You’re mine to protect, I almost say, but she just killed the man who ruined her life for trying to claim her.
“Because it’s what you deserve,” I say instead. “Not fear. Not looking over your shoulder. Not pain or regret. You deserve a chance, Sunshine.” I kiss her again. “And I’m so, so proud of you.”
“You are?” she asks.
“Soproud.”
“Thank you,” she says, hugging me even closer. “I’m so happy I chose this place. What would’ve happened if you weren’t in our lives and he got out?”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I tell her. “You never have to worry about Lucian Conti again.”
And if anyone else ever tries to hurt you, they’ll suffer the same fate.
I don’t add that part though. I don’t want to push too hard.
This is the real world. I have to be practical.
Though now, with blood sticking my shirt to my skin and emotions soaring high, some part of me wants to hold her tight and tell her I love her and never let her go.
CHAPTER 33
ELARA
There’s a lot of mess to clean up at the cabin, but I’m glad to do the work. I’m doubly glad when I hear Mira humming under her breath as she wipes down the kitchen cabinets. It’s been two days since it all happened, since I looked into the eyes of the man who killed my parents and extinguished his light forever.
Mira looks up with a giant smile on her face when Rhett walks into the room. He’s wearing a T-shirt that hugs those oh-so tempting arms of his. They’re mouthwatering even with a bandage on one of them.
He winks at Mira, kneeling down to pull her into a hug. She laughs and throws her arms around him.
“Is this little lady too old for an airplane ride?” he asks.
“No way!” She cries.
My heart glows as I watch him run around the cabin with her, Mira’s arms at her sides, laughing in delight as she turns this way then that. I’ve had my fair share of crying and breakingdown since I took my first life, but it’s been nowhere near as bad as I thought it could be.
The thing is, and this is cold…
He deserved it. He deserved even worse than he got. He was an evil man who’d done evil things, and if it means I’m a little broken for not hating myself for what I did, then fine, screw it. Maybe I am. Maybe we all are, the three of us, this perfectly imperfect found family of ours.
Rhett puts Mira down. Mira tugs on his hand, and he leans down as she whispers something.
“Keeping secrets now, are we?” I tease.
Mira skips over, tugging on my hand. Rhett stands a few feet away, a small smile on his lips. I love when he looks at me like this, that smile tugging at a mouth that was once so stern and serious.
“Sissy,” Mira says. “Me and Rhett have got a surprise for you.”
“A good surprise?” I ask.
Mira swallows audibly, then nods. “I hope it’s a great surprise. Do you want to see?”
“Sure.” I look around. “Where is it?”
Mira turns to Rhett, who walks across the room and wraps his arm around me. This has felt natural ever since he first did it, but now, it’s like we belong together. I’m being careful with those sorts of thoughts, though.
What if I’m still in shock? What if I need time to process all this craziness?
“We need to take a drive,” Rhett says, kissing me on the cheek.
