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While we clung to each other, I could feel the strength of our bond, forged in fire, and tempered in love. It was something that could never be broken, no matter what challenges came our way.
“Jax…” I said, seeing the pain etched on his face as he’d confronted his father.
Tearing my gaze away from Evan, I looked over to see Jax standing over Tomas’s body. A solitary tear trailed down his cheek, but his hands were clenched into fists by his sides. Anger, grief, and betrayal were written across his face.
“Your greed was your downfall,” he whispered.
Before we could go to him, he shifted, instantly taking flight, his dragon letting out a fierce roar echoing with grief as he flew in the direction of the house. My heart broke for him. Tomas may have been a monster, but he was still his father.
Then Lucas was there and already jumping into action. “I’ve called the team to come clean this up. I want it cleared before anyone has to see this.”
Evan released me and embraced his brother. “We did it. It's truly over.”
“Dad would have been proud,” Lucas said solemnly. “Justice was served here today.”
Perhaps not the kind Matthew had wanted, but for me, this was exactly how I’d wanted to see things end. For Sebastian and Abi. For Evan’s mother and stepfather. For my own parents, and every other person Tomas had hurt, including us.
Evan swallowed hard, his roiling emotions clear in his eyes. “It was.”
“Let's get that taken care of,” Lucas said, glancing at Evan’s injured arm. “And get you both back to the house. You've fought enough for one day.”
Evan nodded, smiling at his brother.
A team arrived shortly after, and I turned back to where Tomas’s lifeless form was sprawled on the ground, his eyes staring without sight at the midnight sky. The monster who'd caused so much pain and destruction was finally gone.
Evan squeezed my hand. “We did it, Mariah.”
The heavy weight that'd been resting on both our shoulders for so long was finally lifting, and I felt anxiety's release. I’d endured it for so long now that it was hard to believe we no longer had to live in fear.
My hand came to my stomach. This victory marked the end of an era, but it also opened the door for healing and new beginnings. A lump formed in my throat, the reality of what we'd accomplished sinking in.
“Let's go home,” Evan said, slipping his arm around my waist.
We left Tomas Hawthorne's body behind, and while I knew his shadow would linger in the minds of those he'd hurt, the darkness he'd spread was truly, finally over.
Chapter 29
Evan
A cool breeze caressed my face as I stood on the porch and watched the sun rising over the horizon. The sky slowly turned from a deep indigo to a symphony of orange and pink hues. I hadn’t been able to sleep once we got back, and I’d come out here to sit. To process.
My hands were still covered in the blood of my enemy, and they shook as I glanced down at them. The weight of the fear for my family, and the uncertainty of the future that’d haunted me for months was finally lifted, but my emotions were all over the place.
I sank to my knees as the reality of it all truly hit home.
Tomas was dead. I’d avenged both my parents and Mariah’s. The responsibility that I’d shouldered since Sebastian’s death was fulfilled.
For the first time since I lost my father, I truly let myself grieve. I’d cried for him before, been lost in sorrow too many times to count, but this was different. As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I was bombarded with the impact of all the losses that’d happened at Tomas’s hands.
And now he was gone.
I allowed myself to let go, to pour out all my emotions into the newly dawning day. It was a catharsis I hadn’t known I’d needed. I was so absorbed in the release of my grief, I wasn’t even aware of another presence until Mariah knelt before me.
Her honey blonde hair framed her face, glowing in the light of dawn, and I could see love and understanding shining in her eyes. She had a bowl of water in her hands that she'd set next to her knees.
“Let me help you,” she said softly, taking a cloth and dipping it in the water before wringing the warm liquid out over my hands. Her hands were steady despite the emotions I felt swirling within.
The blood that stained my skin washed away, and I watched as the crimson streaks vanished under Mariah’s gentle touch. It was a simple act, but it held so much meaning—a promise of renewal, of washing away the past to make way for our future together.
