Page 170 of Happily Never After

“Let’s hope. Do you think they’ll let us go soon? I’m starving.” A full moon shone brightly above them. Maybe that had something to do with the timing of the dick-worshipping festival.

“Probably. They can only interrogate us so much.”

Claire and Luke had both been questioned, separately and together, no fewer than three times. They had been here for hours. She was tired of explaining how she recognized Big Z and knew where her sister would be. Luckily, Jack’s presence had helped smooth some things over.

She pulled back a couple of inches and looked at Luke. Police lights flashed over his profile. Aside from his bloody knuckles and some slight rumpling, he still looked like he should be walking a red carpet somewhere. Meanwhile, from the state ofher clothes and hair, anyone could assume that Claire had been sucked into a jet engine.

He turned to look at her. He smiled, and her heart thumped unsteadily in her chest.

Something had been bothering her for weeks. “Do you ever regret moving to West Haven? Meeting me? All of it,” she asked before she could consciously decide not to.

If he had never left Los Angeles, he could be married to Olivia. He never would have been drawn into the mystery of ESA. They may have never crossed paths except for Kyle and Nicole’s wedding.

Luke stared straight ahead. “Never.”

“Even though I dragged you into a web of serial killers who keep blowing up our stuff and made you throw a Molotov cocktail at a bunch of naked penis-worshipping misogynists? And got abducted? Twice? And flashed my boobs at your mom? And adopted a special needs dog without asking you first?”

“I wouldn’t change anything.” He tilted her chin and kissed her tenderly. Warmth flooded her.

“Me neither. Well, mostly.” She took his hand and looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry. For everything—ignoring my obvious trauma, the sleepwalking, not listening to you when you just wanted me to be safe, working too much, not making enough time for us. I have really sucked this year.”

His grip tightened on her. “You also saved my life. That makes up for a couple of missed dates.”

Claire shook her head. “Still. Now that this is behind us, I’m going to focus more of my energy on being a better partner. Starting with throwing you the best premiere ever.”

Luke sighed. “Can’t we just do a private one at home? You, me, and some sushi? I’ll wear the gray sweatpants.”

She smiled. “As tempting as that is, no. You were nominated for a whole-ass Emmy, and we never even really celebrated that.Besides, the venue’s already confirmed. I want you to feel even just a quarter as loved as you make me feel. Let me show you how much you mean to me.”

“Fine.” His voice was curt, but his mouth curved into a smile.

A disturbance at the gate had Claire lifting her head. Someone appeared to be arguing with one of the cops. If it was another member of ESA, she was out of Tasers.

“I’m Mr. Islestorm’s attorney,” someone announced loudly. “I have a right to consult with my client.”

“Kyle?” Claire and Luke both stood. He took her hand, and they trudged over to the gate together. Nicole, Kyle, Mindy, and Sawyer stood at the gate with rolling suitcases behind them.

“What are you guys doing here?” Claire asked.

“Oh my god. I leave you alone for one weekend and you break into Big Z’s house?” Nicole juked around one of the cops and threw her arms around Claire’s neck.

“Where is he?” Mindy stood behind Nicole, nostrils flaring. Sawyer stood next to her, looking exhausted.

“Big Z? Or the professor? They were all taken to the station.”

Mindy’s hands balled into fists. “I’m going straight home to burn every album of his I own. Nobody kidnaps my best friend’s baby sister and gets away with it.”

“Easy, killer.” Sawyer put a hand on her shoulder.

“We got on a plane as soon as we heard about Bri.” Kyle thumped Luke’s back in a bro hug. His horn-rimmed glasses flashed under the streetlights. “We didn’t expect you to single-handedly solve the problem before we even touched down.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Claire pulled all four of them into a hug. “Come on, you,” she called over her shoulder to Luke. He reluctantly joined the group hug.

She could have stayed in that moment forever. Finally, on Big Z’s scorched front yard surrounded by her friends, both of her sisters safe, the heads of a homicidal anti-feminist cult arrested,and her family begrudgingly reunited, she was at peace. The nightmare of the past year was coming to a close. She could finally get back to her world of happily ever afters. She might even be able to build a new office space without someone blowing it up. The dogs could frolic in the front yard without—oh, shit. The dogs. Thank god for twenty-four-hour doggy daycare.

“Well, I sold the story to TMZ,” Charlie’s voice announced. “As much as the FBI would allow. In about three hours when people start waking up, Big Z’s reputation will never recover. And if he tries to pull any shit from jail, I’ll release everything I have on him to the highest bidder. What do you say we take the proceeds and go get a kickass brunch somewhere? Oh, hey guys. When did you get here?”

Someone reached out and pulled Charlie into the group hug.

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