His mouth opens. “That’s not—”
“You didn’t break up with me, Derek,” I cut in. “Iescapedyou.”
The word lands like a gunshot, and I take a step closer, lowering my voice—not cruel, not loud, but worse.Certain.“You didn’t want me happy. You wanted me small. Grateful. Waiting. You wanted me broken enough that I’dalwayscome back and beg.” His face drains as the truth starts to click. “And when I didn’t?” I tilt my head. “When I chose someone who treats me like I’m worth protecting instead of controlling?”
He swallows hard. “I loved you!”
I smile. Not soft. Not sad. Just honestly. “No, Derek,” I say. “You lovedowningme.”
His eyes widen. His lips part.
I step back, already done. Already gone.
“You didn’t lose me,” I repeat, colder now. “You neverhadme. You just convinced yourself you did.”
His lips part, but nothing comes out.
His eyes widen, betrayal and terror twisting together, and then suddenly Derek lunges across the table, his hand reaching for my throat, but he doesn’t make it.
Nitro moves behind him like vengeance personified, his massive hand clamping down on Derek’s shoulder and slamming him back into his chair with enough force to make the furniture creak. Sin moves to my side, his presence a wall of protection. Koa and Bear flank Derek’s other side, blocking any escape route.
“Youfuckingbitch—” Derek starts, but Nitro’s hand tightens on his shoulder, cutting off the words.
“Finish that sentence…” Nitro says, his voice deadly calm, “… and I’ll finish you. I fuckingdareyou!”
The café door bursts open, and Maria Moretti strides in with two uniformed officers, her badge held high. The other customers scramble back, whipping out their phones to record the scene unfolding before them.
“Derek Fletcher…” Maria announces, her voice carrying through the sudden silence. “You’re under arrest for arson, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and a long list of other charges I’m going to enjoy reading to you.”
Derek tries to jerk away from Nitro’s grip, but it’s useless. One of the officers steps forward with handcuffs, and within seconds, Derek’s wrists are secured behind his back.
“You can’t prove anything,” Derek shouts, his composure finally cracking. “It’s her word against mine.”
“Actually…” Ghost’s voice crackles through Maria’s radio, “… it’s your own words. On recording. With timestamps. And we also found financial records showing the shell companies you used to pay the arsonists, communications between you and the contractors, and evidence of your fraud and embezzlement at your advertising firm. It’s all admissible. It’s all documented. You’re done, asshole!”
The color drains from Derek’s face as reality hits him.
He’s caught.
Completely, irrefutably caught.
“Marley,” he says, his voice suddenly desperate, trying one last manipulation. “You can’t… we had something. You can’t let them—”
“What we had…” I interrupt, standing up and meeting his eyes with a level of calm I didn’t know I possessed, “… was toxic. Abusive. Destructive. And it’s over. You’re going to prison for what you did. For the people you killed. For trying to destroy someone I love.”
The officers start leading Derek toward the door, but Maria holds up a hand, stopping them for a moment. She looks directly at Derek, her expression carved from stone.
“The fire you started?” Maria says quietly. “It didn’t just hurt Nitro’s grandmother. It killed innocent people. And thanks to your arrogance and this young woman’s courage, you’re going to pay for every single one of them.”
Derek’s last view as they drag him out is of me standing between Nitro and Sin, surrounded by the club brothers, whole, unbroken, and free.
The moment the door closes behind him, my knees give out.
Nitro catches me before I fall, gathering me into his arms as if I weigh nothing, pressing his face into my hair. “You did it,”he murmurs, his voice raw with emotion. “You were so fucking brave, Small Town. You got him.”
“We got him,” I correct, my hands fisting in his club cut. “All of us.”
Sin claps a hand on my shoulder, his mismatched eyes warm with approval. “You’re a real part of the club now, Marley. Anyone who can face down their demons like that? You’re one of us.”
