AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This is interesting. “Yeah, as long as she’s not in the middle of a case when Savanna chooses a date.” We had to wait for enough time to pass for it to be safe for everyone to travel.
Not safe from The Collective, because they were officially yesterday’s news after my story published at the end of August, but there were three new babies that’d been brought into the world since then.
Jack and Charlotte’s son, Nolan. Carter and Diana’s baby, Matteo. And Julia and Finn’s daughter, Chloe, was born a few weeks earlier than expected, but thankfully healthy.
“Still hard to wrap my head around the fact it’s finally over. I mean, it is over, right?” We were on the verge of being “free” to walk the earth without the risk of evil—well, any more than normal given our line of work, at least—bothering us.
“It’s over. I can’t promise someone or a new group of evil assholes won’t test shit out again one day, but for now, I think we’re good.”
“Thank you for bursting my bubble.” I rolled my eyes.
Mason poked his finger in the air.
But he was right. Human nature and all often led to power plays and land grabs. Thankfully, though, the final three families were handled. The clock was as good as dead. The hub. The wheel. The freaking thing done.
After my exposé ran, those three prominent families hadn’t even waited for election day to let the people make the choice with what to do with them at the ballot box. They’d cut and run, and POTUS sent Bravo, Echo, and Charlie Teams to hunt them down. Their funerals. Literally.
“At least the world markets didn’t collapse after you shared the truth, and hell didn’t break loose. It was a coin toss.”
Good point. I fiddled with my engagement ring. Oliver had given it to me the night after he’d asked me to marry him, and his proposal couldn’t have been any more us.
The ring was a simple princess cut set in a plain platinum band. Just the right size, too. The fact he’d snuck away from our safe house with my sister to pick it out only made it that much more special.
“How’s the hotel? Feel weird to be there?” I asked him.
He twisted in his seat as if checking to ensure Carter or Sebastian weren’t around before continuing.
“All clear,” I teased before he faced forward.
“It’s absolutely weird to be here.” A grin cut across his lips. “I really do think if Jack has his way when he visits next week as planned, he’ll hang those elephant ear leaves up around the place just to fuck with Carter. Or frame some big-ass forks.”
“With Teddy and Easton now helping him run the place, I’m sure they’ll do it if Jack doesn’t.” Steve wouldn’t be coming along for the ride. Although we forgave him for what he did, Carter had decided it’d be best for our paths to part ways. “Well, your guess is as good as mine what we’ll actually do with the hotel, but I’m curious to see what the future has to hold for all of us.”
He lifted his chin, eyes on my ring. “In your case, I have a pretty good idea. A big wedding next year.”
I couldn’t help but jab, because the world really was entirely too small, “With you as a groomsman opposite my sister?”
“Funny.”
“Like funny ha ha?” I winked.
“I’m going. I’m sure I have something I should be doing with Carter’s attention more focused on his wife and newborn than the hotel we’re now running.” He waved me away. “Go. Be with your guy. See you at our reunion in Bama whenever that may be.”
“Roger that.” I killed the web call just as music began to play in the background, and I covered my mouth in delight at the song.
When I spun around in my chair, my handsome fiancé, who I truly considered to now be healed in mind, body, and soul, began singing along with the lyrics while dancing to “Build Me Up Buttercup.”
On my feet, I met him halfway across the room.
He captured my hand and gave me a little twirl, and I danced with him as he stared deep into my eyes. “God, I can’t wait to marry you.” He let go of a sigh at the end of the song, eyes so bright I could almost see myself in them with how happy he looked.
I knew part of his journey in successfully healing had a lot to do with going to Thailand last week to visit with Anurak’s wife and children. With the dust pretty much settled with The Collective, he’d made the decision to go ahead and do it. He needed to tell her what happened, and ask for her forgiveness. She’d given it to him, and then thanked him for saving her family. He’d called me right after, still emotional about it all, but I also knew from that point on, he’d truly be able to move on.
He shut off the song and came back over to me, and a mischievous grin crossed his face. “You know, I was thinking that maybe we could skip to the honeymoon part since we won’t have guests for that.”
“Honeymoon before the wedding, huh?” I chewed on my lip, tempted by the idea of a little honeymoon rehearsal. I had some sexy white lingerie I could throw on to drive him wild.
He leaned in closer, bringing his mouth near mine, and reminded me, “Come on now, when it comes to us, backward has always been our way forward.”
