Junker dropped down to Bella’s side, gaping and dismayed by the sight of the blood staining her dress. For a second, he just sat there, looking at the growing stain, then he pressed both his hands to her.
“No,” Bella said, mustering her strength to sit up and push him away. “Prince… I need my prince.”
Rora released him, expecting him to go, but he shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do for you, Bell,” Strike said, cold as ice.
Bella coughed, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Junker flew to his feet and grabbed Strike’s shirt in both hands, pulling him across to Bella and urging him down to his knees.
“Fix her! Fix her like you fixed him!” Junker demanded and shoved Strike’s shoulders.
Rora went closer, moving to Bella’s feet, her eyes wide and unblinking. She was watching the life seep out of this woman. There was no way Bella would make it out of this, her eyes were glazed, her skin gray, and the blood saturated her dress. It pooled on the floor, smudging as she rolled toward Strike, and grabbed at his tee-shirt.
He took her wrist and pushed her away, but Bella kept trying to get hold of him. Rora didn’t know she’d moved until she kneeled at her love’s side. Taking Bella’s hand, Rora closed it around Strike’s, holding them together. She could feel Strike’s disgust and his anger, but he didn’t pull away.
Bella’s eyes met hers, and a tear slipped from her lashes in time with the one Rora felt streaking her own cheek. “I forgive you,” Rora said and bowed to kiss Bella’s cheek.
The Jewel’s wet eyes were filled with fear and gratitude though they grew heavier before they moved toward Strike.
When Rora looked to her love, she saw nothing but stoic resignation. “Say something, Flame,” she whispered encouraging him to offer the dying woman some words of comfort.
“Prince,” Bella breathed out the weak word. “You will… come to…”
“No,” he said, taking his hand away from Bella’s and pushing Rora’s away when she tried to touch Bella again.
He folded Bella’s hands on her chest and then bent over to whisper in her ear. Rora didn’t hear what was said, but when Strike rose enough to look the woman in the eye, she could see his severe expression. In Bella’s eyes, there was nothing but horror and heartache.
Strike touched his lips to Bella’s and brushed her hair from her forehead. He kept his hand there, his eyes fixed on hers as the life slowly seeped from her.
A last breath seeped from her lips and her body loosened.
There was a moment of peace.
Strike’s hand slid down from her forehead, closing her eyes, and then he stood, pulling Rora to her feet too.
Everyone else seemed to be in shock. But Strike picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “We’re out of here, Kero,” he murmured on her skin.
“You!” Junker screamed. “You did this!”
Leaping over his sister, he shoved Strike. Rora took her chance to put herself in front of her love just as Bella had done earlier in the day.
“No!” Torres shouted, drawing everyone’s attention. “It was Burke! He shot her! She came in to seduce him, trying to make Exile jealous! She gave him a gun with one bullet, told Burke to shoot me for rejecting her, but he shot her instead!”
“No!” Burke said, but looked guilty as hell. “I didn’t!”
Rora didn’t know who had pulled the trigger, all she knew was there was a dead woman on the floor and tension crackling in the air. She and Strike were stuck here with everyone else between them and the stairs. It seemed that Junker didn’t know who to believe either and was glaring at them all with suspicion.
Strike’s hand slid over her hip and up the front of her top. She thought this wasn’t exactly the most appropriate moment for getting handsy but didn’t move. His fingertips crept into her cleavage from beneath, using the fabric as a cover for retrieving the switch blade he’d put in there earlier.
Rora couldn’t have guessed he’d need it after Bella’s death, but she was pleased it was there to protect both of them. Junker turned back to them a second after Strike’s hand slipped out of her top. Rora stepped forward and coughed, giving her love space, and cover, to open the blade just behind her ass.
“It was him,” Torres said. “I have no reason to lie. Kill Exile if you want, I don’t care, but this is one murder not on him.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Burke hollered. “You fucking—”
“It was you!”
Junker dug a hand in his pocket and pulled out a knife. Lunging forward, he swept it across Burke’s throat before he could say another word. The man stuttered and coughed, grabbing for his throat and stumbling forward, forcing Junker out of the way. Just as Burke started to go down next to Bella, Junker shoved him hard, sending him headfirst down the stairs, leaving a trail of fresh blood all the way down.
Rora couldn’t see the bottom of the stairs from where she was, but when the gurgling silenced, she guessed that was the end of Burke. So it turned out Junker did have a murderous streak after all.
“But I’m taking no chances,” Junker said and set Strike in his sights.
“No!” she called, opening her arms to block Strike when Junker started toward him.
“Cupcake,” Strike said, sweeping her aside with a strong arm.
She fought to get in front of him, protecting him was all she could think about. But, Torres appeared behind Junker, holding a heavy bronze candlestick aloft. He brought it down hard on the back of Junker’s head, sending him to the floor.
Junker slumped over Bella.
Those still on their feet, stayed suspended in time. Torres held the candlestick, and Strike had a blade, but it wasn’t strong enough to take the weight of that candlestick. But if they started to fight…
She looked from Torres to Strike and back, her lips dry, her pulse sprinting. “Take Burke’s vehicle, it’s less than a half-mile up the road,” Strike said. “You have your confession?”
Some of the strength left Torres’ arm and he let it sink a little, then a little more. “We’re square?” Torres asked.
“Wouldn’t go that far,” Strike said. “Game resets at sunrise.”
Torres actually smiled. “As always, Ex,” he said and took a tentative step forward to hold out a hand.
Her eyes widened a little as she waited to see how her flame would handle this offer. Though it was clear he was hesitant, Strike slowly raised his hand and the two men shook.
If she wasn’t so shocked, she might have smiled. After the handshake, Torres tipped his imaginary cap at her. He dropped the candlestick and then turned to flee.
Strike folded the blade and stuck it in his pocket. “Least we’ve got time to pack this time,” he said. “Grab your shit.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not hanging around to bury bodies. This place is compromised, there’s no way Leandra can come back here now.”
“But, I…” He took his phone from his pocket to wave it once. “Wonderland?” she asked.
“Wonderland.”
Jumping into action, she went to gather everything she’d brought and wiped down anything she thought either of them might have touched. It wasn’t a thorough job, but it was better than nothing.
Strike was doing his own tasks, which she guessed included making sure there wasn’t going to be any evidence of their presence. When he was done, he bundled her into the truck with their things, and put Opal on her lap.
Typing on his phone, he did what had to be done and then handed the device to her to get the car started.
“Wait,” Rora said after the car rolled an inch.
“If you’ve forgotten anything, you’re too late.”
“I did forget something,” she said and put the tech on the dash to lean over the center console.
With a hand on his cheek, she drew his mouth to hers. Ignoring the growing spread of orange coming from the back window, and the encroaching heat, she poured all her love and gratitude into th
at kiss. Not just because she loved the man, but because she was grateful they’d had the chance to leave that place together.
“Love you, Cupcake.”
He didn’t say it much, but saying it now told her his thoughts were as potent as hers in that moment. “You walked away from your toy for me,” she said. “You chose me.”
“I did,” he said, but his lips curled. They kept on rising until there was no mistaking his smile. “But my love isn’t the only thing I’m packing.”
She bumped her nose on his. “You found it?”
“I found it.”
“Strike,” she sighed, leaning back, her hand cradling his jaw.
“Don’t think I need it though,” he said, and she tilted her head in question. “I already figured it out.”
She didn’t follow. “Figured what out?”
“What’s the point,” he said, and her mouth opened in a silent ‘ah’ of understanding. Curling his fingers, he brushed them down her jaw and under her chin to tip it up. “This… this is the point.”
“You’re goddamn right it is,” she whispered and welcomed his kiss.
Their life together wasn’t going to be conventional. Rora didn’t have the first clue what it was going to be. The important thing was that they were going to share it. That was all they needed. Because as long as they were together, they didn’t need another soul. They were happy with the one they shared.
thank you for sharing this adventure!
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Also by Scarlett Finn
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STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
MAESTRO’S MUSE
GETTING TRICKY
REMEMBER WHEN…
EXILE
HIDE & SEEK
KISS CHASE
THE BRANDED SERIES
BRANDED
SCARRED
MARKED
THE KINDRED SERIES
RAVEN
SWALLOW
CUCKOO
SWIFT
FALCON
FINCH
THE EXPLICIT SERIES
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
EXPLICIT DETAIL
EXPLICIT MEMORY
RISQUE SERIES
TAKE A RISK
RISK IT ALL
GAME OF RISK
HARROW DUET
FIGHTING FATE
FIGHTING BACK
MISTAKE DUET
MISTAKE ME NOT
SLEIGHT MISTAKE
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Kiss Chase Page 26