Page 11 of Always Hers

Aurora hugs me tightly, and she leans up to kiss me hard. “That’s it?” she whispers.

“That’s it, love.”

Hasaan’s helicopter is long gone. But I saw enough of it to know the serial number and logo on the side. It’s a rental from a New York sightseeing company. My guess is it was either stolen, or the pilot was threatened. When the shooting started, I bet that guy took off. But just the same, I send a quick text to one of my people to contact the police about the serial and rental place number. The shootout on the roof will of course need to be addressed. But first, I need to settle things. Before anything else, I need to make the move I’ve wanted to make for years.

My own chopper, the one I called before, whirs into view. The pilot lands, and I ignore his shocked look at the carnage on the roof. But he’s a vet himself and knows me well enough to not ask questions. I help Aurora in, and we take off up into the pre-dawn sky above the city. The sun is still just a glow over the horizon when I text Luke what I need him to do for me.

The pilot knows where we’re going, and he starts to head east. But I’m not waiting until we land. This has to happen first, like it should have happened years and years ago. I untangle my hand from Aurora’s, I reach into my pocket, and I slide from my seat. I drop to a knee in front of her, with the dawn sun glowing on her skin, and I hold up the box.

She gasps, and her hands fly to her mouth. “Carter.” I grin and open the box. The huge diamond glitters almost as beautifully as she does.

“Marry me, Aurora. Marry me and be mine forever. Be my wife, and my destiny, and my forever love. Be the mother of my children.”

Her eyes glisten with tears, and she blinks quickly. “Carter… I…”

“All you have to say is ‘yes,’” I whisper.

She bursts into a mix of tears and laughter, and she leaps into my arms. “Yes! Yes! Oh my GOD yes!” I barely have time to push the ring onto her finger before our lips slam together. I kiss her, and I hold her tight. Because she’s my all and my everything.

* * *

Everyone losestheir shit when we step out of the helicopter in Luke and Sienna’s backyard. I mean, they really, really lose their shit. But who can blame them? I’ve been dead, and they’re just realizing I’m not. First Luke, and now me.

My mom and Sienna are crying when they throw their arms around me. Mom hugs me tighter than she ever has before. I always think of myself as someone who can mask his emotions when I have to. But hell, even I mist up a little. Sienna yells at me, but then she hugs me too like she never wants to let go. Luke sure gets an earful when she realizes he’s known since last night that I’m not dead. But pretty soon, we’re all laughing. Luke’s next—my brother from another mother. I could give him shit for tearing up himself when he gives me a big hug, but I let it go.

I give them the vanilla version of the story of my time over there, and my escape. Luke eyes me, and I know he understands that there’s a lot more to it. But mom, my sister? Aurora? They never need to know the extent of the blood spilled or what I did to break free. They don’t need to know I’ve been traveling the globe taking out terrorists, either.

When they all see the ring, they freak the hell out. It’s crazy, because somehow through hell and back, it’s all worked out how it should have years ago. Luke finally ended up with Sienna, like I damn well always knew he would. And I’m glad for it, too. My sister deserves the best, and Luke’s it. Then there’s me and Aurora. I know she was nothing I could have anything to do with when we were younger. But all is right with the world now that she’s in my arms, wearing my ring.

It’s the crack of dawn, but that doesn’t stop my mom from insisting on whipping up a huge breakfast for everyone. Shit I haven’t slept in more than twenty-four hours, and I just had a shootout with terrorists. But I’m not even tired. I don’t know if I could ever be anything less than wide awake and grinning with Aurora by my side.

We toast with orange juice and coffee, to life and to coming back from the dead. Then I raise one more for our future. But mostly, to love.

Epilogue

Aurora

I roll over in bed,trying to sleep. I fluff the pillow, but that doesn’t help either. What’s missing is Carter. And I know I won’t be sleeping until he comes home. It’s been a month since he came back to me. For a month, I’ve been in some kind of heaven, too. Mostly, we’ve spent it in bed, making up for a lot of lost time.

But Carter’s not the sort of man to just sit back and rest on the money he took from the Brotherhood. He’s set for life, of course. I guesswe’reset for life. But he was determined to build something of his own. A lot of his money is invested with Luke’s new financial group, Crow Financial. But the rest he’s using to open Sword and Shield Defense, a new private securities company dedicated to going after the world’s worst villains.

They’re not paid mercenaries, in fact most of their funding comes from donations and foundations. That’s why he’s been out late a lot for the last week, and why I can’t sleep. Outside and many, many stories below me, I can hear the faint sound of traffic and New York City. Usually, it’s just what I need to be lulled to sleep. But I’ve gotten used to having him in bed with me, holding me.

When we were young, Luke and Carter used to sometimes drive Sienna and I out from our crappy town north of New York City to the Hamptons to find beaches to sneak onto. There was one spot in partial what we used to go to, a beach next to some high cliffs. Luke and Carter used to joke that they’d get rich when they grew up and build side-by-side mansions up on that cliff. The funny thing is, that’s the very spot where Luke built his huge house with his new money. So of course, Carter had to go and buy the land next to him.

Our house is going up as we speak, expected to be done in a few months. In the meantime, I guess we’ll just have to make do with the multimillion-dollar Park Avenue penthouse. I know, rough, isn’t it?

I’m still tossing and turning when I hear the door to the penthouse open. I know the sound of him coming home by now. I smile at the sound of him dropping his keys on the kitchen counter, and then walking down the hall to our bedroom.

“Hey,” I whisper when he steps inside the dark room.

“Sorry to wake you, angel.”

I do miss him when he’s not here. But I know he’s working his ass off trying to get the company up and going. He’s building an empire for us, and for the family we want to have. I’m not pregnant yet, but that won’t and sure hasn’t stopped us from trying. A lot.

Carter sheds his shirt and pants and moves across the dark room towards the bed. My heart beats faster, and I can feel the heat swell inside of me. I’ve gone to bed naked, though he doesn’t know it yet. The silk sheets feel like heaven on my bare skin, and I can’t wait for his hands to touch me too.

He pulls back the sheets and slides in. He moves to hover over me, and he growls when he realizes I’m wearing nothing. “Dirty girl.” I gasp at the feel of his hands sliding over my body. “Did someone forget to wear panties to bed?”

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