Chapter Thirty-Three
When Mom came through the door, she had to do a double take to make sure she was seeing things correctly as I sat curled up in Ryan’s arms on the couch.
She asked Kimmy to take the packages for the baby upstairs as I explained to her what was going on. When Kimmy returned, we told her that Micah needed our prayers and we continued our vigil. Exhaustion from crying and praying and hoping hit me hard by ten p.m. Ryan coaxed me into eating a little food, but I just didn’t feel like I could consume more than a few bites.
“You need to go lay down. Come on, baby girl, you’re going to bed.”
Mom showed obvious reluctance to let him take me to my room, but I told her there wasn’t anything to worry about and I needed him to stay with me tonight, “It’s not what you think, Mom. Micah understood. That’s why he sent him.”
We lay down in my bed as he begged me to close my eyes and try to rest. He curled his body behind mine and I knew I needed sleep; the baby was restless from all the stress I was under. I willed my eyes shut as Ryan massaged my back, gently rubbed my pulled muscle and kissed my neck.
Somewhere in my pain, I drifted into sleep. As far as I knew, I was safe in Micah’s arms and the baby finally settled down.
When I woke it was dawn and I was dreaming that Micah was sitting beside the bed staring at me. Those beautiful green eyes, filled with love and happiness, studied me carefully. I reached out my hand to the dream and felt his steel grip as he took my fingers to his lips and kissed them.
“Micah!” I said sitting up too quickly and curling back down in pain.
“Annalisa, what’s wrong?” came his words of deep concern. Suddenly his arm was scooping up under my head lifting me gently to bring me closer to him.
Ryan moaned and rolled away from me.
This was real? They were both here? Suddenly I felt overcome as I tried to wrap my arms around his neck, but the pain in my side wouldn’t allow it.
Ryan’s eyes must have fluttered open and all I heard him say was, “Freaking Angels!”
“No,” I cried out, “but he is to me.”
“What’s wrong, Annalisa?” Micah repeated.
“I pulled a muscle trying to knee Ryan in the groin,” I spilled out. “Thank God, you’re alive. We prayed for hours and hours. Are you okay? Is the mob coming after you?”
“No, baby-we’re safe.”
Ryan was sitting up on the other side of me trying desperately to get the sleepy fog to lift from his brain, “I didn’t-we were only-I was just helping her get some rest.”
“I know,” Micah said with a light laugh, “Thank you for taking care of her. Was she much trouble?”
Ryan’s head wobbled, “If she hadn’t pulled that muscle, I think she’d of taken me down. So what the hell happened? You otta be fish food by now, dude.”
I smacked him and then winced again.
“My family took me before the Boss and I explained my reasons for what I’d done. I told him about the dirty dealings D’Angelo had been up to, and that I had been assisting him.” Micah swallowed as the tears rose to the surface. “I told him when I found out what he’d done to you, I realized I didn’t have to be his puppet-I had a reason to live, but he would have never let us get back together.”
“And the Boss understood?” I said, trying to slowly right myself without jerking the muscle.
“No, I wish. He said if it was up to him he would blow me away himself for all I’d done to undermine the family, but…”
“What? Tell me Micah,” I pleaded.
“Someone else thought my deeds should be forgivable. The Boss had a call from someone higher than him, the Capo Dei Capi out of New York, said I was to be left alone. A soldier is considered untouchable unless his capo and Boss agree to take him out, but this time my untouchable status came from a higher authority-and I don’t know why.” He swallowed as he leaned forward and kissed me softly. “I know leaving you like I did was unforgivable, but I-”
“Micah, you fixed that.”
His head cocked slightly sideways.
“The only thing unforgivable would have been for you to not be here right now. I love you, baby-trust me everything is forgiven and I’m praying that your pardon by whoever the big Boss is in New York means no more jobs, no more hits, no more…”
He looked a little upset as I rolled off the list.
“Don’t tell me he made you stay in the mob?” I said, back to the verge of tears.
“No, but my Boss said I’ve got to help clean up the mess I’ve created with D’Angelo. It’s not going to be easy and…” He looked toward Ryan, “A good friend may have to get you through a few rough places, but we’ll make it eventually.”
“So does this mean I’ve gotta move back to Palm Beach?” Ryan seemed a little flustered, but the fact that I could tell he was serious warmed my heart.
“You’re never more than a few flight hours away. I think it’s safe to say you can go back to Candace. And tell her I owe her big time-like payment big time.”
“No, no,” Ryan stated as he crawled out of the bed. “You two just be happy and safe, and that will be payment enough for us. And try,” he said looking at Micah, “to give her enough time to have this baby before you call me again ‘cause, Dude, she can’t kick my ass until she is baby free.”
“I think I can handle that request,” Micah smiled.
“Four and a half months without danger?” I said raising an eyebrow. “That sounds like a vacation.”
Micah pulled me securely into his arms and gave me a breathless kiss.
I knew we wouldn’t have an ordinary married life until this was all behind us, but, for right now, it was normal enough to make me happy.
