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THE NEXT DAY
Dancing with Ella on her would-be wedding day. Was this really happening right now?
My letters were ash—lost forever—but she was in my arms. She was still here. Not married. And dancing with me.
I had powered off my phone last night before taking off for the cabin. But when I woke up semi-hungover and finally turned it on, I fell to my knees at the messages. Ella had canceled the wedding.
The Hawkins family had turned the canceled nuptials into a Fourth of July event instead. Only the bride’s side of the family in attendance, of course.
It took much less time than it should have, but longer than I wanted, to get back to the Hawkinses’ ranch.
I’d stood on a hill in the distance for a few minutes, watching Ella dance. Do the two-step to that “Git Up” song she loved.
I’d dug my hand into my pocket for my work phone and called Thatcher right then and there.
“I’m out. I’m done. Not another day. Not another fucking reason,” I’d said, then hung up before he could reply. That year I’d given him had lasted a lot longer than I’d promised. Yet another mistake.
I should have quit, gone to Ella, and told her to tell Brian to fuck off, because she was mine. We both knew it. We felt it every single time we looked at each other.
After that call with Thatcher had ended, I’d broken my work phone and chucked it, then walked straight to Ella and took her in my arms.
And now we were together.
Well, not together-together. Not yet. But the look in her eyes told me one day we would be. One day soon.
Somehow. Some-fucking-way. I had to make it happen. I wouldn’t lose her again. Fuck, I hoped I wouldn’t mess up again.
As we danced, I cupped her head, drew her cheek to my chest, and whispered words I wasn’t sure if she even heard over the band playing, “Give me a little time. I won’t let you down again.”
PART III
Extended Epilogue for The Broken One
Brief reminder of what happened in The Broken One:
Jesse and Ella must fake marry to catch a killer. Jesse’s secrets are revealed, and Jesse will do anything to protect Ella and keep her safe.
At the end of the book, Jesse turns in the marriage license, and they stay married.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ELLA
MARCH 2023 - SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
My life was . . .
I didn’t want to say picture perfect, because nothing in life was really perfect. We were all flawlessly imperfect. Hell, I wasn’t sure if those words would make much sense to anyone else, but somehow, they did to me.
I really had everything I wanted; it just all came to fruition in such a wild and strange way.
I was now Jesse’s wife. And yes, maybe a psychotic hitman from his past, hell-bent on revenge, had finally pushed us together, but I only wanted to focus on the fact we were together. Finally.
My fashion design “hobby” had grown into a lucrative side business and turned into more of a full-time job. Paired alongside my teaching gig, and I was quite busy. But God, did I love it.
Knowing that, Jesse managed to surprise me with tickets to a fashion show in Beverly Hills, California. It wasn’t his thing, and I’m pretty sure he spent the whole evening watching me watch the show. But the man kept trying to make up for lost time.
