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I hop on top of the lid and sit on it before Franko does some strange, adrenaline-fueled Hulk smash. Jericho easily takes his large industrial padlock and seals the hot tub shut. “You ready, angel?”
That damn nickname. Fuck, I think I like it just as much as minx. “Ready,” I breathe, joining Jericho’s side. Jericho nods and presses the button on the side of the tub. I peer through the clear window on the side of the tub as it continues slowly filling with water. It was already up to his shoulders, but now it’s rising.
It doesn’t take long for the pretty, clean water to fill Franko’s lungs and the life to leave his eyes. Leaning back against Jericho, I let his weight hold me up. His strong arms are wrapped tight around me, trapping me against the solid wall of his chest. “It’s finally over, Sky.” Jericho kisses my temple.
We’re both panting and hard, but we don’t let the animalistic urge take over. Instead, we linger in this euphoric feeling for a while longer, knowing we’ve just removed another evil person from this world.
There’s a twisted, fucked-up kind of humor in the universe. Less than twenty-four hours after we watched the life drain out of Franko’s eyes, the sky clears up and decides to bathe the city of New Vernon in sunshine.
Parking the car, I glance over at Jericho and lace our fingers together.
He brings my knuckles to his lips, making me feel cherished, worshiped, and submissive all at once. He seems to kiss my fingers often, and I have to admit I love it. “How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Good. Slightly nervous and a little exhilarated, I guess. It’s not like the movies where the characters talk about not feeling anything different. It’s a lie. I am different. I feel free. Maybe even a little…lost?
“Lost?” Jericho reaches out, leaning across the console of the car. He cups my face in his palm. “You’re allowed to feel a little lost. You’ve dedicated the last several years to exacting revenge. Now that this chapter of your life is over, you have no idea what’s next.”
His intense blue stare bores into me, heavy with unasked questions. It feels like a physical weight against my skin, pinning me in place and stripping away the darkness until there’s nothing left but the raw, electric current stretching between us.
At the end of the day, if Jericho and I can stand in the shadows and face all these questions together, it’s enough. For a man like me, that is what happiness looks like.
Giving him a grateful smile, I squeeze his hand. “Come on, let’s get out of the car. I want to introduce you to my sister.”
No matter how dark things got, I’ve never let her stone fall into disrepair. I keep her little plot perfectly groomed and surrounded by a thick bed of flowers that changes with the seasons. It’s a lush mix of all her favorites, anchored by the deep, blooming white amethysts she loved so much.
“Hey, Fiona,” I say as we approach. “I wanted you to meet someone. My boyfriend.”
Jericho chuckles, squeezing our laced fingers. “Boyfriend sounds so anticlimactic.” He reaches out and caresses the top of her stone. “Hi Fiona. I’m Jericho. Your brother’s future fiancé and eventual husband.” He pauses, looking at me, blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “His partner. Partner in crime and partner in life.”
My whole body lights up at his words. “Hmm. I’m pretty sure you have to ask me to marry you before declaring things like that,” I chuckle.
“Don’t worry, Minx. I have plans for us.”
Grinning, I turn back to my sister’s grave and take a seat. Jericho sits next to me, getting comfortable and showing me I don’t have to rush. I take a deep breath and tell her it’s over. That I took care of all of them for her. I tell her that the men who hurt her will never hurt another soul. “You can be happy now, little sis. You can rest in peace now.”
I toy with a white amethyst petal on the ground, wishing I’d had time to get her a bouquet. Jericho said not to worry about it, but sitting here now, I wish there was at least a little something for me to decorate her stone with. As I play with the petal, I realize I’m distracting myself. Avoiding what I really want to tell Fiona. “I have a confession to make, Fi: The darkness has taken root, wrapping its black vines around my ribs until I can’t tell where the shadows end and I begin. I’m afraid it won’t go away. That I don’t want it to. It has festered into something else. Something… vicious—” My words trail off, and I feel vulnerable and raw. I glance at Jericho, wondering if he truly accepts me like this.
Jericho picks up where I left off. “Vicious. Yes. Vicious and beautiful. And oh so fucking perfect. Don’t worry, Fiona. I’m not going anywhere. Everything your brother has to face, he won’t be alone through it. Ever again,” he promises.
Tears spring to my eyes because I know those words were clearly meant for me. “Thank you,” I whisper, still playing with the lone petal in my hand.
A sudden shift in the air makes the hair on my arms stand up. Half a dozen people are approaching, carrying thick bundles of flowers. White amethyst. I watch them, my mind desperately trying to rationalize it. At first, I assume the flowers are meant for a different plot entirely. But they don’t stop. They encircle us, completely ignoring our presence as they layer the beautiful blooms directly over my sister’s grave.
My gaze snaps up to Jericho’s, but he’s already looking at me, smiling, his eyes sparkling. He did this. I glance around at the pretty flowers and realize this is more than just a gift.
It’s a promise.
Our beginning was fractured and unconventional, but I’m starting to believe it was fate. In all the twisted, blood-soaked chaos that followed Fiona’s murder, maybe this is her final gift. A quiet hand guiding our paths together, reminding me that it’s okay to step out of the shadows. That it’s okay to live again. To love.
Epilogue:
Jericho
One year later…
(The Urban Steel Awards Afterparty at the Montebeth Hotel)
My eyes land on Trey Mattson as he holds up his award and shows it off to the people around him. He takes another sip of his champagne, and my lips twitch. The poison works quickly, and he stumbles forward before excusing himself to go to the restroom. As he makes his way down the dark hallway, my eyes scan the room.
