Page 109 of Back In the Shadows

We stood still as we watched him climb in the car, then drive off.

“Death?”

I stared at the paper in my hands. “That was unexpected.”

“It was … but.” She peered up at me, her idea evident in her eyes.

“Is that what you want?” I dragged my knuckles down her cheek.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Do you?”

“Definitely.” I gave her a wicked little grin and then we hurried to the car.

We’d takenan unplanned trip back to Minnesota and to the replica of my childhood home. My little lamb and I gathered what we needed, then went to work. At first, she was stressed, but the longer we worked, she began to smile. We kept the conversation light and began to plan our future for us and our children.

Hours later, we stood outside of the house, staring at it.

“I hope this gives you some closure, Death. All the pain, all the horrible memories for both you and Sebastian. Maybe this will set you free.”

“It’s not only my hell anymore, but also yours too, little lamb. Maybe we will both find peace.”

I grasped her hand tightly, our fingers intertwined as the final remnants of gold, blue, and pink painted the sky with the sinking sun.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m ready.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a brand-new burner phone. There was one last thing I had to do before we left. Once it was done, I replaced the cell and took a deep breath.

“See you in hell, motherfuckers.” I sneered.

Ella and I dropped hands, and together, we circled the house like vengeful demons, unleashing streams of fire that devoured everything in their path. As the flames raged higher, I signaled for Ella to move away from the inferno and tossed the last gas can into the blaze.

Sirens cut through the night as they grew closer, signaling it was our time to leave. They had been my one call before we torched the place.

In that moment, nothing else mattered except watching our past crumble to ashes in front of our very eyes. As long as Ella and I were together, we could face anything—even if it meant that we were monsters ourselves.

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