and race away. I cleared my throat and tried again. “You told me something that no one has ever said to me before, and fuck, I’m trying to say it back to you now.”
Her eyes welled with tears. She waited, and when I was unable to continue, she encouraged, “Come on, stud muffin. Don’t be shy.”
I snorted out a laugh. Ah, this woman was good for me.
“I know you have more to say,” she went on softly. “And I want to hear it all. But it doesn’t have to be right now if you’re not ready.”
She was letting me off the hook? No, I couldn’t let her. I had to do this. She deserved this.
So I bravely went on. “In the beginning, I thought that if I gave in to my feelings, then that meant I’d lost the battle,” I admitted. “That you’d won. For so long, I didn’t want to admit I had a heart. I denied I even had feelings. I believed that if I let myself care for you it meant I was weak.” I looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m sure you know by now how much I hate being vulnerable. But for you, I’m willing to be vulnerable. You made me realize that I do have a heart, and that giving in to my feelings makes me a winner. Not a loser. You, Grace, are the biggest prize on earth. And I’m no longer afraid to admit that I have a heart or that you stole it from me a long time ago.”
She let out a soft gasp. Somehow, I managed to jerk my hands from my pockets before she launched herself at me. And then, she was in my arms, and I was kissing her, and she was kissing me back. And I just knew everything would be all right.
Finally, she stepped back and looked into my eyes. “Will you teach me Spanish? Both Antonio and Lupe are fluent in Spanish and when they talk Spanish together, I have no idea what they are saying.”
I chuckled. “I’ll bet that bothers you. Yes, I’ll teach you anything you want.”
She ran her fingers gently through my hair, her gaze locking on mine. “Okay. How do I say ‘I love you’?”
My heart stuttered in my chest. And then it dawned on me that she was trying to make this easier for me by allowing me to tell her how I felt about her in my native language. Gratitude swept through me. I’d never said the words to her yet. I love you.
My face heated. I swallowed hard, then whispered, “Te amo.”
Her eyes widened, then filled with tears. “Truly? That’s how you say it?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “Te amo.”
“Do you mean it?” she asked, her words breathless.
“Yes, I mean it with everything I have, Grace. Everything. You’re my bounty babe.”
She let out a soft laugh and wiped at a stray tear. “Te amo, Tony.”
I dragged her into my arms and squeezed her against me. “Te amo, Grace.”
She laughed again, whispering back, “Te amo.”
I lowered my head, kissing her gently. And the magic that only the two of us created sparked between us. All those years I’d been saving my kisses for her. Just for her.
“I still have issues,” I warned, leaning back. “You’ll have to be patient with me while I work through them. And occasionally you might hear me talking to a ghost.”
She smiled. “So who wins this round?” She eyed me with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Both of us win,” I whispered, lowering my mouth to hers again.
“Yes,” she said breathlessly, kissing me back. “We’re both winners.”
And we were.
“Ahem.” We jolted apart as a throat cleared loudly behind us. Grace spun around, her face filling with shock, then disbelief, then joy.
“Da! Mom!” She flung herself into her parents’ arms, overcome with emotion, while I stood aside and watched the happy reunion. Noah had helped me research ways to get her family into the country quickly. We’d discovered the Visa Waiver Program, which allowed citizens from certain countries to visit the U.S. for a short time without having to obtain a U.S. Visa first. Alissa had helped me contact her family in Ireland and arrange for their travel, then I’d paid all the necessary fees to get them here.
And now here they were.
“Oh my God!” Grace wiped at her eyes and turned to me. “This was the big secret you were planning? This was why you wouldn’t come see me? You were waiting for them?”
I nodded, my chest tightening with emotion. This was my gift to her. Bringing her family for a visit. “I had to have something to give you, Grace. I was done being selfish and taking from you. It was time to give back.”
Her parents stepped aside, and then her three brothers came forward, and Grace burst into tears all over again, hugging each of them, their wives, and her two nieces and three nephews.
This was a true family, I realized as I watched them all, my chest warming. This was what I’d been missing all along. A family of my own.
And now I was about to become a part of it. I wanted to be a part of it. Of Grace and her foster kids. And her extended family. All of it.
“This is the best gift ever.” Grace wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me in front of th
em all. “This is Tony,” she introduced to everyone. “The man I love. Isn’t he amazing?”
Her family all smiled and murmured their agreement, then took turns shaking my hand, each of them friendly and welcoming. Even her brothers. Her mother hugged me for a long time, and her father clapped me warmly on the back. I’d already met them all, briefly, when Alissa had brought them from the airport and set them up in a local hotel. But it was still nice to be accepted by them in front of Grace. They were giving their support. Their acceptance. And it felt good.
Alissa and Nate showed up shortly afterward, and we all went into Grace’s apartment for dinner. Her brothers were loud and boisterous like Grace, and her mother was sweet and kind.
After a rowdy evening of dinner, drinks, and games, while the children played happily with Antonio and Lupe, her family all headed to the hotel for the night.
Nate and Alissa left, too, and said they would be hitting the road now, heading for Idaho. Tracker and Jacob had left a few hours after I’d told all the dregs about Gordon, and with Nate and Alissa leaving, it would now only be Noah, Logan, Ryan, and Luke at the maze. I wanted to be a part of Grace’s life without having to hide underground. I wanted to be able to take her and the kids far away from here so we could have a normal life. But would she be willing to do that? Would she be willing to give up her life here to start a new one with me somewhere else?
Grace put the kids to bed, then we settled onto the couch together, sitting close, our shoulders and thighs touching.
“I have something else I need to say to you, Grace.” I turned and met her gaze. “I would like to leave Georgia, start a new life in Idaho near Tracker and Jacob and their families. I want you and the kids to come with me. I won’t have to hide underground if I move away from here. I can have a normal life. You can still be a cop if you want. Or you can be my bounty babe and I’ll go on hunts with you to catch criminals. We make a great team, you and I.”
She chuckled. “I’ll be your bounty babe as long as you’ll be my stud muffin.”
“Deal.” I grinned. “I have enough money that you won’t ever have to work if you don’t want to. If you’d rather stay home with the kids, that’s fine with me, too.” I paused. “It would mean a lot to me if you would go with me. Say yes.”
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