I lift our intertwined hands and press a soft kiss on her fingertips.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” I whisper, “if it meant I get to keep you.”
Moisture glistens in her eyes, and she stretches up and kisses me softly on my lips.
“You’ve never lost me, Elias,” she breathes, “not for one second.”
I smile, my heart thudding a slow and steady rhythm.
Underneath the pain, there’s happiness.
Because with her…
I’m finally alive.
Epilogue: UMB?ELLA KEPT
Three Months Later
The coffee machine atArcana & Bloom sputters, joining the soft rain tapping the awning outside.
Cece meows as she sits atop a cat perch overlooking the street. She’s become a shared pet—staying in the shop for most of the week and coming home with me on the weekends. At first, I thought she’d hate it, but surprisingly—or not—she enjoys ruling over another territory.
“Ah, shit,” Scarlett mutters, a frown creasing her forehead. She shakes the machine like it insulted her mother. Her thick red hair is twisted into a messy bun. “Why doesn’t the instruction manual ever tell you what to do when this happens?”
“You know my answer.” I smile into my cup containing her latest concoction.
The Blooming Heart.
Rose petals drift along the scarlet surface, the sweet floral scent mixing with the tart pomegranate juice and a hint of rich chocolate.
Whack!
The machine purrs back to life.
“Seriously? Really?” Scarlett snorts and shakes her head.
“Works every time,” I tease, glancing at the cuckoo clock hammered to the wall—her newest prized treasure, a rare find, according to her.
Five minutes to ten.
My pulse flutters. Ren will pick me up soon to meet Elias for our date to celebrate our second marriage. We skipped the ceremony and went straight to the courthouse last week to re-register.
My overbearing husband still insists on a Syndicate escort anytime he’s tied up with business.
“That smile on your face, ugh.” Scarlett leans over the counter, laughter shining in her green eyes. “And to think how sad you looked when you first walked in. Married to a mobster, scared—”
“I told you the scary ones have the best stories.”
Aria slides onto the stool next to me.
My heart squeezes painfully.
She looks like she’s lost half her body weight. Dark circles rim her eyes. Her dark hair resembles a bird’s nest. Her blue scrubs are wrinkled and stained.
She hasn’t been sleeping. Or eating.
She hasn’t been taking care of herself.
