North nodded. He looked tired and weak.
What had they done to him?
Was he all right?
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. Leaving the car, she raced toward them, ignoring Zander’s yell and Jared’s scolding, she threw herself at North.
There was a slight pull on her side, but nothing too bad. She was pretty much all healed up now.
He hugged her tight, rocking her from side to side. If he was trembling slightly, they both ignored it as he kissed her deeply.
“I love you so much, North. Don’t ever do this to me again. I can’t take it. You hear me?” She shook him.
“I love you too, Angel. And I’m sorry. So sorry. Do you forgive me for lying to you?”
“I don’t care about any of that. I just want you. I just want us.” The three of them joined into a hug and then she drew back to shake him again. “That doesn’t mean that I’m happy. How dare you get kidnapped!”
“Easy, Angie,” Jared said. “I don’t think he’s up for much of a scolding just yet.”
“Oh, is that all I’m getting?” North asked. “A scolding?”
“Hell, no, boy. You’ll be lucky if you can sit for a year,” Jared snarled. “And that’s just the punishment from me. Lying to me, putting yourself in danger, getting kidnapped. You’re in big trouble.”
To her shock, a small smile crossed North’s mouth.
“You’re . . . you’re smiling,” she whispered.
The smile disappeared but there was still a lightness to him. “I’m free. For the first time in my life, I’m free.”
“Uh, no you’re not,” she said. “You have the two of us, remember?”
“But that is being free. Because I’m free to choose,” North told her. “And I choose you, Angel.”
“I choose you too, although you need a new nickname for me.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“I’ll explain later.”
He turned to Jared. “And I choose you. I’ve always chosen you.”
“I choose you too,” Jared told him. “And I love you. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to sit comfortably for a long, long time.”
65
“Idon’t want you to leave,” Keira told her as they made their way over to where the guys were standing.
“I know. I’m going to miss you so much.” Angie came to a stop so she could hug Keira. “And I’ll be back for the birth of the baby. All right? We can talk as much as we like.”
Keira sniffled and nodded.
“You all right, Little Thief?” Zander asked, coming over to her.
“Yeah, I’m just going to miss Angie.”
Jared and North walked over to her.
“Want me to kidnap her?” Zander asked. “I will if you want.”
