She hooked her arms under his and dug her fingers into his shoulders. Burying her face in his chest, her sobs ebbed. He kept stroking her until she sought his stare. “You believe that, don’tyou?”
“I do,ma’am.”
She sighed and rested her chin on his chest, eyes still on his. “You wanted to go up there and beat the crap out of him, though. You almost lied to the FBI, didn’tyou?”
“What’s with the third degree,woman?”
“Evasive response. That’s ayesin your world. I don’t blame you if you did,though.”
He realized he had held his breath when it came out as a sigh of relief. He chuckled. “Youdon’t?”
She shook her head, chin still buried in the middle of his chest. “Nope. It’s in your nature to protect the ones you love. You challenged the bullies in school when they singled me out. You stood by Noah, fifteen years ago, when his girlfriend broke his heart and helped him mend the pieces. You rearranged your life to take care of your mom. And you offered a kidney to a child you’ve never met, one you didn’t know existed until a month ago. In all these cases, you had an option. You could have chosen you. Instead, you chose the people youlove.”
Tristan gazed into her eyes, mesmerized by the emotions she showed him and the image she made of him. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I wish I were half as good as you believe I am, but I’ll take the compliment. What? I’m learning,” he explained, when she raised a skepticaleyebrow.
“Obviously.”
“Some of your social skills are rubbing off, Iguess.”
“What are you drivingat?”
“You amazed me earlier at the field office. The way you calmed Anastasia down, reassured her that she didn’t have reasons to blame herself for what had happened confirmed what I hadsuspected.”
“Whichis?”
“That you’re an angel in disguise,” he kissed the tip of hernose.
She twitched it. “Or maybe a bewitchingwitch?”
“You’re not blondeenough.”
“I meant Serena,” she chuckled, but soon let it die out. “I shouldn’t be laughing and making jokes while my son is out there, God knowswhere.”
Tristan tightened his arms around her, then pulled away. She resisted, and he smiled. “My feet are going numb. Let’s move this to the couch. We’ll be morecomfortable.”
He settled on the overstuffed black leather cushion, holding her by his side. She pulled her legs up and under herself, resting her head on his thighs. He resumed stroking her hair, andarms.
She sighed. “You make me feelsafe.”
He didn’t get to reply because her cell phone rang. “Yes?” She closed her eyes as she listened intently to whoever was on the other side of theline.
His world stoppedspinning.
He couldn’t read her, couldn’t tell if she was tense or relieved. His brain cells had deserted him. He had only emotions, and they chased each other around like psychedelic ponies in a fucking merry-go-round onsteroids.
“Thank you, Natasha.” She hung up, dropped the phone on the couch, and buried her face in herhands.
He needed to know, but he didn’t want to pressureher.
He leaned down and whispered, “I’m here for you, love. You’re notalone.”
Izzie laced her arms around his neck and covered his face with kisses. She laughed and cried. The boulder on his chest lifted a fraction on an inch, enough to allow him tohope.
“They’ve found Arthur,” she shrieked. His lungs remembered how to breathe. “Natasha said he looks fine, but they’ve taken him to a hospital in Lake Arrowhead forprecaution.”
“Let’s go. No, wait. Lake Arrowhead is more than two hoursaway.”
“Exactly. I’ll call Steve. He’ll get us ahelicopter.”
