"Saw the interview. You were perfect." He kisses me hard. "Proud of you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." He walks me inside where brothers are gathering around the TV for the replay. "Come on. Let's watch it together."
We settle on the couch, me tucked against his side, and I watch myself on screen telling the story that's consumed the last year of my life. It's surreal seeing it play out, hearing myown voice explain the investigation, the danger, the ultimate takedown.
When it's over, Vulture mutes the TV and looks at me. "You did good. You protected the club while telling your truth. That's not easy."
"Thank you for letting me tell it at all." I glance around the room at the brothers who've become family over the past weeks. "I know this hasn't been easy for any of you."
"Worth it though," Zip says, raising his beer. "Twenty girls safe, monster in custody, and we didn't even have to kill anyone. Well, not many people anyway."
That gets a laugh from the room, dark humor that's characteristic of these men.
"To Ava," Vulture says, raising his own beer. "For having the guts to see this through."
"To Ava," the brothers echo, and I feel emotion clogging my throat.
These men, these dangerous outlaws, they've accepted me. Protected me. Become something I never expected to find.
Mason's arm tightens around me. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just overwhelmed." I look up at him. "Can we go upstairs? I need some quiet."
"Of course."
In his room, away from the noise and the brothers and the weight of everything that's happened, I finally let myself fall apart. The tears come fast and hard, weeks of stress and fear and adrenaline releasing all at once.
Mason holds me through it, not trying to fix it or make it stop, just being there. When I'm finally cried out, he wipes my face gently.
"Better?"
"Yeah. Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize. You've earned the right to fall apart." He guides me to the bed. "Lie down. Rest."
"I'm not tired."
"Liar. You've been running on fumes for days." He pulls off my shoes, then my jacket. "Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."
I want to argue, but exhaustion pulls at me with irresistible force. I curl up on his bed, and he stretches out beside me, solid and warm and safe.
"Mason?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. Even when everything's crazy and complicated, I love you."
"Love you too, sweetheart. Now sleep."
I do, falling into darkness with his heartbeat steady beneath my ear. And for the first time in months, I sleep without nightmares.
When I wake, it's late afternoon and Mason's still beside me, reading something on his phone. He notices I'm awake and sets it aside.
"How're you feeling?"
"Better. More human." I stretch, feeling the tension that's been living in my shoulders for weeks finally releasing. "What time is it?"
