by Lucy Smoke
“I’m calling the authorities,” Marv said. “You may still get to see him in court, but there’s no doubt Stover is going to prison.”
Hearing him, Stover rounded on the room. “I deserved that money!” he screamed. “They were—where are you going?” He turned again as he spotted the two men in black, one helping the fallen one up as they slipped down the staircase.
Texas moved to follow them. “Let them go,” Knix barked, making him freeze and turn back. “We just want Stover for now. We can get them later.”
“No,” Stover backed up, away from both of them. His eyes wide and wild. He shook his head from side to side. “No, I don’t—No!”
“Stover, don’t be stupid,” Grayson warned as he put his hands out and circled the man.
But he was going to be. I could see it. He was beyond help. Overexertion had made him shiny with sweat. His gaze darted around, never landing on one thing or one person long enough. And then they settled on me.
“Stover, don’t do anything stupid,” Bellamy warned, moving closer to me as Jenna backed up, her brow puckering. She knew something was up. Stover was losing it far too quickly.
The man was shaking so hard, I could practically hear the rattle of his bones. My body ached from how tight my muscles were coiled. The world slowed down to a frame by frame set of images as I watched Stover reach behind him. One of his hands going to the desk he had backed himself into.
My head lifted at the same time that he swung the gun my way. His lips tried to shape words, but I couldn’t hear anything. The rushing in my ears made it too loud to hear anything. It all narrowed down to the barrel of the small pistol Stover pointed at me.
His gaze was unfocused, his face red as his finger pressed against the trigger. In the distance, I heard shouting. Bellamy was the closest to me. Out of my periphery, I saw him dive, aiming for me. The bullet slammed into me a split second before Bellamy did, trying to cover my body with his own. The air was knocked from my chest.
I blinked as I collapsed. My eyes were open, but I couldn’t feel the pain yet. My whole body didn’t seem to be working. My limbs were immovable and though I tried to focus on where I was hit, tried to feel where the bullet had entered, I still couldn’t feel or hear anything.
A flurry of movement erupted past me. Bellamy’s face appeared above me as he ripped his shirt off and pressed it against my stomach. Of course, Stover wouldn’t miss. Even as shaky as he’d been, it would have been hard to not miss with how close we were.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My eyes trailed down the hard lines of Bellamy’s chest. He was beautiful. Even when his eyes were full of terror. Marv’s head came over me as well. A phone pressed to his ear once more as he tried to ask me something.
I shook my head. I couldn’t hear him. The room was fuzzy, the edges of my vision blurring out and growing dark. Shouldn’t it hurt? I wondered. Getting shot was supposed to hurt.
“Harlow?” The sound of my name made its way into my brain and I cracked my lids open. When had I closed them? “Stay with me, stay with us. Help’s on the way.”
My tongue felt swollen in my mouth. My eyes slid shut on their own accord and this time, they didn’t open again.
Epilogue
1 year later...
Texas
My fingers tapped impatiently on the hardwood of the sitting room side table. I bit the inside of my cheek as three of us waited for Harlow, Knix, and Marv to return. Across from me, Grayson shifted his right leg over his left, changing it for the tenth time. To my side, Bellamy flipped a page of the magazine he was pretending to read.
I almost made a comment. I knew he wasn’t reading it. For one, it was upside down, and for another thing, it was a women’s health magazine and his eyes had this glazed over look that he sometimes got when I tried to explain the process of hacking into a government database or something along those same lines.
None of us were as put together as we would have liked the others to believe. My heart pounded in my chest, beating a rapid thump that didn’t seem to be slowing down no matter how many times I took a deep breath and released it.
“Stop worrying,” Grayson finally said, glaring at where my fingers tapped out the tempo of my heartbeat on the side table.
I lifted a brow and smirked. “I’m not the one acting like he has to pee but doesn’t want to ask where the bathroom is,” I replied.
He shook his head at me and went back to his phone. I went back to tapping.
Minutes later, the door opened and Harlow appeared in her sundress, a bright smile on her face as she held the hand of a little girl with the darkest corkscrew curls and the biggest brown eyes. As soon as she saw us, she backed up and hid halfway behind Harlow’s skirt. I damn near stopped breathing. She was so cute. Sweat broke out on my forehead as Bellamy and Grayson stood and moved forward.
“Guys, this is Delise,” Harlow introduced, putting a gentle hand on the young girl’s shoulder.
Knix and Marv came up from behind her and Delise moved closer to our girl as they passed her. “She’ll be staying with us from now on.” Harlow looked down at the girl. “Honey, do you want to say hello? That’s Bellamy”—she gestured to Bell—“and Grayson”—she gestured again—“and that”—Harlow stopped and winked my way—“is the naughtiest one of all. That’s Texas.”
I stared at the little girl as I approached and crouched down as slowly as I could manage. “Hi, Delise,” I choked out.
I held out a hand, wondering if what people said was true. Could kids really tell if a person was good? As I watched, staring into Delise’s eyes—the same color as my own—I wondered if things had gone differently if we would be in the same place we were now.
I still had nightmares. I glanced up as Harlow smiled down at me. I knew she did too. For as long as I lived, I would never forget the sound of Stover’s gun going off. Seeing the blood soaking through Harlow’s clothes. Hearing her hit the floor. Having to face the line of doctors weeks following the event even as Stover was tried for embezzlement and attempted murder.
Knix stopped at Harlow’s other side, one wide palm going to her stomach as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. I felt like an ass, worrying as I had about the possibility of her getting pregnant. She never would now—the bullet had done too much damage.
A small hand touched mine. I slowly returned my gaze to Delise. She inched out from behind Harlow, settling her small grip firmly in mine. “Hi…”
I gulped. “Do you like games?” I asked.
She stepped slightly closer and nodded. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my cell phone. Clicking the screen on, I flipped through to a few of the apps I’d created and clicked on one, turning the screen her way. “Do you see this?” I asked, pointing at the monkey on the screen. “His name is Bruno. You have to help him get through the maze because he’s lost and needs to get home.”
“Home?” Delise asked.
I nodded, swallowing roughly as I gave the phone over to her completely and stood up. Her little face glowed with wonder as she tapped the buttons on the screen and moved the character around.
“Let’s go get the car, Delise,” Marv suggested, holding out his hand.
Distractedly, the young girl moved closer to him, reaching up with one tiny palm to latch onto his much larger one. Together, they headed for the door, leaving me to stare after them.
“What do you think?” Harlow’s voice was quiet, hesitant.
I looked back at her. I couldn’t do anything but admit the truth. “She’s beautiful,” I said.
Harlow smiled. “And now she’s ours.” I nodded. Knix glanced between the two of us. As if he sensed that I needed to say something, he backed away and followed the rest outside. “You’re still scared,” Harlow said as soon as he was gone.
I released a slow breath. “I don’t think I’ll ever not be scared,” I admitted.
She moved forward and leaned up on her toes to kiss me. Warmth infused every inch
of the connection. I closed my eyes and reached up, holding her by her arms as I returned the kiss, pushing her mouth open and diving inside. My tongue met hers. I felt her eyelashes flutter against my skin.
“I love you,” I whispered as I broke away a moment later.
“I love you too,” she replied. “And I think you’re going to be a great dad. You all will be.”
“I can’t believe they let us do this,” I said, pulling her in so that I could wrap my arms around her.
“With the six of us, how could they not?” she asked. “Nothing can stop us if we’re together.”
I shook my head, a laugh rumbling up. “My grandparents would have loved you,” I couldn’t help but say.
She chuckled against my chest, pressing another kiss to the hollow of my throat. “I think I would have loved them too, if only because they raised you into one of the men I could never live without.”
I held her close for a moment more, wanting to extend the feeling of her in my arms. Even if I knew I could do this whenever I wanted—even though she was my wife—I would never tire of the sensation of holding her.
Letting her go was like letting go of a piece of my heart. After watching that piece nearly be destroyed by a money hungry idiot with a grudge a year ago—watching her struggle to get back to who she had been and fight to overcome the doctors telling her she’d never have kids—I wanted to give her everything. Even when I wanted to lock her away, I knew she needed freedom. She needed a choice.
And to give her that, I needed to overcome my fears. I needed to see the world as she saw it because I didn’t want her for a moment in time. I wanted her forever and always.
The End
For realz this time.
Thank you so much for reading.
About the Author
Lucy Smoke, also known as Lucinda Dark for her fantasy novels, has a master’s degree in English and is a self-proclaimed creative chihuahua. She enjoys feeding her wanderlust, cover addiction, as well as her face, and truly hopes people will stop giving her bath bombs as gifts. Bath’s get cold too fast and it’s just not as wonderful as the commercials make it out to be when the tub isn’t a jacuzzi.
When she’s not on a never-ending quest to find the perfect milkshake, she lives and works in the southern United States with her beloved fur-baby, Hiro, and her family and friends.
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Also by Lucy Smoke
Fantasy Series:
Dark Maji Series
Fortune Favors the Cruel
Blessed Be the Wicked
Twisted is the Crown
For King and Corruption (Coming Soon)
Nerys Newblood Series
Daimon
Necrosis
Resurrection (Coming Soon)
Dystopian Series:
Sky Cities Series
Heart of Tartarus
Shadow of Deception
Sword of Damage
Dogs of War (Coming Soon)
Contemporary Series:
Iris Boys Series (completed)
Now or Never
Power & Choice
Leap of Faith
Cross my Heart
The Break Series (completed)
Study Break
Tough Break
Spring Break
Break Series Collection
Standalones:
Expressionate
Wildest Dreams