Page 89 of Too Lethal to Love

“You’re welcome.”

Sincerity shone in her mischievous eyes as she linked one arm through Nic’s and the other through Linc’s. “Come on, boys. Take me to your leader so I can ask for asylum from my fucked-upfamilia.”

Chris laughed. “And Scarlett thinks dealing with Henry Richardson as a stepfather is tough.”

Valentina cursed. “That man is almost as evil as my mother.”

“No wonder you want to defect.” Chris patted Kane’s shoulder. “I’ll send in an EMT for you two.” As he rose from the floor, he pulled something out of his pocket and dropped it in Beth’s lap. “Based on the puddle of puke over there, which I’m guessing came from you, you’re going to need that.”

Beth looked down at the pack of spearmint gum as she brought her hand to her mouth. “Does my breath smell that bad?”

“Yeah, it does.” Kane leaned his head toward hers. “But I’m going to kiss you anyway.”

She put her hands between their faces. “Not yet.” She tore into the pack, stuffed a stick in her mouth, and chewed. A moment later, Kane claimed her lips. The mint, the tenderway she held his face in her hands, careful not to touch any of his wounds but a whisper away if he needed her to soothe them, erased the aftertaste of his fears.

Beth pulled back. He tugged her back down to him, but she resisted. “Give me a second to stare into those eyes I plan to get lost in forever now that you’ve helped me find myself.” A smile reached her watery gaze. “I’m not a black widow. My curse is dead.”

“Thank fuck.” He swiped his finger over a patch of dried blood on her chin. “How did you kill it?”

“With the invincible love of a marvelously incredible superhero.”

He laughed. The rich sound rumbled through his body like a healing massage. “Well, sugarplum. I am all those things, but I’m not as invincible as I’d like to be.” He linked his fingers through hers. “Neither are you, but we’ll be okay. Together.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “I heard there’s a midnight mass tonight, and I may have promised a kid named Madalynn she could be our flower girl. Want to have a Christmas wedding?”

She shook her head. “Seems like I’m going to have to be the sensible one in the relationship. You’re going to the hospital, and we are not getting married tonight.”

A newfound fear flamed the burning in his head. “Why the hell not? Gran says you’re the woman for me. She has a weird sixth sense about stuff like this, and she’s never wrong.”

Beth kissed him until his lips perked into a smile again. “I’ve been afraid to fall in love for two years because of my so-called curse. Now that I’ve killed and buried it, I don’t want to miss a thing about being in a relationship. I want the whole shebang. Besides, Scarlett and Chris need to get married. I can’t be the best maid of honor ever if I’m planning our wedding. In the meantime, you can ask me ondates, woo me with flowers, take me dancing, teach me to ride Holly Jolly, let me drive Gran’s Buick…”

He touched his fingers to her lips. “Don’t forget tell you each and every day how madly I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“Good, because I’m madly, deeply in love with you too.”

“No regrets, Beth. That’s how we live.”

She raised their linked hands and kissed their entwined fingers. “That’s how we live. Forever.”

One Year Later

Beth shivered as she gazed at the Washington Monument from the steps of the church. The bright Christmas Eve moon shone above the tip of the tower.

She didn’t wish for snow this year. She didn’t wish for anything at the moment.

Kane and the VIPER boys were home unscathed from their latest mission. Triple X had already saved thousands of lives. Evangeline was in a court-mandated mental health facility. Henry Richardson awaited trial, and Valentina Chavez was working with the feds in exchange for asylum from the Diablos.

And this morning, she and Kane had returned from his family’s farm in West Virginia, where she’d gotten an early Christmas present. They hadn’t planned to visit again until after the new year, but Holly Jolly had gone into labor early,so they’d rushed out west. They got there in time to witness her gift, a beautiful foal she named Noel, come into the world.

Now, she couldn’t wait to wake up with Kane on Christmas morning. She may have gone over the top with a big tree in every room, but Kane took her demand that he woo her quite seriously and indulged her every desire. Now she couldn’t wait for him to get here with her parents and Gran. The three of them had gone on a cruise together. Kane left a couple of hours ago to pick them up at the airport.

Scarlett slid next to her and pointed to the monument. “That sight never gets old.”

“Still my favorite.” But Beth’s gaze wasn’t on the landmark.

Linc sidled to her other side and pointed to the curb. “About fucking time your man got here. Let’s get this church stuff over so I can have some moonshine.”

“Merry Christmas to you too.” She rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek as she watched Kane exit the baby-blue Buick. As he opened the doors for her mom and dad and then helped Gran out of the car, her heart glowed as bright as the moon.

Nic elbowed Linc out of the way and wagged his finger at Beth. “Listen here. No sneaking away with cartel members into tunnels. I don’t want to be late for my date with the Santa’s helper I met at the mall yesterday with Gage and his daughter.”

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