Page 43 of Savage Angels

With a two-fingered wave, I step out into the night. The air is cold against my face as I walk up to the front door and unlock it. All I want is to put this entire day behind me.

“Sal?” Emily calls from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, amare,” I call back, hanging my coat on the rack. “It’s me.”

“Did everything go okay at the meeting?” she asks, concern etching her beautiful face.

I can tell she has been worried sick about me. Hell, I have been worried sick about me too.

“More or less.” I pour myself a glass of red wine before I sit at the kitchen island. “But there’s something I have to do before I can even think about relaxing.” I pull out my cell phone.

“Who’re you calling?”

“Your brother,” I reply, taking a deep breath as I wait for him to pick up.

“Sal?” Dane’s voice sounds gruff.

“Remember the deal we made with Kiyoko and the Yakuza?” I ask. “Well, they got themselves a seat at the table. They’re going to be working alongside us.”

“How the hell did you manage to make that happen?” Dane sounds surprised.

“Long story.” I rub a hand over my face. “But it’s done now. I just want to say…” I pause, looking over at Emily, who is watching me, “… I’m grateful to you for trusting me through all this shit. We’re going to be okay, Dane. Kat’s safe, and so are the rest of us.”

“Damn right, we are,” Dane’s voice is steady and determined. “We’re family, love and loyalty.”

“True. Take care, brother. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon,” he repeats before hanging up.

As I set the phone down, I feel Emily’s arms wrap around me from behind, her warmth chasing away some of the chill that’s settled in my bones. This is where I belong, with my family and against whatever the world throws at us.

“Let’s eat.” Emily kisses my neck. “And then we can talk about everything that happened today.”

“Sounds good, amare.” I put my hands over hers, keeping her close. “What did you cook?”

“I wasn’t sure how late you’d be, so I cooked something that would keep… lasagna.”

Twisting on the seat, I pull her around so I can stare into her eyes. “My favorite.”

“You say that about everything I cook.”

Kissing her lips lightly, I say, “Well, you cook everything well.”

Emily smiles. It reaches her eyes, and she looks more beautiful to me than the day we first met. And knowing she cooked something that would keep no matter what time I got home speaks to the kind of woman she is. No fancy dinners but hearty ones to feed her family and let us know we are loved.

“Where are the children?”

“In bed and hopefully asleep, but I think Vincent is waiting up for you.”

“Should I go up?”

Emily shakes her head. “No. This is our time. You can check on him later. Tony was reading to him and hasn’t come down yet.”

Laughing, I say, “Do you think he’s fallen asleep again?”

Emily moves away from me and opens the oven. “Definitely.” She puts the bubbling lasagna on the kitchen counter. “And the new guy made himself known to me and the children.” Emily tilts her head to the side. “Sal, that makes six new bodyguards. Is it really necessary?”

“What happened to Kat will never happen to you.”

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