Page 92 of Mine to Keep

“Well, fuck.” I collapsed to the side.

“Untie me, Angel, untie me.” Matt was frantic.

“I need to help him, Matt.”

“Untie me!”

I wanted to tell them to stop all their yelling, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. My hands wrapped around the hilt of the knife.

“Do not pull that out!” Angel’s voice was full of authority.

I wanted to tell him not to be bossy, but then Matt’s beautiful face was in front of me.

“Hey, Mattie,” I whispered.

“You can call me that anytime you want if you live.”

I felt hands on me—probably Angel. Matt was smiling, though, and that was all that mattered.

“I told you I’d keep you safe.”

There were tears in Matt’s eyes, and I hated it. “You did, baby, you did.”

I hummed; my eyes were so heavy. “I’m tired.”

“Stay awake, Nick, please.” Matt grabbed my face. “Don’t leave me.”

“No leave…just a nap…I’ll be right back.”

My name was being called, but it got farther and farther away. It was fine, I just needed to sleep for a minute.

EPILOGUE

Three months later

Matt

“I’m fine!”Nick rolled his eyes.

“You’re almost fine, but not quite.”

He groaned when I lifted his leg and bent it. “This is unnecessary, Matt. I’m good; I don’t need PT.”

“But you do. And Camie is all too happy to take more money from the Saint brothers.” I smiled.

Camie had recovered easily enough. I’d love to say getting hit in the head had knocked some sense into her, but she was still a raging bitch.

“It would be a lot more fun to do this naked.” Nick winked at me.

“Well, if you play your cards right, I might do something else to you later, very naked.”

“I will be a perfect patient.”

I laughed, so grateful Nick was healing. He’d scared the shit out of me. He’d flatlined twice on the way to the hospital, and he’d had to have three surgeries. He’d only just been cleared for PT a week ago, and there was no way I wasn’t going to be his therapist.

The last three months had been chaotic. The police had investigated Nicole’s suicide and James’s death. Once they found out just how sick James was and how much of a victim Nicole was, they didn’t really try to push charges on Nick or Angel.

Nicole’s family was notified. Her real name was Sherry Gibbons, and they’d been looking for her all these years. The way they got her back broke my heart.

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