Page 71 of Heart of a Devil

“It is complicated, yes, but this feels pretty damn simple, Seb—he needs us. We’ll never replace Caroline, but families come in all shapes and sizes.”

“That they do, my love, that they do. But do you think it’ll be possible? With all the bureaucracy and stuff?”

He looks worried, and I love him even more for it. Now that the seed has taken root, I can’t imagine either of us letting anything get in our way. After all, we are a pretty formidable team.

“I hope so.” I pause, thinking it through from a family law perspective. “There will be hoops to jump through, sure. But at least one of us is an upstanding member of society,” I joke.

“True. But the other one is a lawyer,” he shoots back.

I slap him playfully on the shoulder, and he grins at me. I’m so excited now, and newfound energy courses through my veins. We can do this thing. We really can.

“Have I ever told you,” he says, smoothing my hair back and kissing me, “that I love you?”

“Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it. I love you too, Sebastian, and I cannot wait to be your wife.”

He pulls me onto his lap and wraps his big arms around me. I nestle into his chest, my face flat against its muscled surface. I’m so happy here, I might never move again.

I am home. I am loved.

Finally, I am safe.

Epilogue I

LAUREN

ONE YEAR LATER

It’s been a hell of a day, and as I gaze out at the scene before me, I feel beyond blessed. I am now officially Mrs. Donovan, although I won’t be taking the name legally. I already have too many of those.

The ceremony took place in a nearby church, a tiny place in the countryside right outside London that looks as old as time. My parents and the LA contingent were blown away by its pretty tower, ancient stained-glass windows, and the cute gardens that surround it. The weather, which is never a guarantee here, was perfect, the sun shining the whole afternoon.

Seb and I both cried exchanging our vows, and I loved seeing this big man break down with emotion and not try to hide it as he stood before his closest family and friends.

Now, we’re back at Samantha and Gabriel’s place for a celebration. It reminds me of the first time I was here, when they first moved in. Things are very different now.

The adoption went through, and we found Nicky a terrific therapist who is helping him process his trauma. He says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up so he can help otherpeople, and that makes Seb extraordinarily proud—one kid a lawyer, another a doctor? Proof that he didn’t do so badly. Taylor is and probably always will be exactly like his father, but that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Like his dad, he has the potential for great violence—but also like his dad, he has a strong moral compass that keeps him walking in the light.

Things have changed for Samantha too—she’s pregnant again, which means Seb will become both a dad and a granddad in the same year. Now that I come to think of it, I’m kind of a grandma now as well. Jesus.

But I don’t feel like a grandma today. I feel like a bride. I feel like I’ve started a new and wonderful chapter of my life, and I’m so glad my family was here to see it happen. I’ve finally met Alana, Alejandro’s wife, and everyone approves of Sebastian.

I’ve decided that my cousin was right, and at some point soon, I will tell my parents about Carlos and what he did to me. Now that I’m a mom myself, I understand how painful it will be for them to know that I kept such a toxic secret from them for so long, but that’s why it’s so important for me to tell them.

Today, though, is all about fun and laughter and sharing time with our people—because families do indeed come in all shapes and sizes. Alejandro is dancing with Alana, lifting her off her feet and waltzing her around to the band’s rendition of “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. It’s a change of pace from earlier, when Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” resulted in all the Archangel staff, including my new husband, twerking in a long line, shaking their fine asses in time to the music.

Nicky is sitting with my mom and dad, enthralled by some tall tale my pop is telling him. At his feet is Winston, the bulldog mix that goes everywhere with him. I was reluctant at first, residual trauma and fear holding me back, but Nicky was desperate for a dog, and I allowed myself to be talked into a visit to the pound. Winston is old, ugly, and deaf in one ear, but itwas love at first sight for those two, and he’s been part of our family ever since. I adopted a kid and a dog in the space of a few months, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Seb sneaks up behind me and whispers in my ear, “Time to go yet?” The warm kiss of his breath against my skin makes me shudder in the nicest possible way.

“What do you mean, husband? I’ve got hours of partying left to do.”

He whisks me up into his arms and spins me around, making me dizzy. When he finally puts me down, I cling to him for balance, which I suspect was his aim all along.

“Nah, I think you’re as ready to make an exit as I am. Nicky and Winston are safe here. Everyone is having a great time. All is well in the world, and there’s a cottage down the road with a kitchen table that’s really missed us. Unless you want to revisit your idea from that first night and fuck in a field?”

I pretend to be horrified, even though we have fucked in a few fields since then. “What, in this gown? In these shoes? With this hair?”

He growls and slaps a big hand on my ass. “I’ve been a gentleman all day, baby, but now the real me is desperate to come out and play. The shoes you can keep. I can imagine those wrapped around my back as I nail you. The hair… Well, you look beautiful, but that’s coming down. I want my wild curls back. And that dress, Lauren? That fucking dress? All I can say is, I hope you didn’t spend too much money on it, because I’m going to shred that thing off your body with my teeth. Or maybe my knife… I haven’t decided yet.”

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