I twist my body, throwing all my strength into the jerk of my arms that snaps the bastard’s neck. He slumps forward, hanging there, the restraints preventing him from hitting the ground.
And just like that, Jamie and I are free.
“This room gives me the creeps.” Jester comes up beside me. “Can we please get the fuck out of here?”
Havoc’s already walking backward toward the door, his Glock on Crane in case the prick’s not all the way dead or some shit. But he stops and stares at the torture tools before shoving his gun in the holster. He overturns the table with a vicious curse. The crash resounds in the room, mingling with vicious curse he lets out as he heaves a rasping breath. Then he squares his shoulders and smooths his blond hair away from his face.
“Fuck this place,” he spits out.
A disgusted shiver skids up my spine as I cast one last glance around the room. I hock a mouthful of spit on the floor near Crane’s hunched body before walking out of the dungeon.
The monster stops clawing at me and finally goes silent.
I leave it behind to rot along with Crane’s corpse.
25
Jamie
Istep out into the yard, welcoming the blast of crisp, late November air. The snow-tipped Appalachians scrape the sky as I hunker down in the orange Thrasher hoodie and sip my morning coffee. I already miss the brilliant blaze of golds and reds slowly leaving the cozy valley as the trees shed their leaves.
Ourvalley, wild and free in front of me.
Ourhouse behind me.
This is where I belong. Where I’ve always belonged. I was just too broken and stubborn to accept that fact.
For the first time in my life, I’m excited about the holidays. I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas. Not in their truest sense, surrounded by family and friends, but here I am, like a little kid, all caught up in the spirit of the season.
It’s like I’ve been reborn.
Wraith once told me Mayhem has its own gravity.
He wasn’t wrong.
Mayhem brought me back. It brought Wraith and me together. Gave us a second chance, and I’m all in. No running. We can’t undo the past, and every day is still a struggle as we deal with the pain we’ve endured, but David is dead, and that’s what’s important.
Unfortunately, so many innocents were killed before we were able to stop him. Children tortured, with their lives cut short by a madman drunk on power. But we ended his reign of terror, and that’s what we focus on. That’s how we’re able to sleep at night. His associates will spend the rest of their miserable lives rotting in jail. We left Gomorrah in flames, and although Thomas didn’t survive, Roger did, and he’s currently settled in nicely in an apartment over on Terrace Street.
Ava’s been a regular fixture there, but neither will fess up if they’re dating. I think they’re keeping it casual and find it adorable how they blush whenever they’re in the same room together. Tempest torments them, which is hilarious.
It’s fun to have friends.
I set my mug on the table, excited to get behind the wheel of the Raptor later today. Since I never learned to drive, I’m now the proud owner of a learner’s permit. Wraith takes me out regularly and has nearly ripped the “holy shit” bar clean off. But each lesson goes smoother than the last, and my road test is scheduled two weeks from today. Thankfully, we remembered to grab my birth certificate and my Social Security card before we torched Gomorrah, so those were obstacles I didn’t have to overcome.
In my quest at catching up with life and becoming an actual person with an actual identity, it’s been an experience getting to know who I am now that I’m free to be…me.
“Morning, runt.”
My pulse quickens at the delicious rumble of Wraith’s voice. “Morning.”
He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “So, there I was, wanting to fuck my girl. You can imagine my frustration when I woke to an empty bed.”
I melt into him, his powerful body warm and wonderful behind me. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Should have woken me up.”
“You looked too comfortable.”
