Page 136 of Hold Me Before You Go

The Mafia leader moved then, coming around the bed, not stopping until he was directly in front of me. “You’re missed, you know. In St. Louis.”

I said nothing, only staring up at him.

“Jeremy told me what happened between you two.”

I looked away. “It wasn’t like that. I just—I just—”

“—needed to get out of your own version of hell,” he finished for me. “I get it.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, nodding. “Yeah.”

“Promise me one thing, okay? That’s all you have to do,” he said, lowering his voice.

“What?”

He leaned in close to the side of my head. “Be happy.” Then, his back was to me, and he was moving to the door, not stopping as he said, “See you on Sunday,” to James.

Silence stretched across the hospital room, and James ran a hand through his hair. “Jesus, I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“James,” I called, staring at the floor where Collin was just standing.

“Yes?”

I brought my head up, blindly reaching for Grayson’s hand. “Did she tell you? Donna?”

The agent studied me for a moment. “Tell me what, Carrie?”

Grayson whispered my name, but I couldn’t look at him. If I did, then the truth would never be out, and the families of Robert’s victims would never get closure. “If I tell you, you have to promise me Grayson and everyone at Red Snake will remain free. That you’ll never come after them,” I stressed in an unsteady voice as nausea swirled in my belly.

“Carrie, the deal is done. I can have a contract pulled up if you like, but the deal is between the Bureau and Mr. Stevens. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, I can’t go after Grayson, Red Snake, or you.”

“Tell him, baby,” Grayson murmured, his thumb stroking the top of my hand now. My eyes met his dark ones, seeing nothing but love. He tipped his head in James’ direction. “I’m right here beside you. Go ahead.”

When I looked back at James, his arms were over his chest, concern splashed across his face. “What is it?”

I lifted my chin, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ghost Robert. I didn’t pay attention to him. As the truth left my lips, the ghost of my dead husband faded away.

“Robert was the St. Louis River Killer.”

Epilogue

Grayson

Five months later. Astoria, OR.

“Grayson,” she gasped, her skin slapping against mine.

I grunted, my fingers digging into the extra flesh at her hips. “Yeah. Fuck yeah, Sunshine,” I groaned, pounding into her from behind. She was bent over the counter, her ripped panties in the pocket of my jeans, that cute pink and yellow sundress she’d been teasing me with all morning scrunched at her waist, her breasts swaying with every powerful thrust of my hips.

Her hands shot out, trying to find something to hold onto as her cunt began to spasm around my cock. “Please,” she begged. “Please, please, please.”

“No,” I growled, shoving a hand into her hair, yanking her up, forcing her back to arch. “This is what you get for teasing me. Good girls get to come. You weren’t a good girl when you teased me all fucking morning with this dress.” She whimpered, bracing her hands on the counter, my hips snapping faster and faster. “I had fucking work to do, dammit.”

“Grayson,” she panted as I leaned over to see her eyes rolling back.

“Fuck, but you’re going to make a mess all over my dick either way, aren’t you, baby?” I taunted, kissing her temple. “Needy fucking girl, always hungry for my cock.”

She moaned as her body tightened against me, her walls fluttering. Yeah, she was fucking ready. Without another word, I reached around, slipping my hand between her thighs and finding her clit. She exploded around me, her body bucking, her knees giving out.

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