They stood that way for a long moment, until the wail of sirens drew close. Levon must have called them, Serena supposed, but she didn’t care about that. All she cared about was that all this was finally over and Noah was with her. He’d sworn to stay with her forever.
As law enforcement arrived and cordoned off the area, Noah led her over to one side of the scene until the cops could question them. He held her hand in his, warming her cold fingers with his warm ones, just like he had that first night in the safe house. Just like he would for many years to come, she hoped.
She gazed up at him, still not quite able to believe everything that had happened. “Did you mean it?”
His dark brows drew together. “Mean what?”
“About staying. With me, with Gracie.”
Noah gave a solemn nod. “I did. I love you, Serena. I spent all these weeks trying to deny it, but when I saw him with that gun held on you, I knew I couldn’t live without you. Our lives don’t seem like they would mesh, and it won’t be easy, but goddammit, I want to try. You and Gracie have my heart. My whole heart and you always will, if you want it.”
Serena couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off her face, despite her tears. “I love you too, Noah Wild. Even if you are exasperating and broody and stubborn to a fault. And yes, I’ll have your heart because you’ve had mine for weeks. Probably since our one-night stand a year ago, if I’m honest. Things were different between us from the start, special. And I don’t care how hard it will be to make things work, I’m up for the challenge. I’m a warrior, remember? I don’t give up, especially on things I love.”
She rose up on tiptoe and he lowered his head, meeting her halfway for a kiss. They were truly partners in this and she wouldn’t want it any other way. When they finally pulled apart, it was to the clearing of a throat.
Levon stood a few feet away, looking anywhere but at them. “Uh, when you guys have a chance, the cops want to talk to Serena.”
“Right.” She pulled away from Noah and smoothed a hand down the front of her shirt, picking at a few stray leaves from the bushes still stuck to her clothes and hair. “Is Olive with Gracie?”
“Yeah. She and the girls are watching some pink pony cartoon with rainbows and hearts and stuff. Not that I think Gracie’s getting all that much out of it, but she’s not actively fussing. Anyway, don’t worry about them. Noah, Clint asked us to call in.”
“Okay.” He kissed Serena’s hand, his blue eyes kind and full of concern. “You want me there with you when you talk to the cops?”
“No. I’ve got it.” She glanced over at the white sheet covering Nate’s body and swallowed hard. The guy had tried to kill her. He’d had her kidnapped and held hostage for months. She shouldn’t care that he was gone, and yet she did. Families were complicated things no matter how you sliced it. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Go take care of your business and I’ll take care of mine. We’ll meet up again after.”
“Promise?” he said, pulling her back in for one last quick kiss.
“Always,” she said, smiling against his mouth. “I’m grateful for you being here for me today.”
He frowned slightly. “Did you read my journal?”
Serena winked. “It fell open on the bed, so I saw a few pages. We’ll have to see if Gracie and I can move up to the number one slot after today.”
“Definitely number one from now on.” He chuckled. “I love you, Serena.”
“I love you too,” she said then pulled away. “See you back at the house.”
22
Six months later…
“Guess we’ve come full circle, eh Rebel?” Noah stood beside the table in the studio admiring his wife’s naked ass cheek.
“Guess so,” the tattoo artist said. “And to think I brought you two together.”
“Well, you and some family treachery and a near shooting,” Serena turning her head atop her arms to face Noah. “And stop ogling my butt. Pervert.”
“Pervert?” He snorted. “Considering I sleep with that ass every night, I think that’s a little uncalled for.”
She laughed. “Just kidding. Where’s Gracie?”
Noah glanced behind him where he’d left the kid just a minute ago, only to find her gone. “Dammit. Gracie, honey? Come see Daddy.”
He went off through the
deserted tattoo studio to hunt her down. They’d rented the whole place out for the afternoon so they could relax, and Serena could get her new ink in peace without the press hounding her constantly.
In the past six months since the shooting in the park, both their worlds had undergone huge changes. He’d continued his work with the Southern Soldiers of Fortune but didn’t mind staying closer to home and Atlanta as much as possible now. While he still went out on overseas missions when necessary, he always tried to be home within a week, never wanting to be too far from his family. And Serena, as the last surviving Carson, had quickly hired a new CEO to run the day-to-day operations of Carson’s Candy. True to her word, she preferred to stick with the charitable arm of things, helping those most in need around the world and doing a damned fine job of it too. The public still saw her as the figurehead of the Carson fortune and she did her best to preserve a little privacy, especially around him and Gracie—though last week, they’d broken their own rule and the three of them had done some fancy magazine spread for one of the celebrity rags, showing off their house in Buckhead. Noah wasn’t super comfortable being in front of the cameras, but the money they’d earned from the photos went to provide healthcare and clean water to kids in sub-Saharan Africa, so he couldn’t argue.