Page 84 of Absolution

I disconnect as the cops approach me. They ask. I answer. Something. I don’t know what.

The man from the cafe waves his hands, points and talks. I hear everything as if from a distance.

The door flies open, and three men enter, all dressed in suits and elegant overcoats, dark, imposing. Salvatore’s gaze searches the room and lands on me. Behind him is Christian and a man I remember seeing in the mansion.

Salvatore walks up to the cops and shakes their hands. Christian darts to my side.

“Kerry!” He’s breathless, his voice thick, almost unrecognizable. “What happened.”

I lean toward him, needing the comfort but unable to take the initiative. Christian sinks to his knees and takes me in his arms, hugging me tight. “Tell me everything. Absolutely everything. Don’t leave one single detail out.”

Melting into his embrace, I tell him about meeting Evan, how it all happened within mere seconds.

“It was planned,” I whisper. “Evan planned this. He knew you were the father. Or… that someone in your family was. He had a debt. Richter. Charlie Richter.”

I look up at him, searching his face for something, for comfort, for reassurance that he’ll make this undone.

His features are frozen, and I realize he’s just as afraid as I am.

“Christian, there’s been a demand.” Salvatore has come up behind Christian who stands and turns. Salvatore holds a phone in a gloved hand. His eyes move to me and in his gaze there’s compassion, protectiveness, concern, and murder.

“Ransom?” asks Christian, still holding my hand clutched in his.

“Yes. Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Do you know a Charlie Richter?” asks Christian.

Salvatore frowns. “I do. Not in person, but I know about him. Owns a bunch of casinos in Vegas.”

“Seems he’s behind this.”

Salvatore doesn’t move a muscle, then he tilts his head toward me. “Take Kerry with you to my place, take care of your woman. We’ll solve this.”

Christian pulls me to my feet as Salvatore walks over to the cops, talks and shakes their hands again.

“Come, Kerry. We’ll get Cecilia back.”

My mind spins. I’m wobbling next to him, his arm around my waist, tight, my feet moving even though I can’t feel them.

“Ransom?” I ask as the word penetrates through my fog.

“We’ll fix this, love. I promise you that.” He opens the back door to the large black SUV and ushers me inside.

Salvatore and the other man hop into the front seats as Christian settles next to me, buckling me up, holding me to him. As we move way too fast through the streets of San Francisco, leaving the city center behind, moving toward the affluent suburbs on the hills, I lean into Christian, soaking up his warmth, his strength. No matter who he is, I need him so bad right now that I think I’d die without him.