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"I smelled like smoke," I say, grimacing. I still can't believe they set his house on fire. Thank God for Crash. Had he not alerted us to danger, we might not have known anyone was on the property until it was too late.
But thanks to his sharp senses, Callum caught them in the act. The living room sustained heavy damage, but the rest of the house is okay. So are we. Well, mostly. Callum is a little banged up and it may be a long time before I sleep peacefully again. But we're safe.
And the monsters who killed Bellamy…well, the one who shot him won't be able to hurt anyone ever again. His accomplice will face the justice system for both of them. I hope he rots in prison. It's better than he deserves.
"I would have showered with you," Cormac says, strolling toward me.
"You were busy."
His handsome face falls into a frown. "I'm never too busy for you, Mischief. I was trying to give you a little space to talk to your parents."
"I know." I tip my head back, staring up at him. Our conversation was emotional. I've never seen my dad tear up like he did today. It made me cry to realize just how worried he's been about me. "Um, they heard from Isla."
"Yeah?"
"She got married. To Bellamy's son, Brantley."
Cormac's eyes widen, but he doesn't seem surprised, not really.
"You guessed, didn't you?"
"I suspected a man was involved, though not which man." He reaches out, twisting one of my curls around his finger. "Girls like your sister don't run away from home in the middle of a crisis unless they have a reason. She's not into drugs, gambling, or anything shady, so that narrows the options."
"I didn't even know she was dating anyone."
"Maybe she didn't think you'd approve," he suggests.
"I…" I heave a sigh. Is that why she didn't tell me? Because she didn't think I'd approve? I haven't exactly been Brantley's biggest fan. I was convinced he was the one who owed money, and I refused to believe anything else. But as I'm quickly coming to learn, people aren't always what you think. The man in front of me is a perfect example of that. He's so much more than I expected.
Maybe Bellamy is another example. He was a good man and a great boss. But that doesn't mean he can't also have been this other thing too. It doesn't mean that he didn't have skeletons in his closet. It doesn't mean his son is to blame for what happened to him. He didn't deserve it. I'll never believe that. But that doesn't mean it wasn't his addiction that started the ball rolling down the hill. It doesn't make Brantley the bad guy.
If Isla loves him, it's because he's someone worth loving.
"I wouldn't have approved," I admit. "But I think maybe I was wrong." I bite my lip, meeting his gaze. "I was wrong today, too, you know."
He watches me intently, not saying anything.
"Even before I thought I might…die," I say, hating the way he flinches when I say the word. "Even before then, I regretted how we left things this morning, Cormac. I was angry, but I didn't mean what I said about never forgiving you."
"I thought I lost you."
"I know," I whisper, feeling two inches tall.
"No. I mean, even before those motherfuckers showed up, I thought I lost you." He expels a breath, sinking to his knees in front of me. "I told you that I could live with you hating me, but it was a fucking lie, Mischief. I don't just need you safe. I needyou, period."
"I need you too," I whisper, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I was so damn scared I wouldn't get to say I'm sorry for being a brat." My bottom lip quivers, his face blurring. "I thought the last thing you'd ever hear from me was me threatening to never forgive you."
"Don't cry, Mischief. You know it breaks my heart," he croons, cupping my face between his palms. "You're too damn perfect for tears."
"I love you. That's what I wanted you to hear last, Cormac," I say, crawling toward him and then climbing off the bed into his arms.
He pulls me down onto his lap, holding me tightly. I press my lips to his jaw, his cheek, and the corner of his mouth, punctuating each kiss with the same three words. "I love you. Even when I was angry, I loved you. I'll never stop, Cormac. Not ever."
"Bella," he rumbles, his voice shaking with raw emotion. There's a warning in there, a quiet plea. But I don't heed it.
I don't think he wants me to, anyway. This man loves me best when I'm defying him. It's what I was built to do.
"I love you," I say again. "No matter how bossy you get or how many times you threaten to tie me to the bed to get your way, I'm going to keep loving you."
