“Hurry, Kate,” Lucas called from the back.
She could see Sal’s arm poised as though he were going to try and break the glass with the butt of his gun. Snapping out of her momentary daze, she hit the gas and the car darted forward, leaving Sal behind.
Her sigh of relief was short-lived when she saw a dark sedan screech to a halt beside Sal and let him in. Panicked, Kate turned down random streets, trying to shake him off. Finally, she headed toward Roosevelt Boulevard, hoping that in the traffic, she could lose him.
She was forced to swerve when a minivan cut her off. She swore and changed lanes. Despite the cold, Kate was sweating. She gripped the steering wheel and focused all her attention on staying on the road.
Something caught her peripheral vision and she turned her head to stare straight into Sal’s eyes in the car next to her.
Fuck, he’d found her. Not knowing what else to do, Kate pressed on the accelerator. Sal’s car got behind her, following so close he was practically in her trunk.
“Kate, I’m scared,” Lucas called from the back seat. “Why is that bad man following us?”
“Don’t worry, baby, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
No way was she going to let another DiSilva take away her child. She sped up, going through a yellow light. Sal’s car followed.
She heard the thump and felt the car jerk forward when Sal’s car rammed theirs. Lucas screamed in the back and then started to cry.
The crying made Kate think of another time, another child who cried in the backseat during a car chase—Tony. She blinked the tears from her eyes and looked into the rearview mirror and saw her beloved Tony in the back.
“Don’t worry, Tony. Mommy will keep you safe. Please don’t cry, sweetie.”
He cried harder, but she couldn’t hear what he said.
She saw the approaching light turn yellow and gauged whether she could make it. Deciding to go for it, she floored the accelerator and the car flew into the intersection. From the corner of her eye, she saw a large white truck coming toward them from the right.
Please, God. Don’t make history repeat itself. Please get us through this.
The truck clipped the back of the car but Kate was able to swerve to avoid hitting an oncoming vehicle. The car must have hit an ice patch because she momentarily lost control of the steering. The BMW spun in a three hundred sixty degree turn and then crashed into a street sign.
The last thing Kate remembered before passing out was a scream from the backseat and a pop as the airbag deployed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Edward gripped the door handle as Nick followed Kate’s car along the Boulevard.
“She’s driving like a lunatic,” Edward said.
“For someone who hasn’t driven in years, she’s doing pretty damn good,” Vicky called from the back seat.
“We’ve practiced a couple of times,” Edward said. “I suppose it’s a good thing we did.”
“Glad to see she’s back to her old self,” Nick commented.
Thanks to the siren on Nick’s SUV, cars cleared out of their way as he pushed the speedometer to eighty to keep up with Kate.
Edward gaped in horror as his BMW sped toward the intersection. “The light turned yellow. She’s not slowing down.”
Not only wasn’t Kate decelerating, the car burst forward with renewed speed, seemingly oblivious to the delivery truck barreling toward them.
“What’s she doing? Doesn’t she see the truck?” he called out to Nick.
“I think she’s hoping she can get around it and Sal’s car will be forced to brake,” Nick replied.
Oh, God. Just like when she’d been chased by Mario.
“Except Sal’s car is going through, too,” Vicky yelled.
“They’re going to get hit,” Nick shouted.
They had to make it.
Time slowed while Kate steered the car through the center, barely missing getting sideswiped by the truck.
In the process of avoiding the truck, his car fish-tailed and then spun in a three-sixty. In the blackness of the night came the sound of crashing metal.
His blood chilled at the thought of them hurt, possibly even dead.
Before Nick had completely braked, Edward was out and running around the truck to where his car sat up on the curb, smashed into a sign. The entire front was crumpled and smoke streamed out from under the hood.
Please, God. Please let them be all right.
He skidded to a stop next to the car. Lucas sat in the back seat, struggling to unbuckle his seat belt. Edward tried to open the door, but it was either locked or stuck. Lucas looked up, relief on his face when he saw it was Edward.
“Can you unlock the door?” Edward called out.
Lucas manually pulled up the lock and leapt out into Edward’s arms.
“That bad man was chasing us….Kate was driving fast…had to escape from him…he had a gun...she called me Tony,” Lucas said in one complete sentence.
Edward stroked his back and held him tightly, never so happy to see someone in his entire life.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” Edward asked, looking over the boy’s face for any signs of blood or cuts.
“No, but I sort of wet myself a little,” Lucas said in an embarrassed whisper.
“No one could blame you for that, sport. I almost wet myself as well,” Edward replied. “I’m going to put you down for a minute so I can check on Kate, okay?”
By then Vicky reached them and pulled Lucas away from the wreckage.
Edward reached in through Lucas’s door to unlock Kate’s side. Although the airbag had properly released, she remained unconscious.
Edward pushed back the hair that covered her face. When he felt something warm, he pulled back his fingers and his heart lurched. Blood.
“Kate. Wake up, luv.”
She stirred and groaned a little, but didn’t wake up. He repeated her name, louder this time.
“You need to open your eyes, Kate.” There was still no sign of her awakening and Edward now felt panic rise in his chest. He couldn’t lose her now. “Bloody hell. You need to wake up. How can I tell you I love you unless you wake up?”
Her eyes fluttered and then opened. “Edward?”
“Yes. I’m here. Are you hurt anywhere?”
She put her hand on her head. “Headache. Bad headache.”
“Don’t move. The paramedics are on their way.”
“Lucas, Sal…” she began.
“Lucas is fine. I’m not sure about Sal.” He looked over at Vicky, who shook her head at the mention of Sal’s name. “You don’t have to worry about Sal. He’s never going to hurt anyone again.”
Kate tried to move and struggled to speak.
He wanted to hold her but knew he shouldn’t move her. Rather, he stroked her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Shhh. I hear the ambulance. You need to stay still until the paramedics check you out.”
“You said…” She paused before continuing. “Did you say…”
The EMTs arrived and he stepped aside so they could help her. He thought the fact she was somewhat alert and trying to talk was a good sign—or so he hoped. He walked over to where Vicky and Lucas were standing. Someone had given Lucas a blanket, but he still looked cold. Edward picked him up and held him close.
“Kate’s not dead, is she?” Lucas asked, tears running down his face.
“No. Kate’s not dead. I spoke to her. She was asking for you,” he explained. “She wanted me to tell you she loves you.”
Edward knew Lucas was trying to be brave, but he could feel the shake of the child’s shoulders as he cried—or maybe it was he who shook.
“I love her. I love you, too, Edward.”
Those three simple words had the most amazing effect on Edward, making him feel warm despite the frigid temperature.
Tears form in his eyes. He squeezed Lucas tight and pressed a kiss to the boy’s head. “I’m glad because I love you.”
Th
e words sounded awkward coming from his lips, but he meant them.
One of the EMTs approached them. “She’s awake and lucid. She has a minor concussion and some lacerations. They’ll check her over more thoroughly at the hospital.”
Edward felt mildly relieved. A concussion wasn’t serious. He remembered something Kate had said at the pizzeria. “I’m not sure, but it’s possible she’s pregnant.”
“Okay. I’ll alert the ER. Who is this little guy here?” the medic asked, nodding at Lucas.
“He’s my son.” Edward looked at Lucas. “That is, if he wants to be.”
Lucas smiled for the first time, nodded, and threw his arms around Edward. “Yes. Does this mean you’re going to marry Kate?”
“If she’ll have me. I already asked her once today and mucked it up. I may need your help to persuade her.”
“Did you tell her you love her?” Lucas asked.
Of course. That’s why she’d been pissed. He thought it was because he hadn’t gotten down on one knee or even had a ring. He should have known better. What sort of twit proposed to a woman without saying “I love you”?
“No, sport. I sort of forgot about that part.”
“You’re right. You do need my help,” Lucas said and snuggled closer to Edward.
Vicky laughed. “You proposed to my sister without telling her how you feel and you expected her to say yes?”
Edward was grateful for the night cover to hide the flush in his cheeks.
“Well, I hadn’t exactly planned on proposing at that moment. We were arguing and I just blurted it out.” More like ordered her to marry him, although he wasn’t going to admit to that.
“You Brits have a lot to learn about romance and timing,” Vicky said.
“I suppose. But in my defense, your sister is the most infuriating woman I know, and I don’t always think logically around her.”
Vicky put her arm through Edward’s. “A true sign of being stupidly in love. Congratulations and welcome to the family.”
“I have to convince her to say yes first,” Edward said, depressed at the thought of proposing a second time. But that would have to wait for now. Other things were more important.
“Can you check my son out, please? He was in the back of the car when it crashed,” Edward asked.
Edward accompanied the EMT to the ambulance where the man examined Lucas and Vicky. After both were pronounced unharmed, they watched as Kate was loaded into the ambulance.
Vicky grasped Edward’s arm. “Come, let’s find Nick. On the ride to the hospital, I’ll coach you in the art of groveling. You’re going to need it to be married to Kate.”
Edward would grovel and do whatever he needed to show Kate how much he loved her. He just hoped it was enough.
****
Kate awakened slowly, not wanting to, but knowing she needed to. After blinking a few times, she took in the surroundings, trying to remember what happened. One look at the IV in her hand told her she was in the hospital.
The details of what happened were fuzzy and came back to her in short bursts of flashbacks. She remembered being at the pizzeria and seeing Sal. Then driving with Lucas while being chased by Sal.
The room was dim, but she could see a man’s outline in one of the chairs. Edward. He saved her. She remembered hearing his voice after the car crash. She strained her memory, desperate to recall what he had said.
“Edward,” she called.
He jumped from the chair and was at her side.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?” he asked.
“Thirsty.”
He grabbed the plastic pitcher on the table, filled a cup, and brought it to her.
“Drink slowly.”
She took small sips although she really wanted to gulp down the entire cup. “Better. Thanks. Where’s Lucas?”
“He’s fine and in the waiting room down the hall, anxious to see you. Do you remember what happened?”
“Yes. That bastard, Sal. I hate that he got to an innocent child and put his life at risk.”
Edward hesitated before speaking. “You should know that at the scene of the accident, Lucas asked if you were alive.”
Kate’s still pale face went a shade whiter and her eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, my poor baby. The accident must have reminded him of the way his family died. How could I have done that to him?”
Edward clasped her hand. “You did what you needed to do to keep him safe. If you hadn’t, it’s possible Sal would have hurt one or both of you.”
“And Sal?”
“You don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
“He’s dead?”
“Yes. You were quick enough to get through the intersection before the truck, but Sal wasn’t as fortunate. And since he was on the passenger side…well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty from what I hear.”
“He died just like Mario, in a car wreck and because of me.”
“No!” Edward said in a loud voice. “He died because he was a sick bastard who was obsessed with revenge. It wasn’t your fault, do you hear?”
Kate knew he was right and her heart went out to Sal’s mother. Kate had known Barbara almost her entire life, just as she’d known the entire DiSilva family. Barbara had been thrilled when Kate had married Mario, and even more so after Tony was born. She hadn’t spoken or seen her since Tony and Mario’s deaths, but she’d heard through her mother that her former mother-in-law was heavy into the bottle. Who knew what losing Sal, in the same way, would do to the woman?
She nodded. “You’re right. How’s Vicky?”
“She has a bunch of bruises, including some sore ribs. She gave them hell from the way Lucas explains it.”
“Good.”
“You did pretty well yourself. It makes me grateful you only flipped me in the alley.”
Kate shuddered and her voice trembled. “Him touching me…it brought back memories of the way Mario would beat on me. I used to take it, but not anymore.”
“I hated watching him grope you. I wanted to kill him on the spot. Almost did, too, if there hadn’t been two of them.”
Kate looked at him for a moment, for the first time noticing his black eye and other bruises on his face plus the tears in his suit.
“You fought him?”
“Right before you ran out of the café, Sal grabbed for the gun again. I fought him and was able to get the gun away from him. Unfortunately, his mate knocked Vicky around pretty hard, hence the bruised ribs, and came at me as well. Both he and Sal escaped right before Nick arrived with reinforcements.”
“You saved us. If it wasn’t for you, Sal would have raped me right there. He wanted to knock me up.”
“Is that why you lied and told him you were pregnant with my child?”
“Yes. I thought…” She paused. “I hoped he wouldn’t touch me if he thought I was already pregnant. But it didn’t matter. He was hell-bent on raping me regardless. I’m sorry for making you think that.”
“I didn’t mind. Actually, I liked the thought of you carrying our child.”
Huh? Did she just hear him right?
“You did?”
“Yes. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to have any children after the cancer treatments. I was disappointed when the ER doctors said you weren’t.”
“You told the doctors I was pregnant?”
“I alerted the EMT that you may have been. He was going to pass it along to the hospital staff.”
It occurred to her they had never discussed family. “Do you want children?”
“I admit it was never something I considered—until recently.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Before I started chemo and radiation treatments, my doctor suggested I consider a sperm bank…in case the side effects made me infertile and I wanted children at some point.”
“And did you take your doctor’s advice?”
He nodded. “I almost didn’t, but in the end, Charles convinced me to keep my options open.”
“I most certainly do.”
She had to know, had to ask if what she heard—or thought she heard—when she woke up in the car was correct.
“Edward…,” she began but paused, trying to frame her thoughts. “Right before I woke up in the car you said something—at least I thought you did.”
“I did.”
She released the breath she’d been holding, afraid she’d been wrong and had imagined the entire thing.
“Can you say it again?”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “I asked you to wake up.”
Kate could tell by the smirk that threatened to twitch one side of his lips up that he was teasing her.
“And what about the other thing you said?”
“Do you mean about me never allowing you to drive my car again?”
Kate cringed. “Crap. Your car. Did I total it?”
“Most likely.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “See, I told you I’m not meant to drive.”
“Wrong. As soon as you’re better and I get a replacement vehicle, you’re getting back behind the wheel.”
She knew he wouldn’t let it go, and he was probably right. What kind of mom would she be to Lucas if she couldn’t even drive? There were bound to be events, travel sports, vacations, where driving would be more convenient.
“What about the other thing you said?” she asked again.
“Oh, that,” he said and rose from the bed.
Figures. Here comes the part where he tells her he just said he loved her so she’d wake up, and he can’t handle anything more than sex right now. After all she’d been through that day, she couldn’t handle hearing his rejection.
“Look, I’m tired. We don’t have to discuss this now,” she said.
“No, we do—”
“Really, I don’t think we should,” she interrupted before he could continue.
“Christ, Kate. Will you belt up and let me gather my thoughts for a moment?”
Her eyes widened at his uncharacteristic burst of temper. Maybe he’d been hanging around her family too much because he was starting to act like them.
She closed her mouth and studied him. He looked nervous, an emotion she’d never seen him display before.
Untangle My Heart (Tangled Hearts) Page 26
