Page 28 of Final Vendetta

“Phoenix,” we both answered at the same time, then broke out into laughter.

As we ate breakfast and worked on the crossword puzzle, we fell into an easy rhythm, laughing over clues, playfully arguing when we disagreed on an answer. It was so easy, as though no time had passed and nothing had changed.

But thingshadchanged. I couldn’t shake the shadow of Gideon Saint looming in the back of my mind, like an itch I couldn’t reach. I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter.

The man at my side was Samuel.MySamuel. The man I once loved so fiercely. The one who I thought I’d never see again.

I should be grateful I had him back. That he let go of the anger, the darkness, the relentless need for revenge.

But the question remained, even as I did everything to convince myself this was exactly what I wanted.

Could I truly let go of Gideon Saint for good?

And what would it mean for us if I couldn’t?

Chapter Thirteen

Gideon

The last rays of the setting sun painted the sky a stunning mixture of pinks and purples as I stood beside Imogene on the terrace, basking in just how normal our life had become since she was released from the hospital over a month ago.

No more revenge. No more lies. No more secrets. Just us.

It was everything we always dreamed about.

Every morning, I woke up and made her breakfast, which we ate out here as we worked on a crossword puzzle together. Afterwards, we typically went for a walk on the beach. In the afternoons, I usually spent an hour or so in our home gym while she worked with her physical therapist.

Unlike before when I would insist on spending hours sparring with Henry to build up my physical and mental endurance, now my only purpose in working out was to stay in shape.

It still felt strange not to use every free minute of my day planning the downfall of the men who betrayed me. Any time I even considered asking Henry to use his skills and track down Liam, all it took was one look at Imogene to remind me what was important. She was. Nothing else.

I had to believe that karma would eventually catch up to Liam and he would pay for what he’d done.

Maybe he already had, which would explain why his whereabouts were still unknown.

“You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?”

Imogene’s voice cut through the haze of my thoughts, bringing me back to the present.

Blinking, I focused on her face, the furrow in my brow mirroring her playful look of disapproval.

“Sorry. I went somewhere else for a minute.”

“Somewhere…bad?” she asked hesitantly.

I pulled her into my embrace, grateful to be able to hold her like this again without worrying about causing her pain.

“There’s no more bad.” I curved toward her. “Not with you in my life.” She sighed into me as I lowered my mouth toward hers, savoring in the feel of her tongue briefly swiping against mine before I pulled back. “So what were you saying?”

“Just that today is the anniversary of our first kiss,” she answered. “Eight years ago.”

“You remember the date?”

“And the kiss. It was pretty unforgettable. I’d never been kissed like that before in my life.”

“It was pretty memorable for me, too.” I pulled her close as we watched the sunset together. “I almost didn’t kiss you,” I reminisced, recalling the turmoil I’d felt back then.

It was refreshing to finally talk about that time in my life again. To not have to hide it anymore.

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