Briella leans her head against the window, glowing with quiet fire. “Where are we going?”
Raphael doesn’t look back. He just shifts into gear.
“Home.”
We vanish into the smoke.
“Hey, Red?”
I turn to the prettiest voice belonging to the prettiest Lass I’ve ever known. Give her my signature smirk. The one vowing weeks of worship after this.
Goddamn! She’s like sunlight sparkling on snow. All soft and glittery.
She leans over Jude’s other side, her lips parting in a not-so-subtle request. I waste no time and dive for her sweet mouth. Don’t rightly care if she smells and tastes like smoke, sweat, retch, and blood. Cupping the side of her face, I kiss her something fierce, tilting my jaw and going as far as I can. I run my fingers through her curls. And tell myself over and over again that she’s here. And from now on, she always will be.
When she finally pulls away, she hovers above my mouth, her lips swollen, her face a little chafed from my beard.
But then, she stares up at me through those tear-glistening eyes, lifts her hand to brush her fingers along my ear bearing her teeth marks, and says so sweet and proud, “I love you, Rory.”
My brothers all turn to gawk at her. Even Raphael in the rearview mirror.
I grin from ear to ear.
Then, she sweeps her gaze across the lot of them. “I love you all. Cheekbones. Vinny. Timber. Red. And Raphael.”
She settles against Jude again. I don’t take her away, no matter how much my arms want to hold her. She still needs him in these moments. His heartbeat. His healing. His care.
I just tip my head back against the seat, puff out my chest, and keep smiling through the whole trip.
The others gripe and brood.
Cause I don’t stop reminding them: out of all the big, dumb, moronic jackasses, she said it tomefirst.
80
Briella
THIS PAIN DOESN’T DIMINISH ME. IT CROWNS ME.
Citizen Soldier Playlist
“Death of Me”
“If I Surrender”
“Cannibal”
ONE WEEK LATER
I’m ready to see the sun again and feel jackfrost nipping at my nose and snowflakes sprinkling my eyelashes.
We did go home—in a way.
The mine. Raphael said it was the safest place while we regrouped, and he formed a plan for a new home. The mine is well stocked, but they’ve also managed to get some of the supplies from the cabins thanks to the tunnel. I may have asked them to bring the Christmas tree. But I miss all the traditions we were supposed to have on Christmas Day.
Vincent’s contact transported the goats, chickens, and horses to a farm an hour away. My Tats assured me they would come with us.
In the meantime, it’s been a lot of healing. Thankfully, I heal fast according to Jude, though I believe it’s largely due to his help. He relocated my wrist shortly after I came to, back at Easthaven. He splinted it to reduce swelling and said I had to wear it for two weeks.
