The Moon That Night Page 20

  March turned back to Riley. “Kate Dillon was supposed to authenticate the statues. Not assist you in fabricating them.”

  “Angelo’s statue burned in a fire,” Riley said, hoping to stall a few more minutes. “We didn’t have a choice.”

  “Okay, so maybe I can explain that one away. But I’m still missing the two Russian statues!” March yelled. “Cut off a finger. Now!”

  Riley’s cell phone vibrated in his hand. He glanced at the screen.

  Got her. She’s safe.

  Riley closed his eyes and relief flooded through him. Jenny was safe. That’s what mattered most. It might be nice, though, if Kozmin would show so he could get out of there in one piece.

  “What?” March said into his phone. Then he shook his head and muttered, “Perfect. Just perfect.”

  The noise of tires screeching up the ramp sounded through the relative quiet. Kozmin. Riley relaxed. A second later the rental he and Kate had used came barreling onto the roof, raced toward him, and he tensed again. Kate? How had she gotten out of the hotel room so quickly?

  Cutting off March from Riley, she skidded the vehicle to a stop not two feet from Riley and kicked open the passenger door. “Get in.”

  “I can’t.”

  “I talked to Trace,” she called. “He has Jenny.”

  March’s men had aimed their guns at her.

  “Kate, you shouldn’t have come.”

  “But it’s over.”

  “No, it’s not.” He wished that he could call it a day and head back to the States with Jenny, Ally and Kate. Buy a house for Ally. Settle down and date Kate. For real. He hadn’t been on a date since high school, since Amy. He glanced into Kate’s eyes and saw his future reflected there, a future full and rich. And civilian. Maybe he’d even make it to date four with her. But there was one more thing he had to do before he could put this soldier’s life behind him.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “Without Jenny, March has nothing hanging over you.”

  “March has turned up in my life over and over like a bad penny. I want to be done with him, once and for all.”

  “But Kozmin—”

  “He’s not coming. Kate, you have to go!” he yelled. “Now!”

  “Tell her to get out of the car,” March said.

  “Go to hell.” Riley walked around Kate’s vehicle and headed toward March. “This is going to end between you and me. Kate stays out of it.”

  Coben stepped between Riley and March. “First you have to deal with me.”

  “Gladly.” Riley kicked the gun out of Coben’s hand and landed the first punch. Coben’s gut was rock-hard and the blow had little to no perceivable impact. “Tough guy, huh?” This was going to be interesting.

  Coben’s fist came from nowhere and smashed into Riley’s jaw, rattling his head and jerking his neck back. The tang of blood exploded in his mouth, but he quickly threw two more punches into Coben’s stomach. This time the man doubled over. Riley kicked Coben’s foot out from under him, causing him to fall back onto the concrete.

  “That’s it!” March aimed his gun at Riley’s head. “You’re not holding any cards, Riley, so I have no reason to fight you. It’s over.”

  “No!” Kate yelled, climbing from the car and pointing a gun at March. “You shoot him, and I swear I’ll kill you.”

  The sound of more screeching tires pierced the air. Then two more cars pulled onto the roof. Kozmin. Riley took a deep breath as the Russian stepped out of one of the cars. Seven other men followed, carrying AK-47s and semiautomatics.

  “What the—” March sputtered.

  “Now. It’s over,” Riley said. “You’ve made one too many enemies, March.”

  Coben reached for his gun on the ground, fired at one of Kozmin’s men and rolled for cover. Several shots were fired simultaneously, stopping Coben cold. As Coben’s blood pooled around him, the Russians surrounded March and his men. March’s men dropped their guns as Kozmin stepped forward. “I told you we would meet again,” Kozmin said.

  “Predictable enough for you?” Riley called to March.

  March glanced back at Riley.

  For an instant, regret that it had to come to this swept through Riley, but then the hard madness in March’s gaze registered. There was no other way to be rid of this man.

  “It’s about time,” March muttered, as if a death wish had hung over him all these years. Then he spun away from Riley and turned his full attention to Kozmin. “Look, Grigori, I don’t blame you for being pissed,” March said, holding out his hands in surrender. “But what happened back in Georgia? That was business. Nothing personal. That woman had some information I needed, and there was only one way to get it”

  “It’s about to get very personal,” Kozmin whispered. “Between you and me.” He glanced at Riley. “You and your woman can go. Leave the statues.”

  “That wasn’t the deal!” Kate said. “Those statues don’t belong to you.”

  Kozmin took his eyes off March for a few seconds to glare at her.

  “Kate. Leave them.” Riley dragged her with him as he backed away. He glanced at March. “Goodbye, David.”

  March only glared at Riley and dropped his weapon.

  Monday, 2:00 p.m.

  “JENNY!” ALLY RACED OUT of Angelo’s Athens home and across the driveway toward her aunt, almost knocking Jenny over on contact.

  “Whoa!” Jenny wrapped her arms around the teenager. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so worried.”

  “Worried about me?” Ally laughed. “I was with Dad and then here with Angelo and Nadi.”

  “I know, but I couldn’t help it.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Good.” Jenny cupped Ally’s face. “I’m ready to go home.”

  Home. Riley watched Ally with Jenny and his heart clenched. What was he going to do? He still couldn’t stomach taking Ally from Jenny, but he needed to be with his daughter, for her sake as well as his own.

  Ally turned her gaze toward him as he, Kate and Trace followed Jenny’s path across the driveway toward Angelo’s house. She ran to Riley and jumped into his arms. “Daddy! I’m so glad you’re back.”

  God, she was getting so big. “I promised, remember?” He closed his eyes and held her for a minute, reminding himself that it was over. She was safe. So was Jenny. And Kate.

  “Kate!” Ally cried, slipping out of his arms and moving on.

  “Hey, Ally.” Kate hugged her. “It’s so good to see you again. I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too,” Ally said, glancing at the man standing next to Jenny. “Who’s he?”

  “This is Trace,” Jenny said, hooking her arm through his and pulling him forward. “Trace, this is Ally.”

  “Hi, Ally. Nice to finally meet someone I’ve heard so much about.”

  Jenny glanced at Trace and the shine in her eyes turned a bit brighter. As they stood side by side, Trace’s hand touched Jenny’s and their fingers entwined for a moment. No one else seemed to notice, but Riley couldn’t help chuckling to himself. I’ll be damned. He never would’ve thought to pair up these two, but oddly enough it made all the sense in the world.

  “What?” Kate asked, glancing at him.

  “Nothing,” he murmured. “I’m glad it’s all over.”

  “Mission accomplished,” she whispered. “Again.”

  As much as he ached to see the pain in her eyes, he couldn’t talk about what happened next between them. Not yet. First he had to settle things with Ally.

  Jenny and Trace headed into the house with Angelo, but Ally hung back. “So what now?” she asked.

  “I’ll let you two talk,” Kate said, taking a step toward the house.

  Riley put a hand on her arm, gently holding her back. “Can you wait? I have something to say to you both.” The two most important women in his life. He glanced from one face to the other, faces that felt as much a part of him as his own. “I’m retiring from the military.” As soon as the words left his m
outh, he knew it to be the right call.

  No more pansy. Never again.

  “It’s time for me to settle down.” He focused on Ally. “I’m going to buy a house near Jenny, so you don’t have to change schools and you can see her as much as you want, but you should be living with me.”

  “Serious?”

  Riley nodded. “Do you want to live with me?”

  “You’re so stupid sometimes.” Ally laughed. “Of course I want to live with you. But what about Jenny?”

  “We’ll figure it out.” He had a feeling the solution would very likely involve Trace.

  “This is awesome,” Ally said. “I can’t believe you’re going to be staying in one place. Can I tell Jenny?”

  “Sure.”

  Ally headed toward the door, grinning. “You guys coming?”

  “We’ll be there in a minute, Ally.”

  Ally’s grin faded as she glanced from Riley’s serious face to Kate. “Dad, you and Kate—”

  “This is between us, Ally,” Riley said, cutting her off. “Give us some time alone, okay?”

  For once in his daughter’s life, she did what he asked without a fuss and walked slowly into Angelo’s house.

  For several achingly long moments Riley stood glancing at Kate in silence, not knowing where to begin. What was even crazier was that she had nothing to say. That, probably more than anything, confused and unsettled him.

  The past week with Kate and Ally had made Riley question everything he thought he knew so well, and in the calm between when they’d left Istanbul and returned to Greece to get Ally, his life had come back into focus. Not surprisingly, the scenery had changed. What he wanted today was different than what he’d wanted a week ago, but things might have changed for Kate. He wasn’t going to hold her to anything she’d said or done while tensions had been high.

  “I’m glad you’ve decided to retire,” Kate finally said. “I think you’ll enjoy spending time with Ally.”

  “What about us?” he asked softly.

  “I don’t want us to be over,” she whispered. “You know that.”

  He knew what she thought she wanted.

  He held her gaze, his heart suddenly racing as if a knife was at his throat. “In the heat of things, when lives are at stake, people feel things. Say things.” He paused, swallowed. “They do things that are out of character. Emotions are high and they’re running on instinct. Adrenaline. But when the dust finally settles everything goes back to normal. Life goes on as before.”

  “You think what I said to you wasn’t real?”

  “I wonder.”

  “You think I’ll change my mind?”

  “I’m retiring, Kate. My life is in a state of flux. I think that a soldier is always a hero in the midst of battle, but at the end of the day, when he puts down his gun, he’s just a man like every other man. Your feelings are bound to ch—”

  “No.” She stepped back from him and shook her head. “I’ve heard enough.”

  “Kate—”

  “Now you listen to me, James Riley.” She pointed her finger at him. “I agree. Extreme situations can make for extreme emotions. But it was that intensity that made me see things differently. Shocked me into seeing myself—and you—more clearly. Nothing about that new understanding is going to change simply because there isn’t a gun pointed at my head.”

  She paused, but knowing he’d piss her off more if he interrupted, he kept his mouth shut. And he was okay with that.

  “I don’t know what will ultimately happen between you and me, but I want the chance to find out,” she whispered. “I want to discover what your idea of a real date is, what a lazy Sunday in your arms feels like, what it’s like to grocery shop with you. Make dinner. Go for a walk. Watch a movie. If I’m right, I’m going to want to discover you for the rest of my life.”

  “You think so, huh?”

  “I’m sure that I have never felt as comfortable with myself as I do when I’m around you. I don’t have to hold my tongue or worry about either hurting your feelings or impressing you. I can say what I want when I want. I can be myself. But I’m not sure I should be.”

  “What?”

  “I’m nothing at all like Amy. That worries me. I can’t be…soft. I’ll never be accommodating. It isn’t in me.”

  “Oh, you can be soft, all right.” He swallowed as he thought of how vulnerable she’d been making love with him. “As for accommodating, I don’t want you to be. I’m a stubborn, opinionated brute. What do I want with accommodating? I want someone who can stand up to me. Who won’t let me run roughshod over her. Kate, I like you exactly the way you are.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “So help me God,” Riley whispered. “I wouldn’t change a thing about you. I want a woman who knows her own mind. Knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to fight for it.” He smiled, felt the first real joy he’d felt in years settle in his core. “You do know your own mind, don’t you?”

  “That I do.” She grinned. “I know I’m falling in love with you.”

  “Good. Because—and I never thought this would happen—I’m falling in love with you, too.”

  As he lifted Kate into his arms and held her tight, he caught a glimpse of Ally and Jenny at Angelo’s front door. They smiled at one another, wrapped arms around each other’s waists and walked away. Retirement was suddenly looking pretty good.

  “Do you suppose you can make it to date number four with me?”

  “Mmm. You have to make it past date one first. I should warn you… I’m the kind of girl who likes to be wined and dined.”

  “Sure you are.” He chuckled. “How ’bout dinner and a movie?”

  “After what I’ve been through this past week? Sounds awfully tame to me. Can’t you come up with something a bit more…exciting?”

  “Exciting?” he whispered, pressing his lips against hers. “All right, Kate. I’ll give you exciting.”

  EPILOGUE

  Approximately five years later…

  THE EARLY-SUMMER NIGHT was hot and muggy, but the sky was clear and a steady breeze kept the bugs away. Amidst a sea of blankets spread out on the grass, Riley sat on a crowded hillside watching the main attraction unfold before him.

  “John Rausch,” the announcer said, pausing. “Kaylee Reyerson.” Another pause. “Allison Riley.”

  “There she is,” Riley whispered to his middle two daughters, tears of pride welling in his eyes. “See your big sister?”

  “Ally!” Sinead, almost four years old, pointed. “I see her. It’s Ally!”

  “Awee?” Erin’s two-year-old eyes grew wide. “Where’s Awee?”

  “Up there on the stage,” Kate said, rocking baby Caitlin in her arms. “See her walking, so tall and strong?”

  As Ally marched across the stage, shook the high school official’s hand and took her diploma, Riley’s chest swelled. His little girl was all grown and heading off to college.

  Well, Amy, I ended up doing okay, I guess. Better late than never, eh?

  In truth, he had Kate to thank for these past years with Ally. They’d been good years, too. He and Ally had made up for a lot of lost time, making saying goodbye to her all the harder. How was he ever going to let Sinead, Erin and Caitlin go?

  As Ally rejoined the rest of her classmates off the stage, he glanced over at Kate, his wife. She squeezed his hand, immediately understanding the myriad emotions running through him. “You did it,” Kate whispered. “She’s a wonderful young woman.”

  “We all did it.” He glanced at Jenny, who was sitting on the adjacent blanket with Trace and Riley’s parents. Jenny was, of course, bawling like a baby. Being eight months pregnant with her and Trace’s second child had her hormones going wild, but she would’ve cried in any case.

  Jenny smiled at him, her eyes bright. “Good thing she’s only going to Georgetown, or Trace and I might have had to move.”

  Trace kissed Jenny’s head and squeezed her shoulder.

  “What do you think, M
ags?” Nick, Riley’s brother-in-law, said to Kate’s sister. “You ready for this?”

  He and Maggie sat on a blanket on the other side of them, along with Shannon and Craig. Their kids—Maggie and Nick’s three and Shannon and Craig’s two—were off closer to the stage watching the commencement.

  Maggie laughed. “If the taste of Tessie’s teenage angst is any indication of what we have to look forward to, I’ll be ready sooner rather than later.”

  Nick chuckled. “Actually, Tessie’s beginning to remind me a lot of a certain testy aunt of hers.”

  “Not me,” Shannon said, shaking her head. “I was the perfect teen. As my children will be.”

  Kate grinned, her dimples flaring. “Good luck with that, Shannon.”

  The family banter continued quietly through the rest of the ceremony. A short while later commencement wrapped up and the crowds thinned.

  Riley spotted Ally dressed in her cap and gown, running toward their group. She was grinning as she went from one person to the next, thanking them for coming and giving out hugs. When she finally got to Jenny and Trace, a couple of tears popped up, but the smiles were back when she bent and hugged her little sisters.

  She stood and finally hugged Kate. “Kate…”

  “There are no words, Ally.” Kate shifted Caitlin in her arms and hugged Ally. “I love you.”

  “Same,” Ally said, sniffling.

  Then she turned to Riley, studied him for a moment before she flew into his arms, hugging him tighter than he could ever remember.

  “I wish your mom could see you today.”

  “She can, I think.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” he whispered in her ear and tightened his hold. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “I’m proud of you, too, Dad.”

  That had never been made more clear to him than at his retirement ceremony not long after he’d married Kate. As his twenty-year service record as a United States Marine had been quietly read, a listing of medals, honors, achievements and decorations, Ally hadn’t been able to stop crying. They’d come a long way that day in reconciling any outstanding issues between them.