Page 137 of Killer Kiss

“I love you,” he whispered. “I don’t know how not to.”

The sob burst out of my mouth as he pressed his lips to mine.

He didn’t say anything about the fact I was sprayed in drying blood that wasn’t mine. He wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground and claiming my mouth in a kiss that stole my breath.

Our mouths moved, tongues stroking, but it was more than just something physical. Something inside me connected to him. It joined and coiled, spinning my head, taking my heart with it, and cementing the fact no man would ever make me feel the way Augie Mitchell did.

“I love you, Lia,” he said again. “Every part of you. Everything you’ve done. Everything you’ll do in the future. It doesn’t matter. You’ve seen me at my worst, and you love me anyway. Let me in. Let me do the same thing for you that you did for me. All you have to do is say yes.” He sucked in a breath. “Say you’ll be mine.”

Earlier, when the officiant had asked me something similar about taking Riddick, the words had dried in my mouth. Like a ball of lead, I hadn’t been able to get them out.

But with Augie they rolled off my tongue without hesitation. I kissed his sweet mouth and said words I’d never thought I’d want to say to a man. “Yours. Always.”

A marriage hadn’t happened here in this garden.

But a commitment had. A declaration of love. A silent promise that for better or worse, we’d keep choosing each other.

“This is great!” My mother’s voice broke through my bubble of happiness. She practically skipped over to my brother and kissed his cheek. “I got the entire thing on video. Once I get this up online, everyone will know we’re number one again. My son, taking out a key player like Riddick! Wow. When you shacked up with that woman, I was sure she had you so pussy-whipped I’d never see this day, but you’re back! And back with a bang! Thank you!”

She beamed with pride at the bodies on the ground. Riddick’s parents and the other guests had disappeared while I’d been having my moment with Augie. My father had already gone into cleanup mode, dealing with the officiant, who would be paid and threatened enough to keep quiet. If anyone reported the gunshots, that was nothing a wad of cash to the police chief wouldn’t fix.

Mom was on cloud nine. Like she’d planned the entire thing and it had gone off without a hitch. “We don’t need their family. This changes everything. With them only having Jezebel and us having the two of you, we’ll be drowning in jobs again. You should both go home and get changed and have some sleep, because it will be busy! We’ll be able to buy you a big new house, Ophelia. There’s actually one for sale just down the road. Won’t that be perfect?”

I stared at the woman in complete and utter disbelief.

Scythe picked up her hand from his shoulder and shoved it away.

“Go to hell, Mom,” I said for both of us, knowing we shared the same sentiment. “He’s out. I’m out. Fawn is dead, not that you took even a second to grieve. We’re all done, do you hear me?” I strode across the lawn so I was eye to eye with the woman who’d tormented me my entire life.

Her mouth dropped open. “You can’t! Not now, after all of this!”

I glared at her. “We can. We are. Don’t call us. Don’t contact us. To you, we don’t exist.”

“You live in properties we own! You can’t just say you won’t work for us anymore while we’re supporting you! This is what families do, Ophelia! Stop being such a princess.”

I gave a hard laugh. “I’ll be gone by nightfall. You can take your damn properties and burn them to the ground, along with the entire business.”

Rage consumed her. “So, what? You’re just going to leave your father and me on the streets to starve?”

I whirled around and gave her a look that shut her evil mouth right up. “I’m sure it will feel a whole lot like all the times you locked us in cupboards and didn’t feed us for days. I think you called it ‘toughening us up.’” I shook my head at her in disgust. “Your turn to toughen up, Mom. I don’t care what you do or where you live. You can both rot in hell for all I care.”

Mom turned to Scythe, clearly hoping he’d disagree.

Scythe jerked his head in my direction. “Killing people makes me hungry, so I was kind of only half listening while I planned out what I was going to get to eat on my way home, but ditto to everything she said. I’m team Ophelia.”

My mother just gaped at the two of us, but her real ire focused in on me. Just like it always had.

This woman had never loved me. Never even tolerated me. I was an asset. Until I wasn’t.

“So, what?” she screamed, gaze sliding past me to land on Augie. “You’re just going to go live in some shack in Saint View with him?”

On instinct, I stepped in front of him, blocking her view.

Augie wouldn’t have it. He stepped back to my side, standing tall, facing off against my mother.

Side by side.

His hand in mine.

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