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The paramedic moves on, and I shudder, still shocked with how close I came to real harm. If Richard had swung that club even one more time… If Sebastian hadn’t broken the door down when he did…
“How did you know to come for me?” I ask, gazing up at him. He’s bruised too, with a nasty cut on his arm, but of course, he waved off any medical attention after he dealt with the police. Thanks to my video of the whole confrontation, they quickly backed off coming after either of us. “I couldn’t reach the panic button.”
Sebastian’s gaze darkens. “You were up there too long,” he replies. “I just knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut.”
“Well, I appreciate your gut,” I say, trying to joke. But my words feel hollow, and Sebastian immediately draws me close.
“Owww!” I protest.
“Shit.” He loosens his hold. “I’m sorry. But I meant what I said. I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
I exhale, restored by the safety of his embrace. “Good,” I murmur softly. “Because I have no intention of leaving you either.”
I pause, noticing the turmoil in his eyes. Guilt. He’s carried enough of it in his life. I don’t want him haunted by tonight.
“You are worth it,” I whisper softly. “What Richard said, before? I don’t care what danger comes along with us; you’ll always be worth it to me.”
Sebastian scowls. “There’ll be no more danger,” he says fiercely, and I smile at that. “I mean it, Avery. This is over now. Behind us. I promise, nobody will hurt you again.”
I nod, worn out. “Nothing but blue skies and yachts?” I ask hopefully.
“And all the pina coladas you can drink,” Sebastian promises, holding me gently.
I savor his embrace, the truth finally sinking past my shock and pain.
It’s over.
Sebastian’s past, Richard’s vendetta. My own tangled quest for vengeance.
It’s finally all behind us now, and for the first time, I can believe in that bright future Sebastian is promising, with no more lies or betrayal to hold us back.
A wretched sob cuts through the noise. I turn. It’s Sebastian’s mother, Trudy, being comforted by an officer, as Richard’s body is covered in a plain sheet there on the ground. She looks devastated, and I can only imagine what she’s feeling after all the revelations of the night.
I look to Sebastian. “Do you want to talk to her?” I murmur.
He pauses. “Not tonight. She’s in shock. Once it’s all had a chance to sink in, maybe we can sit down, and talk it through. She really had no idea,” he says sadly. “It’s going to take her a while to come to terms with the truth.”
I squeeze his hand. I know there’s distance between them, after years of her affection for Richard, but I’m hoping that in the end, they can repair their relationship. “And Scarlett is safe now,” I say, relieved. “She can relax and go home to recover.”
Sebastian nods. “I already called her. She’s shocked at the news, but I think she’s relieved, too. That I’m not the villain they were all telling her I was.”
“You’re the hero of the story now,” I say, only half-kidding. Already, reporters are buzzing around, and I know it’ll take only a few words to my journalist contact, Lulu, before Sebastian is splashed all over the front pages. Returned from the dead to reclaim his former glory. A story like this will make waves, for sure, and I’m glad that Sebastian’s reputation will finally be restored.
“That doesn’t matter,” Sebastian shakes his head impatiently at the idea of scandal and status. “All that matters is you’re safe now.”
“We both are,” I correct him, smiling in relief and gratitude. I take a deep breath, and then pause, realizing I have absolutely no idea what to do now. “What happens next?” I ask.
“You mean, now that we’re not in exile, living under false identities and hunting to bring down a killer?” Sebastian replies, a smile on his lips.
I laugh. “Yeah, how about that.”
“It’s your choice,” he tells me, leaning in for a slow, tender kiss. “Say the word, and it’s yours.”
I think about it, and then start to smile. “Any chance you can get your hands on another jet?”
24
AVERY
