“Rude,” Amelia said, collapsing onto the floor with the rest of us. “Though, I’m glad you’ll be able to nullify that contract posthaste.”
“What about Thorin, though?” Charles asked. “What’s to stop him from causing another problem like this?”
Amelia lifted a finger. “Mm, so, several things. First off, the curse itself required a personal element Thorin doesn’t have. Olivia was Cillian’s ex, which gave her a foothold, but that isn’t the sort of moxie you can tap into more than once.”
“You’re terrifying, the lot of you,” Charles said pointedly. I snorted. He wasn’t wrong.
“But secondly, I wouldn’t worry about Thorin for much longer,” Amelia said. A wicked grin played on her lips, and Cillian’s smile grew.
My brows drew together. They’d figured something out, but I was unclear as to what. Truthfully, right now I didn’t care. I had Cillian with me, and that was all that mattered.
“The moment you rang, Beau, Cillian sent us after you,” Amelia said. “However, I recorded the entire call, up until I presume they destroyed your phone.”
My pulse sped. The puzzle pieces slotted quickly together in my mind.
“And with that, we’ve got proof of Thorin Glass committing murder,” Cillian said gravely. He squeezed my hands, still intertwined with his, sympathy shining in his eyes.
My heart twisted. The thought of my father formed a screaming blank void in my mind right now, a nest of hornets I didn’t dare touch. Better I kept that in a locked box for now.
“Will it be enough to nail him?” I asked.
“The recording is too damning,” she said. “There’s no way he can evade the evidence we have on him.”
“All thanks to your call,” Cillian said. “Smart move, pet.”
“I was just trying to share my location,” I said, a hiss of a sigh escaping me. Relief fluttered through me on tentative wings. After the extreme highs and lows of the day, I was beyond wiped out. Drained beyond measure. “I’m glad we can salvage something from this mess, though.”
Because I hadn’t dragged anything else from it. My view of my past was shattered, my father gone, and broken bits resided inside me that would be slow to heal. Cillian’s hands clutching mine were the only things keeping me from spinning into oblivion. As much loss as I’d experienced today, I hadn’t lost him.
And that meant everything.
“What about Olivia and Henrik?” I asked. “Them escaping scot-free seems like bullshit.”
“Thorin’s protection kept them safe—he has too many ties in with law enforcement. However, if he’s out of the way, I kept a long and detailed record of my curse and their involvement,” Cillian reassured me. “They won’t roam free for long.”
“Why don’t we get you to your bed?” Amelia suggested to Cillian, a hand on her hip even while she crouched on the floor. “You were drained and need to rest.”
“Will you come with me?” Cillian asked me, a seriousness in his tone that held me captive.
“Like you need to ask,” I said, squeezing his hand tight. “I’m yours, Cillian Ashmore. For the rest of our lives.”
The truth lay starkly between us at last, and as terrifying as it seemed, admitting it was also freeing. Cillian had proved his love in every way, and free to make the choice, I’d choose him every time.
“Come on,” Theo said, offering an arm to Cillian. I grabbed his other one and looped it around my shoulders, even though Theo did the heavy lifting in helping him upright. My legs were shaky, and I was close to passing out at this point, from hunger or the adrenaline crash, who knew.
“Both of you need to rest,” Amelia said. “I doubt Thorin fed you anything while he kept you prisoner. We’ll grab some soup and bread from the kitchen.”
Charles and Amelia set off ahead of us down the corridor, clearly making their way to the kitchen, while Theo and I directed Cillian to his bedroom. When we entered, the last remaining taut string in my chest loosened.
Home.
I was home.
We lowered him onto the bed, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, the weight of him causing me to topple forward.
“If I’m stuck here, then so are you,” he said, a genuine smile on his lips. I used what remaining energy I had and readjusted myself on the bed beside him, one I’d slept in many a night.
Theo snorted. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it. Lia and Charles will bring some food in when you’re ready for it.” Hepaused. “I’m glad you’re alive. Both of you. This place wouldn’t be the same without you.”
