We watch Betancourt go through the door and close it behind him. I’m still sitting in the visitor chair. Tomasetti is standing next to the desk. He looks at me and says, “Ten to one there’s no meeting.”

“He sort of figured things out. I mean, about us.”

“Probably didn’t help that I called him six times,” he admits. “Asked him to keep an eye on you.”

Then I’m out of the chair. Tomasetti steps toward me, raw emotion flashing on his face before he can tuck it away. I fall against him. His arms wrap around me and pull me close. I take in his scent and the feel of his body against mine, and I’m overwhelmed with the knowledge of how things could have turned out. I’m about to thank him for coming, let him know how happy I am to see him, but his mouth comes down on mine. The words leave my head and I forget about everything except kissing him back.

After a full minute, he eases me to arm’s length and looks me over. “You’re in pain.”

It’s not a question, so I nod and tell him about my cracked ribs.

He sighs. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You never do.”

He’s looking at me closely, running his hands up and down my arms as if making sure I’m really there. That I’m not going to slip away. “You look shaken up.”

“I guess I am.”

“That’s honest.”

“My new policy, remember?”

“Betancourt told me what happened. Kate, for God’s sake, you were nearly killed.”

“‘Nearly’ being the key word in that statement.”

Growling low in his throat, he faces me more squarely, takes both of my hands in his and squeezes gently. “I don’t want to be the guy getting a phone call in the middle of the night, telling me the person I love was killed in the line of duty.”

“No one knew what was happening out at that compound. No one could have foreseen things turning out the way they did.”

“That’s the thing, Kate. No cop eats his bowl of Cheerios in the morning and then leaves the house expecting to get shot in the course of his first traffic stop. It just happens.”

“Had you been in my shoes, you would have done the same thing.”

He starts to argue the point, but I raise my hand and press two fingers against his lips. “Shhh. I’m here. I’m okay. It’s over.”

Taking my hand from his mouth, he turns it over in his and brushes his lips across my knuckles. “What am I going to do with you?”

“For starters, you can take me home.”

Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25