Page 193 of Healed

And as I calmed, he pulled away and gave me another gift. “I went and got this,” he said, reaching into his cut, pulling out a heavy, chunky bracelet.

“How…” I breathed, looking down at the charm bracelet I had been forced to leave behind.

“I went to the Rider territory and into your old house. I wasn’t leaving any part of you behind there.”

I looked at it, my fingers softly tracing the small charms.

The lipstick, for the first party we went to, where all the lasses had kissed the boys. The mobile, for all our shared, secret texts. The dog, which had always been my favourite. My perfect, discreet reminder of my stray.

I stroked over them all, dozens of memories flooding back—the raven, the birthday cake, the pill. Everything that told the story of us.

Just us.

“I want you for life, Gabriella. I have from day one. From the moment you first opened your mouth and insulted me, you were it for me. I loved you then, and I love you now.”

“I love you, too,” I sobbed.

He gently picked up my wrist and attached my old bracelet to it. Then he picked up the new charms and secured them, kissing the tree as he did so.

“Here’s to new beginnings,” he whispered, raising my wrist and kissing the skin beneath the bracelet.

“Here’s to us.”

And then he kissed me.

Chapter 62

Vienna

I woke the next morning with my old lady snuggled into my side. I looked down at her and smiled, feeling another layer of my rage simmer away. Everything felt right with the world. I didn’t miraculously expect us to suddenly live a stress-free life—that was almost impossible with the type of MC we lived in. But right now, in this moment, everything felt enough.

And it turns out, Dante was right—though I’d never admit it to him. He was far too smug as it was.

I still believed Nico should have suffered more. And I still wasn’t finished making the Riders suffer for their part in his cruelty. But it was okay.

Mainly because, for the first time since she had arrived—and I suspected the first time in a long time—Gabriella had slept through the night. There hadn’t been any terrors, nightmares, or calling out in her sleep, thrashing around in panic.

She slept blissfully and peacefully, knowing she was safe and secure in my arms.

If that wasn’t enough, nothing ever would be. This was all I had ever wanted.

Slipping out from next to her, I went to the bathroom to get ready and looked in the mirror.

“Well, old friend,” I said, rubbing my hand along my jaw. “It’s been nice, but…” I picked up the razor and grinned to myself.

“Stop looking at me, Gabriella.”

“I can’t!” she laughed, covering her mouth as she spluttered. “You look… I can’t even describe it.”

Shaking my head at her, I went downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Good morning, campers!” I called out, ruffling Bee’s hair. She looked at me like I was a stranger. “You okay, Bumblebee? What’s your problem?”

“Mummy,” she called, climbing off her seat and rushing over to Rachel, clinging to the back of her legs.

“Wow. That was rude.”

Gabriella spluttered again behind me.