Page 96 of Ruthless Rebel

“You know, he’d be bragging if he were here,” I reply with a smile, reaching up and stroking his hand. “Teasing you about the fact you finally gave in to me,” I laugh, but Asher only closes his eyes, tears clinging to his lashes, as I press my body into his in comfort.

“We lost so much time because I thought I didn’t deserve him,” he laughs, no humor evident in his tone. “How fucking dumb is that?” He breathes, opening his eyes, and meeting my own sad stare.

“We can’t change the past, you know that as well as I do,” I tell him with a soft smile, reaching up and swiping away one of his tears. “All we can do is make every moment count, and I promise Iwon’t take one second of you for granted.” I press my forehead to his, holding him against me, and praying my words ring true.

“You promise?” He asks, and I nod.

“I promise,” I tell him, pressing my lips to his and sealing my words with a kiss.

When I pull back, he laughs, “I can’t believe I am actually going to say this again, but I really fucking love you, Blackwell.”

“I love you too, Dark Prince.”

EPILOGUE

LINCOLN

ONE YEAR LATER

We stare down at the beautiful black marble headstone with our fingers locked together. Today marks a year since Logan passed away, and not a day has gone by that we don’t feel his absence like a fucking void between us all. No one in our family has been the same since he died, his absent light a constant reminder of what we lost, yet still we push forward as best we can.

Arthur and Helen are building a wing in his honor at the hospital where he dreamed to work, and Zack donated millions to charities for children who lost their parents. None of it made them feel any better, but I know they are just trying to adjust to living this life without him. Lily hasn’t been the same since his death, cutting contact with most of us and retreating into herself. Her parents, Zack, and Max, try their best to keep her afloat, but it seems she is happy to remain drowning for now, unwilling to let them save her.

Elle and Ash set up another foundation, this one in his name, funded by them and the Kings, and she and Marcus just celebrated their one year anniversary. Cassie still talks about him allthe time, and she and Ash often come here together to leave him flowers when she is feeling low. It’s hard and awful, but keeping his memory alive is all we have now, and we let her feel her grief alongside us, so she knows it’s okay to feel sad sometimes.

“I can’t believe it’s been a year,” Ash mutters, his eyes somber and glossy, as he stares down at the curved stone. He unconsciously flexes his shoulder, no doubt remembering how they both suffered, and even after all this time, it still makes a rage burn inside of me.

“I wish I could say it gets better with time,” I scoff with a laugh, trying to hide my own emotion, and his hand squeezes mine.

“I miss him,” he breathes softly. “I miss him so fucking much it hurts.” His words wreak havoc with my insides, because it doesn’t matter that we have each other, we still wish we had him too.

“I know, baby, me too.” I brush my thumb across the back of his hand, as a breeze sweeps through us, and light starts to peek from behind the clouds.

Grief is like the sun. Sometimes, it lights up your day like a burning hot ray, and other times, it leaves you dark, cold, and alone. Yet it’s always there. Today, I let the light dance over me, embracing it like a warm hug, and remembering the boy with a sunshine smile, who made my world a little brighter. He might not be here anymore, but I still feel his light every single day.

“We should go, we don’t want to be late,” Ash finally sighs, stepping forward and dropping the fresh rose atop the stone, brushing his fingers across Logan’s engraved name, like he is imprinting it on his soul.

I follow suit, leaving Logan my own flower, and tapping the top of his grave with my fingers, as I whisper, “Thank you.”

It’s the same two words I say every time I come here, because without him, I wouldn’t know what being loved felt like, what being in love felt like, and he gave me both, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Asher drives us to the house, and I’m not surprised to find the driveway busy with familiar cars as we pull up. Elle decided that today, and every year going forward on this date, that we wouldn’t wallow or drown in our grief, but celebrate the life and love Logan had. I think she just needed something to keep herself busy and distracted, but we all agreed it was a great idea.

When we reach the oversized dining room, I find we are pretty much the last to arrive, everyone already seated and chatting away, but when Elle spots us, she jumps from her seat and rounds the table.

“You’re late,” she scolds, flicking her loving, angry stare between us both, and Ash looks over his shoulder at me, rolling his eyes.

“It’s five minutes, Hells Bells,” he playfully scolds, tugging her in for a hug, before pulling back and rubbing his hand gently across her swollen stomach. “I hope this one isn’t going to be as bossy as her mom and big sister, because if so we are all screwed,” he laughs, making the fiery mom-to-be smirk widely.

“She’s going to be a bossy little badass, whom I will teach to stab cocky assholes like you,” she snaps back, cradling her very pregnant stomach.

She is still a month out from her due date, but we are still all excited to meet the newest little King princess, who has already been spoiled rotten by all of her overprotective uncles.

And speaking of King princesses…

Cassie comes running into the room heading straight for us, and doesn’t stop until she is right in front of her dad, stomping her little foot. “Daddy, Cash keeps stealing my stuffies and cutting off their heads,” she whines, holding up a decapitated teddy bear, and the little boy in question follows her into the room, his eyes sparkling in delight.

After Logan died, Jace took his recovery more seriously than ever, throwing himself into the gym he and Marcus own, and helping as many kids as he can, which is how he came across Cash. The five year old was being raised by his brother, but when he was killed in a hit and run, he was going to be placed in the system. Jace came straight to us for help, and with a few meetings, lots of letters of recommendations, and a couple of under the table money exchanges, Jace was granted his fostering license.

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