Page 92 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

“Oh?” I ask, curiosity piqued. “You got me a present?”

“I did,” he says. “Well, actually in all fairness, Aidan retrieved it after I asked him to, but the work is all mine,” he admits with a rueful smile.

I cast a glance at the silent bear-man and narrow my eyes at the large shoe box on the coffee table.

“Okay, I’m intrigued,” I murmur and pull away from Declan to cross over to the box. With an excited thump of my heart, I lift the lid slowly and then frown down into the box of dust.

“What the fuck is this?” I bite out, closing the lid again.

“That, Princess, is what is left of Detective Inspector Smith,” he replies.

You could hear a pin drop.

I blink once, taking that in. “Uhm,” I mutter after a silent minute.

I stare back at the box. I stick my finger under the lip of the lid and push it up a fraction.

“Really?” I whisper.

“Really,” he says. “You can either keep it or I will scatter him somewhere far from here.”

I don’t say a word. I just stare at the contents that I can see through the small gap between the lid and the box.

Declan leans forward to scoop it up, but I react quicker and dropping the lid, I snatch it up. “Mine,” I growl at him, practically baring my teeth.

He holds his hands up slowly. “Yours,” he says and backs away.

Clutching it tightly, I carry it over to the mantlepiece and place it oh-so carefully onto the marble. I arrange it, almost fussily until it is exactly how I want it.

“No one touches this,” I state and turn around to stalk out of the room and back to my bedroom, where I close the door and let the tears of relief spill down my cheeks.

He is gone. He is really, really gone and he can’t hurt me anymore.

I wonder if Boomer is in a box somewhere waiting to be given to me for a Christmas present. Declan had better hope so, because I will make a cupboard with a glass door especially for him outside above the wheelie bin, so I can think of him every time I take out the trash.

After I brush the tears aside, another piece of my soul is restored and I yank the door open, rushing down the hallway, back into the sitting room, where I launch myself at Declan, practically knocking him off his feet. I wrap my arms around him tightly, nestling my face into the crook of his neck. He returns my embrace tenderly.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “You know how to heal me. I love you. I love you.”

“I love you, Princess. You mean more to me than anything else in this life. I will always be here for you if you fall.”

I let out an ugly sounding sob at his words, but I don’t care. I was so sure the last time I was in this house that everything would be destroyed. That I would destroy this relationship from the inside out. But these men haven’t left me. They have been here by my side, and I am so grateful.

When the rest of the men come to us, and engulf me in a group hug, I know that the only thing that can tear us apart now is death.

“Get in here, you big, giant bear-man,” David says to Aidan, wiping away a sneaky tear.

“Humph,” he mutters, looking away and making us laugh, but Ramsey grabs him and drags him into our huddle.

I smile sadly, knowing there is a good chance that my death is going to happen when I go after Connor. What I’m planning is risky, I’m banking everything on a gamble, and only time will tell if I destroy us once and for all.

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