Page 117 of Sugar Coated Secrets

Another gunshot. Chris’s body slumps, dangling from the rope. I light the path following the red markers nailed to the tree, finding our way back to the road.

I help her up the embankment. When we reach the road, she sobs into my chest. “They all knew. They all lied.”

I wrap her in my arms. “I know, baby. It’s over. It’s all over. You’re safe.”

“You knew I wouldn’t remember what happened when you brought me here.”

I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going to let this go. Danny’s involvement made it a huge complication. I had to pin Chris’s death on him. I couldn’t take Chris out and leave Danny to go free and risk him telling anyone. He had to pay, and killing a cop is hard to cover up.

“I love you, Dulce,” I breathe in her hair as I wait for Trent. “Always remember that.”

A gunshot goes off from Trent pulling the trigger, making it look like Danny shot Chris.

“I love you, too,” she says through tears. “What now?”

Katie pulls up in the rented Camry as Trent dashes out of the woods. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time,” she says.

Trent opens the passenger side, and Dulce and I slide in the back. “Where are we going?” Dulce asks.

Katie glances at her through the rearview mirror as she drives us to the airport. “To Italy.”

She looks up at me. “Italy?”

I smile. “Remember that villa we talked about?”

“You have one of those?” she asks, dumbfounded.

“I do,” I tell her.

“Lucky,” Katie says, then glances at Trent, “You don’t have a villa.”

“I don’t live in Italy,” he says like she’s an idiot.

“Oh…that’s right. You live in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere.” She smiles sarcastically. “How romantic.”

“I like it hard and fast. Like my car.”

“You finish fast, like your car,” she fires back.

He leans back in his seat. “I’ve had no complaints.” He shifts in his seat. “You didn’t.”

She scoffs. “Not to your face. You didn’t stick around long enough.”

“I lose interest fast.”

I sigh. “Will you guys just fuck already,” I cut in.

“Hell no,” they both say in unison.

I can tell this is going to be a long ride.

“Are you okay?” I say softly near Dulce’s ear as she looks out the window, oblivious to Trent and Katie bickering like teenagers.

“Yeah,” she says, squeezing my hand.

She hasn’t let my hand go since we got in the car. The Tiffany engagement ring on her finger digs into my hand. A stark reminder that she said yes, and that, finally, she’s mine.

EPILOGUE

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