Page 59 of Revenge

I attempt to lift my hand to comfort her, but it doesn’t move. It’s like I’m having an out of body experience and watching what’s happening to me with no sense of control.

“She’s dying! You have to help her, please.” Her head lifts as she pleads with Asher, who’s kneeling on the other side of me with his hands in my wound to stop the bleeding.

Axel kneels behind her and peels her off me. “It’ll be okay, Wildcat.”

“No!” Her red hair is plastered to the side of her face as she jerks out of his grip, up to her feet, and shoves a finger in his face. “You stay the hell away from me. This shit is all y’all’s fault. She’d be fine if it weren’t for you. Any of you! I hate you. You hear me? I hate all of you.” She breaks down into hysterics as she watches Asher struggle to save me.

Axel clenches his jaw as his blue eyes harden at her words, but he never takes his eyes off her.

“Kels—” I want to assure her I’ll be okay, but my tongue struggles to move. It’s becoming weightless and sticking to my mouth.

“Don’t try to speak, Charlee. Let’s focus on you.” Zane’s blue eyes meet mine as he kneels on my other side and helps Asher apply pressure to my stomach. I’m not sure where he came from, but I’m grateful he’s here, nonetheless.

Numbness begins to fill my limbs as my muscles struggle to function. Things fade in and out of focus the heavier my eyes grow.

“No. Stay with me,Princess.” Asher squeezes my hand, bringing me back to the present. Seeing him like this is breaking my heart. Despite what’s happened, he’s a good man, and I don’t know when it happened, but my feelings for him have changed—morphed from hate and anger into something much more. Love.

“I love you.” The words come out on a soft wheeze as I struggle to breathe, but I need to get them out because they very well could be my last.

“I love you too, Princess.” He bends down and places a soft kiss on my lips. A tear slides down my cheek at hearing those words. He’s been my enemy, my nightmare, and now my salvation. I stare into his blue eyes until everything fades into an ocean of nothingness. It swallows me up and carries me away like an undertow, out to a sea of the unknown, and I simply float along in peace.

Epilogue

Asher

Two years later…

Weeds cover the marble square. They’re overgrown and cover part of her name, but somehow I’m still able to find it. Rain beats down against my back, as I kneel down and pull them out with my free hand, while I tighten my grip on the flowers and teddy bear with the other. Clumps of mud drop over the top of it as I do. I brush them away and stare down at the letters that have haunted me for so long—her name. The tip of my finger traces over the cold wet stone in slow circles.

“You deserved better. So much better than—” I swallow the lump in my throat and suck in a deep breath before continuing. “I just want you to know that I’m sorry. I am so fucking sorry.” Tears brim up in my eyes, but I shove them back as my throat burns from the pain. It feels like I’m talking through shards of glass, but with each forced word, it gets easier to speak. Easier to grieve. “The scars are mine to bear and I won’t ever forget you—either one of you.” I pull out the Saint Christopher medallion from my back pocket and set it on top of the black marble. It still has bits of Luis’ dried blood on it, but that’s poetic justice to me. My head hangs, as images of our time together fill my head. Every moment I had with her was one I’ll never forget, right up until the night I lost her.

A baby cries, bringing me back to the present, and my heart soars at the sound. I set the bouquet of lilies and the blue teddy bear down on the headstone before getting to my feet.

“I’ll take her.” My hands cradle her tiny body against my chest, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. The familiar scent of her lavender shampoo gives me some comfort. She has my brown hair and her mother’s green eyes. “It’s all right. I’ve got you, Lily pad.” I could hold her all day. She’s the brightness in the dark that’s healing the cracks inside of me.

Like the clouds can read my thoughts, the rain stops, letting the sun shine through. I glance up and let the warmth flood my body. It’s almost like she’s here with me, encouraging me to be happy.

“What about Mommy?” Charlee smiles up at me as she puts her arms around my waist. We were lucky that night at Viper’s Den. The gunshot missed all of her major organs and her recovery was quick. Thank fuck, because we conceived Lily about a year after that.

It’s been a couple of months since she gave birth to our daughter and she looks as gorgeous as the first day I saw her. The weight she gained isn’t completely gone, but I’m enjoying this curvier side. There’s more to grab onto and her ass fits my hands perfectly. I can’t wait to knock her up again, but I should probably ask her to marry me first.

“I’ve always got you, Princess.” My free hand wraps around Charlee’s neck, pulling her in deeper against my side. I press my lips down on hers and absorb all of the calm she brings me. She smells like rain and home, a scent I will spend the rest of my life craving. A scent that fills the blackened cracks of my soul with light.

“She may want you now, but I’m her favorite uncle,” Axel interrupts like the cockblocker he is.

“What? No way.” Zane’s head whips around. “I’m her favorite. I read to her.”

Axel grins and slugs him in the shoulder. “Yeah, but I’ll teach her how to shoot.”

Lily isn’t even one yet and she has us all wrapped around her tiny finger.

Charlee places a hand on my chest and watches them, wearing a devilish grin. “Wait until she starts dating.”

Both of my brothers pale and their blue eyes grow wide as they share a look. “That’s never happening,” they say in unison. And I agree. It’s not. No fucking way. No one is good enough for my little treasure.

Charlee laughs and wiggles out of my arms. She steps up to my brothers and playfully taps their cheeks. “I can’t wait to watch you tell her that.”

She heads off in the direction of the truck with Zane in tow. Ever since that night at the club, my brothers have been more protective of our girls and it’s something that helps me sleep much easier at night.

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