Page 106 of Carnival Mayhem

I turn my head, catching Colt’s eye. He smiles, dimples flashing. That smile always undoes me, revealing the man’s heart beneath the tough exterior.

“I love you both,” I whisper. I’m not usually one for sappy declarations, but what we did has obliterated my walls.

Colt pulls me in for another kiss, our lips and tongues tangling. Flora kisses my neck, and we slowly explore each other as if we’ve been doing this for years.

We’re all connected, bound together by more than just sex or shared secrets. It’s something deeper, an unbreakable link that defies explanation.

We continue, taking turns savoring each other, losing ourselves in the heady pleasure of skin-on-skin contact.

The forest floor is hard beneath me, but at this moment, I couldn’t care less. I’ve never felt so at home.

We remain like that for some time, basking in each other.

As the cool night air caresses our sweat-dampened skin, I realize we’ll have to move, even though I’m content to stay here forever, wrapped in them.

“I don’t want to let you go,” I murmur. “Ever.”

Colt’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “We’re not going anywhere.”

“We stick together,” Flora says, her voice steady. “Forever.”

I feel her lips press a kiss against my shoulder, and I tighten my arms around her. “Always,” I agree. It’s a promise, a vow among the three of us.

45

EPILOGUE

COLT

Eight months later…

Istand with Nash and Flora, our birthday girl, in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. It’s the anniversary of the day we met. The first time, we all felt whole.

The muffled screams of Marcus, a dealer who tried to steal from Ty, echo through the empty space. His face is barely recognizable after what we’ve done.

“You should’ve known better than to cross us,” I tell him, admiring Flora’s handiwork with the blowtorch. She’s learned well over the past month, her movements precise and calculated.

Nash circles behind Marcus, his fingers trailing along the chair. “I think he needs another reminder about loyalty.”

Flora’s eyes meet mine, that familiar darkness swirling in their depths. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and I know she’s feeling the same rush I am. This brings us together—not just love but our shared appreciation for justice.

Nash grabs Marcus’s hair, yanking his head back. “Tell us where the money is.” When Marcus stays silent, Nash nods to Flora.

She steps forward, her movements graceful even in this grim setting. The sound of another scream fills the space as she works. The way she handles the tools with such precision makes my heart race.

“I have to admit,” Nash says, his voice low and heated, “watching you both work is incredible.”

Flora smiles, that dangerous glint in her eye that I’ve come to love. “He’s almost ready to talk. I can feel it.”

I move behind her, touching her hip as she continues. Nash watches us intently, his breath quickening. The tension in the room shifts, becoming charged with something else entirely.

I watch as Marcus’s resolve finally crumbles under Flora’s expert touch. His body convulses with sobs, the chair creaking beneath him.

“Please... please stop,” he chokes out. “The money’s in a storage unit at Victory Storage. Unit 247. The key is taped under the dumpster behind Joe’s Bar.”

I catch Nash’s eye and give him a subtle nod. He pulls out his phone, stepping away to contact Remy. We’ll need verification before deciding what happens next.

Flora maintains pressure on Marcus’s wounds, keeping him on edge. Her fingers dance across the tools before her, a silent threat of what’s to come if his information proves false.

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