Page 136 of Unbroken

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It was a tight fit and a little messy, but the entire word was there. I glanced from my work to Jeffrey’s pale, damp face. He whimpered and groaned as Devon shoved his head forward. Like his neck was too weak to hold it up, it slumped awkwardly against the back of the chair.

I took a step back, directly into Devon’s hard chest. His hand found my hip, then made a deliberate path up the center of my back before it settled at the base of my neck. A reminder I needed in that moment.

After several long breaths, Jeffrey managed to look down at his arm. Even through all the pain I’d inflicted, he laughed. The sound was broken and a little strangled.

“What is this supposed to be? You think you’re clever?”

My heart pounded in my chest, and I swallowed around the remnants of my rage. “It’s a reminder. One you will see every single day of the rest of your pathetic life,” I seethed, hot tears streaking down my cheeks. “A reminder that you didn’t succeed, and I’m notbroken.”

SIXTY-ONE

Devon

One month later

There wasa crashing sound down the hallway, and I dropped the box in my hands. Just as I rounded the corner into Blakely’s new office, I heard her mumbled curses.

“Everything okay in here?”

Blakely glanced up quickly from where she was staring down at her hand. “Everything is perfect. Your cat just scared the crap out of me and made me drop the box on my hand.”

“My cat?” I asked with a small grin. “I think she loves you more than she loves me now.”

Both of our animals loved Blakely more, and I couldn’t blame them. She was Blakely after all.

She shrugged and turned back to what she was doing, but I didn’t miss the smug smile playing across her lips. I crossed the room, crowded with boxes and unorganized furniture, and stepped up behind her.

Her dark curly hair was tied in a low bun at the back of her head, and there was a slight sheen of sweat glistening on theback of her neck. I kissed her salty, sweet skin and let my lips linger a moment longer so I could breathe her in.

She hummed, tilting her head to give me better access as she massaged the hand she must have hurt. I wrapped my fingers around the wrist of her injured hand and lifted it to my lips. I kissed the fingers she’d massaged.

“Actually, it was the other two,” she said mischievously, and I kissed each finger again. She turned and wrapped her arms around my neck and flashed me a genuine, beautiful smile.

One I’d seen more and more often in the past month.

She kissed me soundly, and I savored the taste and feel of her lips against mine.

Forever. That’s how long I’d be thankful that I was lucky enough to feel her kiss, hold her in my arms, listen to her sassy retorts, and hear her sweet laughter.

Actually, lucky didn’t cover how I felt.

One month ago to the day, almost to the second, we were standing in Jeffrey’s office. The plan we’d carefully prepared went off without a hitch. Blakely found the photo in my mom’s belongings and immediately met me at a local lumberyard. I’d been buying wood for an upcoming project when Blakely, frantic and angry, pulled into the parking lot. Tear-drenched lashes surrounded fierce eyes brimming with betrayal and indignation.

She’d told me what happened through clenched teeth and in angry hushed whispers. Then she immediately began describing her plan. There wasn’t time for anything else.

We got to work putting it into action. Without security cameras to contend with, we only had to insinuate to Megan that she should fake being sick. And that morning, we’d let Marie in on what we’d learned. She didn’t have to be convinced of anything. She was more than happy to give Blakely an hour with Jeffrey before she called in the cavalry.

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