Page 84 of Vengeful Devotion
“I’ve missed you too.”
She pulls away. “Gemma, this is Balor’s cousin, Alistair. I’m staying with him back in Boston.”
The man behind her nods his head towards me. He looks just like Balor with his cold eyes and dark hair. I squeeze Lia’s hand.
“I have the best idea,” I say. “You should come stay with me and Declan. It would be nice to live together again. To be close again.”
Lia smiles at me. But I can see the answer written on her face. She looks over her shoulder at Alistair before turning towards me.
“Thank you for that, Gemma. But I’m happy in Boston.”
I smile. “So much for never meeting a man that could tame you.”
“I could say the same about you.”
I feel Declan come up behind me and I lean in as he hugs me close.
“Take care of her, Declan McBride. Don’t think I won’t hunt you down if you don’t,” Lia warns.
“I’d never dream of hurting her. You can trust me.”
“That’s what they all say.”
We break out into laughter. It feels so nice to hear Lia’s laugh again. To know for myself that she’s okay. To know she’s happy.
“Let’s go grab a drink, Gem.”
It’s Declan who speaks. “We’ll meet you in there. I need a second with my fiancée.”
My body tingles. I love the way that rolls off his tongue. I look down at my ring, still in shock that I’m wearing it. This was never where I saw my life going. But I’m happy it did.
“How are you feeling, Mrs. McBride?”
“We’re not married yet.”
“So? You’re still mine.”
“Wait, if you knew you were going to propose, why did you try to keep me home?”
“I was going to propose either way. Just thought I’d have a better chance if we were naked.”
I shake my head at him with a smile on my lips as he pulls me in close. Laying my head on his shoulder, I close my eyes. For the first time, I feel truly safe. I feel loved. I have a home and a family and… him. Its overwhelming, but in the best way. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more. Beautiful enough to feel like it’s not real life. Like it's nothing more than a vivid hallucination. But it’s strong enough to know that it’s nothing short of fate. A destiny written in the stars. Our destiny.
The End
EPILOGUE
Declan -One YearLater
“You’redelusional if you think I’m letting you out there unprotected,” Balor barks.
“Let me?” Simone screeches. “You can’t fucking stop me.”
“We know nothing about the man who keeps leaving these notes, Simone. Nothing. So until we know who we’re searching for, you’re stuck with me.”
Simone looks at me, her bridesmaid dress sweeping the floor as she does. “A little backup here, Deck?”
I grab the piece of paper from Balor’s hands. It’s a hand painted photo of Simone. Bloody and dying. My fists shake. Simone told me this stalker was nothing more than an old gambler looking for fun. This looks like more than that.
