Page 111 of Kyle

“He said what?” Zane cut into Emerson’s story.

“I’m paraphrasing of course, but it was something like the great Zane Lewis forgot to scrub your phone,” Emerson repeated.

Zane was vibrating with anger as he pulled his phone out and put it to his ear. A moment later he barked, “Garrett. Everyone’s phones are to be cleaned. ASAP.” He paused, then finished. “Jax and Dec are on their way with Landry.”

Smart man, not allowing Thad or me to lay eyes on the motherfucker. Though Dec would handle business before Landry was turned over. He would be left breathing, but the man would never forget Declan, that was for damn sure.

“Monica said no one found her?” I asked.

“Emmy and I talked about that,” Anaya said, but didn’t pick her head up off my chest. “At first we didn’t think anything of it. But after everything that happened, I think it’s safe to say that was a setup.”

“No shit,” Zane snapped. Then he sighed and scrubbed both hands over his face.

“What about Monica?” Anaya asked.

“What about her, sweetheart?”

“I killed her.” Anaya pulled away and sat up in my lap and stared at me through a haze of regret and pain.

Shit, goddamn, she was feeling this deep. Taking the woman’s life was going to mark her. I waited until Anaya focused on me and decided it was up to me to make sure that cut wasn’t deep, that it would heal.

“Shits me to have to say this to you, but I need you to listen. What happened to Monica isn’t on you, it’s on her. She made the choice to attack Emerson. We sent you in not knowing if she was a victim or an accomplice. And now you bear the brunt of that decision. And I’m so fuckin’ sorry for that, sweetheart. Her life—not the way she lived it and not how it ended—is not on you. Other people made those choices for her. Whether she attacked Emmy with the hopes of killing Emerson or that one of you would kill her we’ll never know. What I do know is you two are still breathin’ and that is all that matters. You did what you had to do to keep Emerson alive and yourself safe and I’m damn proud of you.”

“But… what happens now?”

“Now we go home.”

“No. With the police. Won’t I be in trouble?”

“Fuck no,” Zane cut in. “First, you acted in self-defense.”

“But—”

“Darlin’, none of this will blow back on you. Monica’s been taken care of. That’s all you need to know. Now you go home, lean on your man, let him help you work this out. All the shit that’s fucking with your head, you give to him. You do not bottle it up. You do not keep it to yourself. You do not dwell. You give it all to Kyle and let him help you move on. That’s it. End of. There’s nothing else to worry about.”

“And Harry?”

“He’ll never see the light of day again.”

“But—”

“Harry fucking Landry does not exist for you. He doesn’t exist for Emerson. He is gone in a way that is forever.” Zane stopped and looked from Anaya to Emerson. “Sorry doesn’t fuckin’ cut it, so I won’t insult you by apologizing, but I hope you both know I wouldn’t ever knowingly put either of you in danger, but I did it all the same. This is my fault. Not yours. My men are pissed as shit at me as well they should be. We’ll work that out in private and I suspect it will be ugly, but that’s on me. But I want you both to know you did everything right. You both are warriors. Strong, smart, and resourceful. From start to finish you made all the right plays. Damn proud of you both.”

“Can we get the hell out of here? I want to take my wife home.” Thad stood to punctuate his demand.

I remained sitting, not sure if my legs would be steady enough to stand. My relief was palpable, making my body limp with it.

Anaya was safe.

Thank fuck.

* * *

The seven-hour drive back to Maryland was interesting.

Zane drove, Thad sat in the front seat only after Emmy had pleaded her case that she wanted to sit with Anaya. That left me and the two women in the back seat with Anaya in the middle.

The two women had held on to each other, something I didn’t fight even though I wanted Anaya pressed close to me. The two of them had forged an unbreakable bond, one born from battle and survival. A bond I fully understood.