“Hold on tight, baby.”

He felt her shudder as they hit the water and dove beneath the surface. Better that than a fiery death. Luther kicked his legs, propelling him and Katie away from the boat, before breaking through the surface.

Katie gasped for air. “Oh Luther!”

The explosion ignited the night sky as the boat hit the big rocks lining McCovey Cove and was blown to bits. Flames shot high in the air and Luther shielded Katie from the fire as debris hit the water.

His heart raced and with Katie in his arms he swam away from the explosion toward the other shore.

“Luther, this way,” a male voice called out to him.

Luther turned his head and saw a boat come toward them. Blake was waving at them from the bow, Wesley next to him.

Finally, Luther felt relief course through him. He looked at Katie and brushed wet strands of hair from her face.

“I’ve got you, baby.” He stroked his hand over her face while he continued to tread water. “It’s over now. He’s dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“You came back for me.”

“I would always come back for you.”

“We’ll pull you out,” Blake interrupted as the boat pulled alongside them.

Moments later Luther and Katie were sitting on a bench in the Coast Guard boat, wrapped in a large blanket. Feeling Katie so close to him felt right. He pulled her against his body, not concerned about Wesley, Blake, and the man from the Coast Guard watching them.

The boat was already heading back to the dock, where two people were waiting for them. Luther recognized them immediately. Tolliver and Rigsby. They weren’t giving him much time. And he wasn’t going to waste it with meaningless things.

“Oh Katie, I thought I’d lost you.” He captured Katie’s lips and kissed her. She shivered, but he rubbed his hands over her back, warming her. He didn’t feel the cold himself, not like her human body did.

It wasn’t the right place for this, but he had no choice. He kissed her, wanting to memorize everything about her, her taste, the texture of her tongue, the softness of her lips. He couldn’t get enough of her, but when he felt the boat stop and dock at the pier, he knew his time was up.

Luther separated his mouth from Katie’s and looked into her emerald eyes.

“West!” Rigsby called out to him.

Luther looked over his shoulder. “In a minute.”

Then he looked back at Katie, whose gaze had shifted to the two men on the dock. “Who are they?”

“Trackers. They’re here to take me away.”

Katie gasped. “No! Why?”

“I broke into a prison, I assaulted two prison guards, I destroyed their equipment. And I brought an outsider into the prison. I have to pay for that.”

“No! That wasn’t your fault. It’s my fault. Let them punish me!” she wailed, trying to get up.

But he pulled her back. “No, Katie.” He stroked his fingers over her cheek. “Please listen to me. It doesn’t matter what happens to me. As long as you’re safe.”

“But, Luther—”

He put a finger over her lips, preventing her from speaking. “Please hear me out. I don’t have much time. And there’s something I need to tell you.”

She stilled.

“I love you, Katie. And if I were a free man, I would ask you to be mine, but I’m not.” He paused. “I can’t ask you to wait for me. It wouldn’t be fair. You have to live your life. But know this: you’ll always own my heart.”

He saw tears rim her eyes. “Luther…” she choked out, but her voice failed her as tears started streaming down her cheeks.

He kissed her and tasted the salt of her tears. It broke his heart.

“West.”

Luther let go of her lips and peeled himself out of Katie’s arms. “I’m coming.” He locked eyes with her for one long last moment, before turning his back and stepping off the boat.

He was glad that they handcuffed him, or he might have jumped back onto the boat and made a run for it with Katie. But he wasn’t fool enough to believe that they wouldn’t catch him.

Though he was fool enough to hope that Katie would wait for him despite his plea for her not to.

46

One week later

The tears had dried though they always returned once she was alone. She’d heard nothing from Luther since the two enforcement agents from the prison authority had taken him away in handcuffs. It had been hard enough to see him leave, but what made the whole situation heart-wrenching was Luther’s confession. He loved her.