“That’s about as twisted as it gets.”
More than anything in that moment, I want to go to him, put my arms around him because I need to be held. Instead, because we’re in a public place surrounded by our peers, I touch his hand. “Tomasetti, I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he tells me.
We start toward the elevator. “Any word on Pickles?” I ask.
“Glock sent a text ten minutes ago. He’s out of surgery. Prognosis is good. Spleen didn’t make it.”
I choke out a laugh, release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Will you take me to the hospital?”
“You bet.”
The elevator doors slide open.
We ride to the ground floor in silence and start toward the exit. We’ve just reached the Tahoe when Tomasetti takes my hand, stopping me, and turns me to face him. “What about us, Kate?” he asks. “Are we going to get our happy ending?”
I look into his eyes, wishing I were a good enough communicator to put everything I’m feeling at this moment into words. “I think that depends on us.”
His gaze searches mine. “You were right when you told me I’ve been holding back. I haven’t been able to let them go. Nancy and the girls. All this time, I’ve been looking back instead of forward. I’m sorry for that.”
“They’ll always be in your heart.”
He nods. “I want you to know, I choose you. Not them. Not the past. You.”
The words make me unbearably happy. “You know, Tomasetti, there might just be hope for us yet.”
“I’m counting on it,” he says.
Raising my hands, I set my palms on either side of his face and pull his mouth to mine. “Me, too,” I whisper. “Me, too.”
About the Author
Linda Castillo is the New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder novels, including Sworn to Silence, which was recently adapted into a Lifetime Original Movie titled An Amish Murder, starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence and the HOLT Medallion, and she received a nomination for the RITA. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next novel.