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“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.” His head whips around like he’s looking for the rest of us, but Mali focuses him back on her. “Don’t worry. Hayes saved your princess ass.”
His head drops in relief, and he takes a couple breaths then looks up at Mali. He grabs her face and only hesitates for a second before kissing her impatiently. When he breaks the kiss, she rests her head on his shoulder and he holds her close as he looks at Laiken and then back at me.
“Monty?” he asks.
I nod toward the bedroom. “Dead.”
He snorts. “That’s what you said the last time.”
I blow out a rush of air and stand up, taking Laiken into my arms and holding her close. There’s never going to be a time where I let her go. There can’t be. We need each other, and maybe that’s unhealthy and codependent, but I don’t care.
She’s my entire fucking world.
Looking around, Cam finds a pack of matches and a can of gasoline in one of the cabinets. It’s new, which means Monty planned on burning this place to the ground once he was done with us.
Little did he know he’d be burning with it.
After dousing as much of the house as we can, including both Monty’s and Riley’s bodies, Cam takes out one of the matches and goes to light it. But just before he does, Laiken puts her hand out.
“He took so much from me,” she says. “This started with me. Now, it’s going to end with me.”
He glances at me, but I don’t stop him. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that she knows what she’s doing. Laiken has been through so much and somehow made it through it all. She may have broken at times, but she never let herself stay that way. If this is what she wants, I’ll give it to her.
Taking the match, she sparks it against the side and looks into the flame.
“Enjoy hell, assholes.”
She drops it onto the floor beside Riley’s body and steps back as the decaying wood instantly catches fire. It spreads rapidly through the house, and the four of us walk out together. My arm is draped around Laiken’s shoulders, with Cam’s around Mali’s. Laiken leans into me as she and Mali loop their arms together. We all managed to make it out alive, but we’ll never forget the way we felt when there was a possibility that we wouldn’t.
Standing in the water, I clean the blood off my hands. Cam waits for me, and when I’m done, we push the boat into deeper water. We both climb on board and the engine rumbles as it comes to life.
Mali stands beside Cam as he drives, with her head resting on his shoulder, but Laiken is watching as the house burns in the distance. I wrap my arms around her from behind. There’s nothing better than holding her close, especially after I was convinced that I was going to lose her.
“It’s really all over?” she asks.
I nod, pressing a kiss to the top of her shoulder. “It’s all over, baby. Except us. You’re stuck with me for the rest of our lives.”
She spins around in my arms and smiles fondly up at me. “I love you.”
Looking down at the girl who surprised me at every turn, I can’t believe there was a time I wanted to deny myself this. But she fucked all my rules then the same way she does now. And I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
I kiss her forehead before saying the words that aren’t nearly enough, but they’re the only thing that comes close. “I more than love you.”
One Month Later
The air feels lighterthese days, like it’s easier to breathe. It’s been quiet and uneventful, which isexactlyhow I want it. We’ve been filling our time with mundane things like work and grocery shopping, and after the hell we went through, I’ve got to say, it’s refreshing. I never used to think that the simplicities of a domesticated life would appeal to me, but I was wrong.
Then again, Laiken always keeps things interesting.
I look out the window as I see a moving truck pull up, and I step out onto the porch. Two guys hop out and open up the back. I turn around and shout into the house.
“Lai,” I call. “It’s for you!”
Her brows furrow as she comes out from the kitchen. “Huh?”
As I nod for her to come outside, she looks confused until she steps out onto the porch. One of the movers comes up with a clipboard and smiles politely at her.
“Are you Laiken Blanchard?” he asks.
