“Marrying?” she teased. “Who says I’m marrying you?”
He exuded a surprising glimmer of arrogance. “Our kid can’t be born out of wedlock, sweetheart.”
“Oh, so now you’re Mr. Traditional?”
“Hell, yes.” His lips dropped to her mouth in a quick little kiss. “Are you rejecting my proposal?”
She pretended to mull it over. “I guess not.”
“That’s what I thought.”
He bent his head again, and this time, when he kissed her, neither one of them came up for air for a very, very long time.
Epilogue
As much as it pained him to admit it, Jim had never seen his little sister look happier. Her cheeks were a rosy pink as she beamed up at the tall, muscular man at her side, whose hand she hadn’t let go of since the second they’d entered the waiting room. It also pained him to notice the stark emotion and overwhelming love on Deacon Holt’s face. The man loved his sister. There was no denying that.
Jim couldn’t help but glance at his sister’s stomach, still floored by the notion that there was a baby inside there. Lana was going to be a mother. Christ. And marrying Deacon Holt, to boot.
Despite his reservations, particularly since his future brother-in-law had played a part in Lana’s abduction, Jim found himself unable to voice any disapproval. No one else in the room had the heart to do it, either. Lana looked so incredibly contented. Seemed as if there was nothing else to do but offer congratulations to the happy couple.
“Jimmy,” came his uncle’s low voice. “We need to talk.”
With a nod, Jim followed Donald out of the room. The two men stood in the hall, where the fluorescent lighting emphasized the glint of resolve in Donald’s eyes.
“What’s this about?” Jim asked, though he knew full well.
“Justice.” His uncle’s lips tightened. “I assume you’ll be on board?”
“You know I will.”
“Good.”
Both men glanced in the direction of the waiting room, growing quiet for a moment to listen to the happy chatter drifting from the doorway.
“I won’t let these people go unpunished,” Donald hissed out. “We need to find the people who hired those men to kidnap our girl. The bastards who nearly killed my brother, your father. This damn secret society that seems determined to destroy this family.”
Jim had nothing to add. He was in wholehearted agreement. “I’ll find them,” he vowed.
“Good,” Donald said again. “And I also assume we’re on the same page about what to do when we find these sons of bitches?”
Lethal fury clawed up Jim’s spine. “Oh, yes. When we find them, we’re going to take each and every one of them down. I won’t rest until every last one of those bastards is behind bars.” The grin that sprang to his mouth lacked any semblance of humor. “These people are going to regret the day they decided to mess with the Kelleys.”