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“You ready to do this?” he asks, holding his hand out to me and I nod as I take it and grab the strap of the duffle bag full of money. His fingers intertwine with mine and I take a deep breath, feeling peace flow through me. It’s crazy to think about just how much has happened since I met Sawyer down in Miami and if you had asked me five years ago, I would have told you there’s no way you could fall in love with someone so quickly and so completely but I was wrong. A part of me feels like my mom is hanging out in heaven, watching over me and laughing as she sent Sawyer in my direction because she always believed in love at first sight. I smile as we walk out into the bar. It’s nice to think that she’s been with me this whole time, though.

“Jules!” The voice pierces through my thoughts and my eyes snap open. Blaze, Storm, and Kodiak are fanned out in front of us, their postures rigid and guns aimed at Gavin as he stands just inside the door of the clubhouse with a gun pointed at me. I suck in a breath and Sawyer’s hand tightens.

“Gavin… what are you doing here? We were supposed to meet downtown.”

He nods. “Yeah, that was the plan until your new little boy toy called me and told me to come here.”

“What?” I turn to Sawyer but he refuses to meet my gaze and I rip my hand free. He reaches behind me and I’m just about to jerk away from him when I feel him flip the mic on. He planned all of this? Was everyone else in on it? When Rodriguez left earlier, I assumed he was going to scope out the place we planned to meet but maybe he didn’t. Maybe he never left at all. I glance up at Sawyer and he nods, almost like he can read my thoughts. Sucking in a breath, I turn back to Gavin and hold up the bag of money Rodriguez supplied us with. It seemed a little ridiculous to accept money from the cops when I had plenty of my own to use but he assured me this was the better way to do it since the bills were marked and all the money would go into evidence while Gavin was tried.

I toss the bag past the guys and narrow my eyes at Gavin as his gaze flicks down to it. “There you go. It’s what you always wanted.”

His face crumples as he takes a step forward.

“Not another step,” Storm snaps and Gavin freezes.

“I want you, Jules. I love you.”

Sawyer shakes his head. “Bastard.”

“It’s okay, baby,” I whisper, laying my hand on his arm. I’m more than capable of handling this asshole.

“How about you just take your money and flee like the cockroach that you are, Gavin? You never cared about me because if you had, you never would have been able to kill my father and make two other attempts on my life.”

He sighs, the stress of this situation starting to show on his face. “This thing is more complicated than you can imagine.”

“I don’t care. Take your money and leave.”

“Juliette, please,” he pleads as he inches forward and Kodiak takes a step forward, his face etched with intensity and his gun leveled at Gavin’s head.

“You heard the lady. Get your goddamn money and get out of our clubhouse,” Blaze orders and defeat flashes across his face as he nods and creeps forward to scoop the bag off of the floor. As soon as his hand is on the bag, the door bursts open and police flood into the room with guns drawn. Gavin’s pistol clatters to the floor and he throws his hands over his head as the guys tuck their weapons back into their holsters.

Rodriguez steps forward and begins reading Gavin his rights as he puts him in handcuffs and Gavin’s eyes sweep over the room, frantic, until they land on me.

“Juliette! Wait!”

Rodriguez passes him off to another officer as Gavin struggles against his hold.

“Please! She needs to know everything!” He whips around and manages to break free of the officer’s grasp, running straight for me. Sawyer steps in front of me but before Gavin reaches us, Blaze’s arm goes out, clotheslining him. He falls back with a thud and two officers appear at his side, ripping him off the floor.

“Juliette!” he calls, his voice weaker this time. “I need to tell you about everything! I need to explain.”

“Get him the fuck out of here!” Rodriguez bellows at the officers, who seem content to let Gavin stand around and run his mouth for their entertainment value. Sufficiently scolded, they nod and drag Gavin outside as he continues to scream about needing to tell me the truth.

“You okay, baby?” Sawyer asks, stepping up behind me and wrapping me up in his arms. I turn in his grasp and bury my head in his chest as I take a deep breath for what feels like the first time since I woke up in the hospital. Relief washes over me, so potent that I burst into tears.

“Oh, angel,” he breathes as he scoops me up in his arms. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me and like he can read my thoughts, he turns away from them and carries me up to his room where I completely fall apart before he puts me back together again.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sawyer

My stomach flips as I drive the truck onto the property and glance over at Juliette in the passenger’s seat, the blindfold I made her put on as we were leaving the steakhouse still firmly in place. She looks absolutely incredible in the new red dress Mercedes stopped by the clubhouse to bring her and I can’t wait to get her back to my room and strip it off her but there are more important things to focus on right now - like the ring burning a hole in my pocket, the one Mercedes slipped to me when Juliette wasn’t looking. Apparently, it’s her dream engagement ring - one she designed and had made but never had the heart to sell because it owned such a special place in her heart. I guess I’m just lucky Gavin decided to buy her a different ring instead of proposing with this one. Or like most things when it comes to our whirlwind of a relationship, meant to be.

“Where are you taking me?” she asks, gazing around like she can still see as I pull the truck to a stop and she reaches up to touch the blindfold.

“You’ll find out in a second. We’re here.”

She smiles. “Can I take it off now?”