Текст книги "Love or Justice"

Автор книги: Rachel Mannino

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

Dante

Dante hurled himself through the door of the plane into the cold Nebraska morning. His leg throbbed like mad. The frigid air wasn’t much of a distraction from it. Bob had flown them all night, only stopping to refuel once. Albert and Dante didn’t sleep at all. They twisted and turned in their seats for hours, waiting to land.

“I know he was lying,” Albert had said to Dante somewhere over California. “No one has the faintest idea where we live. Kaimi wouldn’t even know where to start.”

Albert still fidgeted in his seat, to the point that Dante was ready to tie him to it. Dante held himself in check, knowing he was worried and exhausted. Instead, he passed the dreadful hours with dull tasks, redressing his wound, checking his gear. It all kept him sane long enough to make it to their final descent.

The three men jogged into the small airport. The same teenager sat at the counter as before. Albert told him what truck he owned, and the boy charged them a large sum for their parking. Albert paid without hesitation. Then they picked up their bags, racing to the door. They piled into the cold truck. The leather and plastic interior felt like ice. Albert didn’t wait for the engine to warm up, instead, he peeled out of the parking lot onto the road.

Snow had fallen, dusting the broken corn stalks of the landscape with a crisp, white shield. It blurred in Dante’s tired eyes as he stared out into the distance. He drummed his fingers on the pack settled in his lap. He ran his hand through his hair several times. The drive took much longer than he remembered, and with every passing minute, the nightmares in his head grew stronger, more insistent.

It wasn’t quite an hour before Dante spotted the farmhouse in the distance. Albert raced the truck the last half-mile up the road and down the driveway, bouncing on the pitted holes as they went. They pulled up to a quiet house. Nothing stirred or rippled at the windows as they pulled in.

“Let’s just be careful here. Be ready for anything.” Albert turned around, looking at Dante. “We go in like it’s hostile.”

“Well, with Emma in there, for you it is hostile.” Bob took his gun in hand.

Albert glowered at him.

“Oh, I was just lightening the mood. Why does the CIA have to be so damn serious all the time?” Bob rolled his eyes.

Dante half-smiled in spite of the tingling sensation at the nape of his neck. He didn’t like the fact that no one greeted them; he had had a fantasy in his head of Laurie running out to the truck so he could breathe a sigh of relief and sweep her off her feet. That dream crumbled under the weight of each passing minute.

The men slid out of the truck, leaving the doors open. They approached each vehicle, checking for occupants before moving onto the house. When they reached the front door, Dante choked on the frigid air when he saw the slit in the screen, and the scratches along the doorframe. Albert saw it too, his eyes narrowing. They positioned themselves beside the door. Dante reached over, turning the knob.

Albert barreled into the house; Bob and Dante followed. All was quiet. No one was downstairs. They moved from room to room. The house was a mess. The boys had left homework and video games out; the kitchen had dishes piled in the sink. No one was there. Then they moved up the stairs. Dante saw the bullet holes in Gabriella’s open door, and he froze. He swallowed hard, as Albert, seeing the damage, moved passed him, into Gabriella’s room.

There were more bullet holes, laundry was everywhere, and a large pool of blood was on the floor of the bedroom. Someone had smeared the blood out into the hallway, where the trail disappeared altogether going down the stairs. Dante clenched his jaw, trying to hold onto his sanity. He would not breakdown until he knew where Laurie was and what had happened. Nobody, no person was in the room to tell them more. So they continued into Laurie’s and Emma’s bedrooms. There was no one there either. Something had happened, and then they had all just disappeared.

“The barn,” Albert ordered.

Bob and Dante nodded. They avoided each other’s gaze as they moved down the stairs, staring at the banister or their gun. They didn’t want to see their own waning hope reflected back at them.

They moved out of the kitchen door into the sun, then jogged across the snow-coated grass, running to their last hope. They moved up alongside the barn door. Albert reached over and opened it.

Dante charged inside. He heard the surprised screams of the boys, before something hit the back of his head. He dropped to his knees, his ears ringing.

“Dante?” came a breathless voice. The voice rang crystal clear in his head; Laurie was alive.

“Laurie!” he exclaimed, turning. His vision blurred, and the pain escalated. The world swam before his eyes, but the joy bursting in his chest made him reach for her.

“Oh, God! Oh, thank God it’s you!” Laurie threw down the rake she used as a weapon.

Dizzy and disoriented, Dante lunged for Laurie as best he could. He nearly knocked them both off balance, before he caught himself. He leaned into the wall, with his love wrapped in his arms. Against his will, the tears that had been burning the back of his throat all morning filled his eyes. She was alive. She was alive, they were together again, and that was all he cared about.

“Thank God you’re alive,” he said repeatedly as she cried into his shoulder. He kissed her, holding her tighter until she told him she couldn’t breathe. He laughed and loosened his hold just a little bit. Then he kissed her again, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, desperate to taste her.

“Laurie, where are Emma and Gabriella?” Albert demanded through their haze. He shouted the question at them, since they ignored him for the past three times he asked.

Dante broke off the kiss with a soft groan of dismay. His eyes focused on his father’s face. Albert looked drawn and pale in the morning light.

“Oh, um.” Laurie turned her head to look at him. “Something happened last night and they had to take care of it. They should be back soon.”

“What happened?” Bob took a step forward.

Laurie looked at the boys, who were now clinging to their father.

“You were attacked?” Albert lifted his hands in frustration. “What happened to the men who attacked you? Where did they go?”

Laurie looked unsure for a moment. Then she gestured to the rack of yard tools beside her, which had an empty space where two shovels should rest.

“They wanted me to bring the boys out here to wait while they…” Laurie waved her hand in a circle. “Emma and Gabriella left a long time ago. They should be back soon.”

Albert looked at the rack for a moment, then visibly relaxed. Bob hugged the boys tighter, his worst fears relieved.

“I’ll wait at the door, so they know we’re back. I’m sure my wife will have some choice words for me that shouldn’t be said in front of the boys anyway.” Albert headed for the door.

Laurie and Dante smiled. Dante brushed her hair back from her temple. Then he kissed her, tasting her lips in a gentle caress. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her eyelids. He pulled her closer, until her body pressed against the length of his.

“God, I’m so glad you’re all right. When we saw the blood, I thought…” Dante began his sentence, but he just couldn’t finish it. He buried his face in her neck instead.

“Why did you leave?” Laurie gripped his jacket. “Why did you have to leave like that?”

“I had to protect you. He wasn’t going to stop searching for you until they caught him.” He squeezed her as he murmured against her neck.

Laurie leaned back, cupping Dante’s face in her hands.

“You should have told me.” Pain flickered in her eyes. “Why didn’t you trust me?”

Dante winced, looking away.

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I just thought you’d try to stop me, or that you’d demand to go with me, and I just couldn’t let either of those things happen. I needed to protect you.” Dante ran his hands over her hair.

She stared up at him, looking hurt and angry.

“I’m sorry.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ever do that again. I worried the whole time, not knowing when I’d see you again. I can’t handle that.” Her voiced cracked with emotion. He nodded against her head in a nuzzling caress.

“I promise,” he told her. “I won’t leave you like that ever again.”

Laurie breathed in for a moment, and she stopped shivering. She pressed her cheek to his chest.

“Did you find him? Do you know where Kaimi is now?” She nuzzled him.

“Yes, we got him. You’re safe now.” Dante let out a sigh of relief.

Gabriella burst through the barn door. Disheveled, with dirt covering most of her clothes, she ran to her husband, throwing her arms around him. From outside, Dante could hear his mother yelling at his father.

“Albert, how dare you! How dare you just up and leave in the middle of the night!” Emma yelled.

“Now, just wait a minute. Just wait a minute—” Albert defended.

“No, you listen to me! You’re not in the CIA anymore. You’re retired—” Emma hissed.

“I know I’m retired. I—” Albert interjected.

“Do you? Do you? Because I don’t think, retired men get up in the middle of the night to go hunt down a mob boss. In fact, I think that’s the one thing retired men don’t do!” Emma yelled.

“Our son needed my help. Laurie needed my help. Kaimi wasn’t going to stop looking for her,” Albert argued.

“You put me, Laurie, Gabriella, and the boys all in harm’s way!” Emma huffed.

“I knew you could handle it, and you did. You did just fine without me,” Albert pointed out.

“No, I didn’t. I was staring down the barrel of a gun. If Laurie hadn’t choked him with a coat hanger, I would be dead right now!” Emma screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Really?” Dante looked down at Laurie. She nodded. Dante started laughing.

“Did you burst out of the closet and attack him?” he asked.

Laurie nodded sheepishly. Dante threw his head back and laughed, deep down from his stomach. He leaned against the wall. He laughed for several long minutes. It felt so good; he couldn’t remember how long it had been since he laughed that hard. Certainly not since he left Laurie’s side.

Laurie laughed with him now too.

“What is so funny?” Emma came inside the barn.

“Well,” Dante tried to get himself under control. “When I first took Laurie into custody, we were attacked, and she leapt out from the closet at the gunman. With a lamp. She used a lamp that time.”

Dante and Laurie started laughing again. Dante gripped Laurie harder as they shook together. Laurie tried to bury her face into Dante’s shoulder as if to hide herself from Emma’s gaze.

Emma tried hard to stay angry, but the sight of them together and happy—genuinely happy—made the struggle hard. She fought a smile. When she was able to keep a straight face, she ordered them all inside, out of the cold.

Dante slid his arm around Laurie’s waist and they walked together toward the house.

Once inside, the boys sat down next to their father and mother at the kitchen table. They begged for the details of their trip. Dante and Laurie sat down opposite them.

Emma began cleaning the kitchen, ordering Albert to make them all a late breakfast.

Laurie clung to Dante, wrapping her arm around him and laying her head on his chest.

Dante heeded the pleas of the two young boys. He told them about their trip to Hawaii. He started with the hike to the abandoned safe house, and pouring through the old CIA files on Kaimi. He told them about Albert going under cover as the gardener, and the meeting plans they overheard between Kaimi and his informant inside the Marshals Service. He glossed over the meeting back at the safe house, to only say that the informant died, but Albert and Dante captured Kaimi, tied him up, and left him for the police.

“Cool.” James bounced in his seat. “Did you have to shoot the bad guys?”

“Yeah, we did.” Bob rustled his hair. “We had to make sure they couldn’t hurt anyone else.”

“But who was Kaimi’s informant?” Laurie looked up at Dante.

Dante hesitated, taking a deep breath.

“Cheyn. It was Cheyn.” Sadness twisted its way down his spine. Laurie gasped.

“No! It couldn’t have been.” Laurie covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening.

“It was. He admitted it to me.” Dante shook his head.

His heart grew heavy. He ran his hand through his hair, as his eyes dropped to the table. Laurie hugged him.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she whispered in his ear. He held her for a minute, kissing her cheek. Then he tucked her back under his chin. He could smell the floral scent of her shampoo, and it made him feel at home. It couldn’t quite fill the ache in his heart, but almost. Almost.

“We’ll have to post watches tonight.” Albert tried to balance the plates in his hand as he walked over. “Just in case.”

“We can do that.” Bob put one arm around his wife. He stretched the other arm around both of his boys.

Albert set down a plate full of pancakes, and another full of eggs.

“I’ll make a copy of Cheyn’s confession tonight. Mail it to Rick.” Dante slid his eyes up to his father’s.

“Go a couple of towns over the state line before you do that.” Albert gave him a pointed expression.

“I know, Dad, I know.” Dante waved him off, smiling.

Albert walked back to the stove to get a plate of bacon and a pitcher of orange juice.

“Don’t spill any of it.” Emma waved a spoon at him.

“Yes, dear.” Albert sighed.

He set both items down on the table with the greatest of care.

“Now, get them some plates, Albert. They can’t eat without any plates!” Emma commanded from the sink.

“Right away, Emma.” Albert bowed his head.

Albert pulled out all of the plates, set them down on the table, then went back for silverware before his wife could say anything more. Having satisfied Emma, she allowed him to sit down. Everyone began heaping food onto his or her plates.

As they started passing around the eggs, Laurie’s stomach turned over. Her hand flew to her stomach.

“Laurie, do you want any eggs?” Dante pushed them toward her.

Laurie swallowed hard.

“No, I’m not hungry,” she whispered.

“Are you okay? Are you feeling all right?” Dante leaned in closer, eyeing her.

She looked at Emma with alarm. Dante looked between the two women.

“I’m fine.” She swallowed. “It must just be nerves from last night and everything.”

His eyes narrowed. He wasn’t buying it. Her face flushed.

“You and I have been attacked before. You’ve never stopped eating. What’s wrong?” Dante glared with impatience.

“Nothing. I just feel a bit queasy all of a sudden,” she stammered. She shrugged.

“Laurie, honey. How about I get you some of the biscuits you had yesterday?” Emma’s voice became soft and raspy.

Dante surveyed his mother. He couldn’t put his finger on what was going on here.

“Yes, please.” Laurie nodded, gratefully.

“Mom, she can’t just have biscuits for breakfast. What have you been feeding her? No wonder she looks thin.” Dante ran his hands across her back.

“Well, maybe she hasn’t been eating because someone left her here all on her own to worry and wait.” Emma got up from the table.

“No, no, it’s okay. Biscuits sound really good.” Laurie gave him a nervous smile.

“No, you can’t just have biscuits. At least have some eggs, or a pancake. Just a pancake.” He heaped eggs and a pancake onto her plate.

She put her hand to her mouth and turned away.

Dante sat back. His father’s eyes narrowed in on her.

“No, I’m not that hungry,” Laurie choked out.

“If she isn’t hungry, then you can’t make her eat.” Emma slapped the table.

Emma picked up the plate in front of Laurie and replaced it with two plain biscuits.

Laurie shoulders relaxed.

“Mom she can’t just eat two plain biscuits for breakfast. Have you not been feeding her?” Dante again asked his mother.

“Son, you better let your mom handle this one.” Albert gave him a warning glare.

“What?” Dante raised his hands in self-defense.

“I said, let your mom handle it,” Albert said slowly.

Dante looked around the table. He saw his mother shoot his father a grateful look, before she sat back down at the table. Then he saw Gabriella exchange a knowing look with Bob, who seemed to get whatever message she sent.

Bob then grinned at Dante, who was baffled.

“What?” Dante hunched his shoulders.

“Nothing.” Bob grinned, taking a drink of orange juice. “Nothing at all.”

Bob started chucking into his stack of pancakes.

Laurie cringed.

“What the hell is going on here?” Dante demanded, looking at Laurie for answers.

Laurie looked at Emma, with a silent plea for something.

“Laurie, why don’t you take Dante upstairs for a minute?” His mother’s voice became raspy again.

She sighed, turning to Dante with a look of resignation.

“Can we go upstairs?” She looked up at him.

Dante’s brow furrowed. He was starving. He didn’t want to leave his breakfast, but Laurie looked anxious, and sickly. He wanted to know why. He also wanted to know why everyone else seemed to know why and he didn’t. He couldn’t quite figure it out. Therefore, he nodded, excusing himself from the table. He walked behind Laurie up the stairs to their bedroom.

Laurie turned toward him. She started rubbing her hands. She massaged them, toying with her rings. She bit her lip. After watching her for several minutes, Dante took her hands in his.

“What’s wrong?”

He felt her pulse quicken beneath his thumb as he watched her eyes glass over. Her brow furrowed, and her lips grew thin, contorting her face into an expression of fear. It was painful for Dante to watch.

“I’m pregnant,” Laurie whispered.

Dante’s breath caught in his chest.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant.” Laurie shifted on her feet.

Dante’s eyes widened in shock. The bottom dropped out of the floor beneath him. He seemed to be floating in the air. His pulse raced. She was pregnant. They were going to have a baby.

“I’m sorry, Dante.” Emotion strained her voice. “I swear I was on birth control. I took it every day. I just don’t know what happened. Please don’t be angry! Please!”

“Hey, hey, shhh.” He pulled her against him. “I’m not angry. I’m not. I’m shocked. It’s unexpected.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured into his sweater.

“Don’t be sorry. Don’t be sorry at all.” He pulled her back to look at her. “Laurie, I love you. I want you to be the mother of my children.”

As soon as he said it, Dante knew it was true. He wanted forever with Laurie. He wanted to come home each night and kiss her. He wanted to hold her hand when their kid was born. He wanted vacations, family picnics, home movies and photo albums. He could see it all dancing around in the sparkling sapphire of her eyes. He grinned at her, hungry to start the rest of his amazing life with this woman.

“You’re not angry?”

“No. I’m happy. I’m ecstatic.”

She laughed nervously.

“I just thought with Kaimi, hiding, and trying to get your job back, I just thought you’d be angry that I got pregnant in the middle of it all.”

“I can’t be angry at you. It’s as much my fault as it is yours.” He kissed her, pulling her closer. It was a hot and hungry kiss. He wanted to devour her.

“I’m so relieved you’re okay with this.” Laurie gripped his sweater.

“Well, I’m not okay with it. I’m overjoyed about it.” Dante let every ounce of his love for her shine in his eyes. “I’m going to have a baby with the woman I love. I’m going to be a father.”

Laurie laughed as Dante lifted her off the ground in an embrace. With his arm snaked around her waist, his other arm wrapped around her back, he held her to him. Then he kissed her until they were both breathless.

“I’m going to be a mother.” She smiled back at him as he set her down.

Laurie sighed. Amazement shone in her eyes as she ran her fingers over her pregnant belly.

Dante stared at Laurie with pure adoration, as he ran his fingers through her hair. The woman he loved was pregnant, and he was going to be a father. After a few heartfelt kisses, he moved his mouth to Laurie’s neck. Then he brought his lips back up to hers in a long, leisurely kiss. Dante sighed against her cheek.

“I wish everyone wasn’t waiting for us downstairs. I’m hungry for more than breakfast now.” He caressed her breast.

Laurie laughed, as Dante pulled away from her.

“That won’t hurt the baby will it? Us being together?”

“No.” She chuckled at him. “It won’t hurt the baby.”

“Are you sure? I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to—believe me, I’m dying to—but…”

“It won’t hurt the baby. The doctor already told me that.”

“Good.” Dante breathed a sigh of relief.

Dante gave her a final squeeze around the shoulders. He took Laurie’s hand, leading her back down the stairs into the kitchen. Everyone looked up as they walked in. Dante’s face broke out into a wide grin.

“I’m gonna be a dad,” he said triumphantly.

Bob and Albert started clapping and whistling, as Emma and Gabriella beamed.

“I told you he would be happy.” Emma shook her head at Laurie.

“Yes, you did.” Laurie smiled sheepishly. “I guess I was just being silly.”

“Hormones dear, you’ll be silly over just about anything from here on out—and it will only get worse.” Emma clasped her hands together.

“If there is one piece of advice I can give you, it’s that you give her anything she wants from now on. Trust me on this.” Albert took a sip of coffee.

“Too bad you don’t remember that with your own wife.” Emma picked up her fork.

“You’re not pregnant.” Albert gestured to Laurie.

“So being considerate to the woman who carried your child for nine months, and went through ten hours of labor to bring him into the world, doesn’t matter?” Emma stared at Albert.

He heaved a great sigh.

“Of course it does dear, of course it does.” Albert went back to his breakfast.

Emma gave a curt nod before finishing her breakfast.

“When’s the baby due?” Bob eyed her flat stomach.

“July. The doctor said I’m probably at eight weeks.” Laurie blushed.

“Well, I hope the judge will expedite Kaimi’s trial. Otherwise you might give birth on the witness stand.” Albert took a bite of pancakes.

“She can just go back to Hawaii after the baby is born.” Emma picked up her plate.

“She can’t wait until July.” Albert stared at his wife in disbelief. “The prosecution would fall apart by then. Kaimi would be right back out on the streets. She has to go back to Hawaii now.”

Dante’s smile pulled into a hard line. In his moment of elation, he had forgotten about Kaimi, the trial, and his job. He had forgotten all of it.

“No she doesn’t!” Emma waved her butter knife around. “If my first grandchild is—”

“They don’t have any other witnesses, Emma!” Albert got up from the table.

“I don’t care what witnesses they have and don’t have! Laurie does not have to go back to Hawaii.” Emma was ready to lunge at Albert.

“Wait! Wait, wait!” Dante got up to stand between them. “Let’s just take a minute.”

“Laurie does not have to testify!” Emma turned on her son.

“Mom, Dad’s right. If they don’t have Laurie—” Dante began.

“NO!” she yelled, taking a step in his direction. Dante took a couple of steps back, his hands raised in surrender.

“Emma.” Laurie held up her hand. “They’re right. If I’m not there, they don’t have a case against Kaimi, and he goes free.”

“Well then let him!” Emma tossed over her shoulder. Then she pointed her butter knife at Dante. “You can’t take her and my future grandchild back to Hawaii. You’re not even in the Marshals Service anymore. Who will protect her until the trial?”

Dante faltered. He stared at his mother, her eyes wild and angry. Her words rang in his head. Who will protect Laurie before the trial?

“Well? Who’s going to protect her and my grandchild?” Emma jabbed at the air with her knife.

“I don’t know.” Dante’s hands dropped to his sides.

“They won’t let you protect her?” Gabriella’s voice floated over from the table.

“No.” Dante shook his head. “Even once Rick has seen the tape, I’ll be on probation at best. They probably won’t even tell me where they place her.”

Dante’s eyes fell on Laurie. She stared at the kitchen table, as she pushed her half-eaten biscuit away. He saw her chin wobble, as she fought to keep the tears away. Pain grabbed at his heart, and it started draining away all of the joy that had been there a moment ago.

“Dante, just tell them she’s carrying your child.” Gabriella gestured to Laurie. “They have to keep you together, don’t they? As a family?”

“I don’t think telling Rick I fathered a child with a witness is going to help.” Dante ran his hands through his hair, massaging his scalp. A headache started to form at the base of his skull.

“Listen to me.” Albert put his hand on Dante’s shoulder. “You have to take her back to Hawaii. You fell in love with the girl. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Albert glanced at Emma.

“Just tell Rick what happened. Explain everything. I’ll call Hilton and have a nice long talk with him when you take her back. They’ll let you stay with Laurie. I’m sure of it.” His father squeezed his shoulder.

“Yeah.” Dante nodded. He wasn’t sure it was going to work, but he had to try.

He glanced at Laurie, who stared at her half-eaten breakfast. He had to try. He had a family to protect now.

Emma let out a disgusted sigh. She went over to the stove to tackle the first pot that stared back at her.

Dante went back to his seat, putting his arm around Laurie.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

“It’ll be okay.” He dropped a kiss into her hair. “I’ll convince them to let me stay with you.”

Laurie just nodded her head against him. Dante ran his hand over her hair.

“Can you eat a little bit more of your breakfast?” He nuzzled Laurie.

“No.” She shook her head.

“Mornings have been hard for her. She’ll eat more at lunch.” Gabriella smiled warmly.

Dante nodded. He rubbed Laurie’s back for a while, until they all got up to go on with their day.

***

 

Laurie

After unpacking, cleaning, and teaching the boys their school lessons, the adults were ready for bed at sun down. They all collapsed in the living room, watching a movie just to pass the time without having to move.

Bob and Albert offered to take the night watch so Laurie and Dante could spend some time together; their first night as would-be parents.

Once they were alone in their room, Dante spent a long time worshipping Laurie’s body with his hands and his mouth and his body. That made Laurie deliriously happy. When their lovemaking was spent, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. As they lay on their sides, her back pressed against his chest, one of his hands wandered down to her expanding stomach.

She laid her hand on top of his. Her stomach was still soft, but she could feel the hard muscle beneath as well. Her baby. They were going to have a baby together. She let the thought sink in for the first time. In all of the worrying over Dante, and the nervousness of what he would say, Laurie hadn’t let the pregnancy sink in.

Dante buried his face into Laurie’s hair, breathing deeply.

“Are you really happy about the baby?” Laurie squeezed his hand.

Her question roused him. He rolled so he half covered her body. He kissed her temple, and she turned her head to look at him. He smiled, as he stroked the hair away from her forehead.

“No.” He caressed her cheek. “I told you I’m ecstatic. Why?”

“I just didn’t know if your feelings had changed because of the trial.”

He shook his head.

“No, not at all.”

Laurie let out a deep breath, smiling up at Dante. At least he sounded sincere about that. There was no underlying doubt, no hesitation. He was happy about the baby. He just wasn’t happy about the trial. Laurie felt a twinge of guilt as Dante kissed her with a deep, slow, soul-searching kiss. Then he laid down beside her once more.

“Do you think they’ll let you protect me?”

Dante paused.

“I don’t know. But I’m going to try, Laurie. I’m going to do everything I can.”

“I know.” A little laugh escaped her lips. “You always have.”

He kissed the base of her neck, then rested his chin there.

Laurie let her thoughts wander to the impossible, to another universe with another set of given circumstances. She let herself think about what would be possible without Kaimi in the picture. What would they do if there were no trial? The dreams and fantasies that came to mind made her throat burn.

“I wish we didn’t have to go back.” Laurie’s voice strained into a whisper.

“I know.” He gathered her closer.

“I wish we could just stay here, and move into the orchard house. I wouldn’t have to go on the witness stand. You wouldn’t have to go back to your job. We can just work the orchard.” Laurie traced lazy patterns on his arm.

“That would be perfect.” Dante nuzzled her neck.

“It would be perfect.” Laurie smiled. “We could raise a family here. They would be safe. We’d pick grapes, apples, and pears. We could sell them in the market for money. It would be a perfect life.”

“Yes, it would,” Dante murmured against her skin.

“Good night.” Laurie let out a wistful sigh, squeezing his hands.

“Good night.”

As they drifted off to sleep, they dreamed the same dream of walking through the orchard together with their two children, and running toward the pear trees to get the ripest fruit.