Savage Redemption

Epilogue



The prison door opened, and Kat walked out. The whole scene gave Conlan the creeps. Not her, of course. She was as beautiful as always, even dressed in the cheap clothes the prison gave her to wear. But it hadn’t been all that long ago that he’d walked out of that same door with no idea what kind of life was waiting for him.

In his case, Joss had been there, ready to throw an old friend a lifeline. It had been a rough road for a while, but he’d found his way back. He planned to make sure Kat’s recovery from her ordeal went as smoothly as possible.

As soon as she spotted him, her whole stance changed. She stood taller and walked with more confidence, as if shedding the pall of prison with each step she took. Kat stopped just short of where he stood and looked around.

“The girls didn’t come with you?”

“No, they stayed with Rafferty and Joss. I hope you don’t mind, but I went through this myself not so long ago. I thought you might appreciate having a little time to adjust to being free before dealing with people yet.” His lips twitched ever so slightly. “Besides, the girls insisted on helping Joss get a cottage ready for the three of you to live in. Don’t tell them I let that slip. They wanted to surprise you.”

“I won’t say a word. You can trust me.”

“I know I can, Kat, and that goes both ways.” Then he held out his hand and waited until she took it before continuing. “One thing, though. I also had my own selfish reasons for coming by myself.”

“Which are?”

“I wanted some time alone with you when we weren’t on the run or hiding out. If you really want to start the long drive back to the estate, I’ll take you. But I thought you might enjoy a quiet dinner here in town, followed by a good night’s sleep.” A shadow crossed his face. “I don’t know about you, but I didn’t sleep at all the night before my release. I was scared I’d wake up and find out it had only been a dream.”

She shivered and looked around. “Yeah, it was a long night. I still can’t believe they let me go, even on parole.”

He hated the fear in her eyes but knew it would fade in time. “Lucius offered to fly us back in the morning, so we’ll reach the estate only a couple of hours later than if we drove.”

She considered it for a handful of seconds. “About that good night’s sleep you mentioned—would I be sleeping alone?”

He gave her a level look. “If you want to, although I’ve got to tell you, that wouldn’t be my first choice...”

Her answering smile was all feminine temptation as she closed the distance between them, sliding her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. “Can we order room service instead of going out for dinner?”

“We can do anything you want to, Kat, as long as we do it together.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I should’ve told you this a long time ago. I love you, Kat. Maybe if I’d said something three years ago, you would’ve trusted me to help you.”

She laid her finger across his lips. “No more about the past, Conlan. We can’t change what was or regain what we’ve lost. The most important thing is what we do from this moment on. I love you. You love me. That’s all that matters now.”

He nipped at her fingertip. “It’s a deal.”

“I have one more question,” she said, brushing his hair back from his face. “Is that cabin big enough for four?”

“It is, and then some. I made sure of it. You know, just in case you’d marry me.”

“Are you asking?” she whispered, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

He pulled the ring he’d bought out of his pocket. “I was going to over dinner tonight.”

“Perfect.” She looped her arm through his. “Let’s get going, then, because I can’t wait to say yes.”