Page 37 of Golden Knight

“That’s because you didn’t see anyone, you always thought everyone was beneath you, both of you. I tried for years to get to know you both to become friends.” He snuggles into her neck, whispering, “More than friends with you.”

I shake my head, trying to keep my shit together. But Paul keeps going. “When we were finally together after The Wolves took us, I thought my time had come. But Amber always kept me at a distance. Sure, she would tell me things, and spend time with me, but she would never let me touch her,” As he spits the last words, he pushes her to the ground.

“Paul–” Amber squeaks as her knees hit the ground. He pushes the head of the gun into the back of her head. “Shut up,” he demands.

“We had been through so much, I thought she just needed more time. Then you came back into our lives.” His emotionless eyes meet mine.

“You couldn’t just stay away. Amber started changing, opening up more. I saw you two on your date. She let you hug her and kiss her. I couldn’t allow it. I even tried to stop it, shoving her into a panic attack. But when I went to Amber’s apartment, I was surprised to see her in bed with you. And she wasn’t yours to have. She. Was. Mine.”

“No,” I say. “I didn’t think I was better than anyone. I just only ever saw her. I didn’t care about anyone but her and I still don’t.”

Paul goes eerily calm. “How did it feel when she was taken away?”

I answer with complete honesty. “Unbearable.”

“Good,” he says as he cocks the gun back.

“No!” I scream and lunge at him.

A gunshot rings through the room and I yell, “Amber.”

I finish running down the stairs toward them as fast as I can. Paul falls to the ground with Amber. I reach them, swiping his gun away from him. I don’t worry whether he is alive or not. I only worry about one person. I scoop her into my arms, “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. I love you.”

She continues to sob into my chest, “I love you too. I thought I was going to die.”

“No, baby. No one will take you from me again.”

We just sit there on the floor while she lets out all her emotions, while everyone moves around us. Frank jumps down from where he was posted and leans down to see if Paul is still alive, looking at me he mouths, dead.

Zeev squats down in front of me and Amber, “Does she need an ambulance?”

A hiccup leaves Amber, “No. I’m okay.”

“What happened? Who shot him?” she asks them. I’m curious too, the whole time I only saw Amber and Paul.

Frank is the first to explain, “When you and Zeev went down, I stayed upstairs to guard the door. Paul thought it was just you two but he was only focused on you. Zeev gave me a signal to climb into the vents, I came out behind Paul. When I had an opening, I took it.”

“He’s dead?” Amber whispers.

Zeev answers, “Yes, he’s dead.”

Amber starts to sob again in my chest grabbing my shirt, as she murmurs “It’s over, Jake. It’s over.”

I lean down and kiss her through her tears. “Yes, baby, it’s over.”

She deepens the kiss and when she pulls back her eyes are filled with love and lust.

“Take me home, Jake.”

Epilogue

“Don’t forget to pack up the closet,” I say to my friend Ella.

“Got it,” she replies as she starts to grab clothes and shove them in a box. “I can’t believe you're moving in with him. It hasn’t been that long.”

“First off, you can’t talk. How long have you been with Mikhail? Secondly, I have known him since I was eight.” I giggle.

“You're right,” she laughs.

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