Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“Doctor?” I ask, holding my breath as if that’ll make any fucking difference at all.
The doctor nods. “So far, it’s looking good. He is able to tell us his name and what happened. His vitals are strong, though it’s a long recovery he has ahead. I am confident now that he might very well make a full recovery.”
Aviana squeezes my hand. I didn’t even feel her grab it.
Waverly turns and hugs Mykel, and the two of them stand there like that for a while.
Bohdi smiles, small and weak, but a smile.
I’ve never even seen him get close to a smile.
“I’d like him to rest, but you can all see him in a few hours. Go home, get some sleep, and we’ll keep you updated.”
Aviana walks over and carefully hugs Lilian, who buries her face into her shoulder. That girl is a rock in all the ways it counts, and I fucking love her. Lilian is a little battler, and she’s going to go a long way with us by her side.
I guess things are working out after all.
Fucking finally.
23
NOW – AVIANA
“I am so damned glad to be home,” I exhale as we pull into Alarick and Briella’s driveway.
It has been a long few days home. We have all taken turns in driving just so we could get here quicker. Nobody stopped. We slept and drove. That was it.
Benedict was released when we were packed and ready to head out of town. Angelica was brought to him, and the deal was made. We would all go our separate ways, and that would be the end of it. So far, it seems Benedict has held up his end of the deal. I didn’t doubt he would, but with a man that powerful, it’s hard to ever truly know if he’s going to come back and bite you sometime in the future.
Luckily for us, he hasn’t.
Yet.
Still, in the end, it’s all over.
Finally.
“I can’t wait to climb into that bed,” Briella exhales, yawning. “I’m so tired.”
God, I feel that.
All I want to do is sleep.
Samson was transferred back as soon as he was stable enough to handle the flight, and will be waiting for us in our local hospital. He’s doing well. Lilian hasn’t left his side. Seeing them together, it’s absolutely beautiful and also incredibly heartbreaking. I know why he betrayed everyone to get her back. Why the hell wouldn’t you? They’re going to have an incredible bond. I just know it.
For now, Lilian is going to stay with Zariah, who she is incredibly close to. I guess because Zariah is the first person she saw and the person she trusts the most right now. I’m glad she has someone, god knows her road to recovery will take a while. We don’t even know her full story yet, or how she got in the hands of those monsters. I know one thing for certain, though. That haunts you forever.
Even now that I’ve made peace, those demons still linger inside me.
Cohen puts his hand on my leg, and I jerk out of my thoughts. I turn to him and smile. He looks exhausted, and I’m sure he’s looking forward to bed, too.
“Are you going to stay with me?” I ask.
He nods. “I’m not fuckin’ goin’ anywhere, babe.”
That makes me happy.
So incredibly happy.
“I’m glad to hear it. I’m starting to think I could sleep for days.”
He leans in closer, his hand running up my leg. “Not until I’m done with you.”
His voice is gravelly, and my word, it does things to me. I shiver and turn, finding his lips and kissing him. He growls against my mouth, and I bite his lip when he tries to deepen the kiss.
“Get a room you two, fuck,” Alarick mutters.
Briella laughs. “Leave them. They’re so super cute. Remember when we were younger, and we used to talk about these guys. You always did like Cohen best.”
I grin. “Don’t make his head bigger than it already is.”
“You talked about us, huh?” Cohen murmurs into my ear. “What did you say?”
“We don’t ever talk and tell,” I chuckle. “Sorry, honey.”
“I will tell you this,” Briella laughs. “She was a wild one. You were never getting away from her.”
We all laugh.
Alarick pulls into the house, and slowly, we pile out of the truck and go inside, bags in hand. The guys go to have a shower, and we prepare some lunch to have before we all fall into those deliciously soft beds and pass out until tomorrow. I can’t fucking wait.
“I’m glad you two are together,” Briella tells me, sliding a sandwich in my direction as she cuts the ingredients for the next ones.
“Me, too,” I smile, taking a bite.
“I’m glad you’re back, too. I hope now this is all over, the two of us can find that friendship we lost. I have really missed it.”