Darwin locked eyes with her, and for a second, Katrina thought she’d said something wrong.But then he was kissing her again, over and over.“I love you, too,” he murmured hoarsely.“More than anything in the world.”
They were still kissing when Katrina heard footsteps on the kitchen’s tile floor.She looked up to see Lennox and Simon, as well as Rhett and her father.
“Are you both okay?”her father asked, genuine concern on his face as he hurried over to them before glancing at Upton and Chapman, who were both still out cold.
Darwin stood, helping Katrina up.“We’re fine,” he said, glancing warmly at her.“We’re just happy that this is all over, and that we’re all alive and together.”
“Three things I believe we have you to thank for,” her father said.“Which means it’s well past time I admit I was wrong about both of you.About a lot of things, actually.”
Katrina had definitely never expected to hear those words coming out of her father’s mouth.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, stepping forward to hug first her father and then her brother, before looking at Darwin.“What happens now?With Genesis and everything else, I mean?”
“NCIS and the FBI will be the ones who ultimately decide,” Darwin said.“When they get here, they’re going to have a lot of questions.I’d recommend laying it all out on the line.Just tell them everything, and trust that it will all work out.”
Katrina was afraid he’d say that.Unfortunately, that was about as far from her father’s approach to doing things as you could get.But after gazing at her fondly for a moment, he simply nodded.
“I just hope they’ll let me stay for the wedding,” he said.“I sent Asher to let your mother and Khloe know what’s happening, but I imagine they’ll be freaking out anyway.”
Katrina’s eyes widened as she realized the ceremony was supposed to be taking place right now.Crap.
“Maybe Khloe and Asher should postpone the wedding until everything gets settled with the Navy?”she suggested.
“Not a chance,” her father said firmly.“We might have to delay the ceremony for an hour or so, but as soon as I talk to NCIS and the FBI, I’m sure I can get everything smoothed over.”
Even after everything that had happened, her father still thought he could manipulate the situation.Katrina hoped that was true, but she wasn’t so sure.
She looked at Darwin.“Since Upton is no longer available to be a groomsman, would you like to take his place?Assuming we can actually pull off this wedding tonight?”
Darwin glanced down at his rumpled pants and obvious tear in the right shoulder of his jacket before looking at her again.“I’m good with that if Asher is.As long as you don’t mind being seen with someone this disheveled?”
Katrina let out a snort of laughter, motioning down at her dress, which had certainly looked better a few hours ago.Her tussle with Chapman had really done a number on it, and her hair was more down that up.“I think we match, don’t you?Besides, considering you’re the one who made sure we’re all alive right now, I think everyone will overlook a few wrinkles.”
Darwin kissed her with a chuckle, then took her hand.“Let’s do this.”
As they walked out of the kitchen hand-in-hand, Katrina found herself looking forward to the wedding way more than she had since she and Darwin had gotten to the resort.
Chapter twenty-one
“TheMerlotRoomlooksa lot different than it did the last time I was here,” Katrina said, looking around the space she’d hidden in two weeks ago, which was now decorated to host dinner for Darwin and his SEAL Teammates and their significant others.Burgundy tablecloths were draped over the tables, and gorgeous floral centerpieces graced each of them.There was even a dance floor and a DJ.From what she heard, the meal promised to be delicious, too.“I guess the people from the Genesis Project reallyaregrateful to you and the other guys for helping them find the drone.”
Darwin snorted as he led her over to one of the tables where Talia and Lennox were sitting with Simon.“I’m sure the Genesis program office wasn’t too happy about us shooting down their drone, but they do seem pretty thrilled we kept the whole thing out of the news.At least thrilled enough to buy the whole Team dinner.”
More SEALs showed up right behind them, some with their girlfriends or wives.Katrina might not know all of them by name yet, but she at least recognized them by sight.Kyla and Wes waved and grabbed the other seats at the table with them.
“How’s Khloe and Asher’s honeymoon going?”Talia asked as their server came by with glasses of water, then took drink orders.“Their late arrival didn’t cause any problems, did it?”
“Fortunately, the resort held their reservation,” Katrina said.While Khloe and Asher had been able to hold the ceremony and have the reception that night, they’d had to delay their honeymoon for four days while everything got ironed out with the federal investigators.“I got a text from Khloe this morning, and they’re having a wonderful time.”
“Speaking of which,” Simon said.“How are things going with your father and brother?”
Katrina sipped her water.“They spent a week being interrogated, but luckily, they both avoided a prison sentence.”
She’d been surprised at how accommodating the feds had been to her father and brother.They’d asked both of them some tough questions that night, but had allowed them to stay for the wedding, and then ultimately let them go.Mostly because Darwin and the other SEALs had put in a good word for her father and brother, saying they’d helped take down the drone, as well as assisted in capturing Chapman.She and the rest of her family were extremely grateful to all of them.
“What happened with Upton and Chapman?”Lennox asked from where he sat beside Talia.
“Upton will probably go to federal prison for assault and theft of government property,” Kyla said.“As for Chapman, NCIS and the FBI were all for locking him up for the next four or five decades, but then the CIA showed up and pointed out how valuable Chapman would be as an intelligence asset with all his underworld connections.Last I heard, they were moving Chapman to some classified rendition site out of the country.”
