Blizzard (BearPaw Resort #2)
Page 28
Liam
How could I look at her?
I’d failed my family in the worst possible way a man could.
I heard her moving quietly around in our bedroom. Numbly, I wondered if I would ever be welcome there again. Bellamy almost got killed tonight. My father did.
My father did.
I will never see him again. Never hear his laugh, never again feel that bond between father and son.
He said he didn’t have regrets.
I did. I do.
Large, gaping, ugly regrets that would leave even uglier scars.
Outside the window, the landscape was black. That color called to me, welcomed me, begged to swallow me. I fought it back because this wasn’t over. I couldn’t succumb to the demons inside me. I might have fucked this shit up profoundly, but I would die before I let anyone else I loved die.
Almost as if conjured, there was a sudden light rap on the back door. Every muscle inside me tightened so tautly I hummed. As I moved rapidly toward the door, adrenaline surged through my limbs, offering feeling to my otherwise numb form.
Fight and anger, which I feared I’d lost, rose inside me. Resolve and determination rooted deep down and bloomed fast. I glanced down the hallway as I went, a pinched feeling coming over my heart when I saw the closed bedroom door.
I continued on and yanked open the door with so much force the curtains slapped against the window. Winter swirled up around me, almost like armor, reminding me that I was made of snow.
Light powder gusted in, sprinkling my legs and feet. I barely noticed because I was too focused on who was there.
No one.
But a note. Dangling on a string from the top of the doorframe.
The white envelope waved around in the wind, the paper already damp from the snow.
I snatched it down, glanced around the empty yard, and shut the door. I didn’t bother throwing the lock. If someone came at me right now, I’d smile and kill them with my bare hands.
As I stalked back to my position in front of the living room window, the cold stayed pressed against my skin. The envelope was sealed with old-school wax, the color blood red, the symbol one that made my upper lip curl.
I plucked it off and tossed it down without another glance, pulling open the single sheet of paper that was folded in half.
William…
The letter began. He thought he was clever, using a name on my birth certificate, a name barely anyone realized was mine. His knowledge didn’t make him intimidating. It made him a nuisance.
My deepest regrets on the death of your father. The loss of anyone close to us leaves wounds that will never heal. As it is, I’ve considered your request of a trade. Perhaps this jail cell is making me soft, or perhaps I feel sorry for you. In any case, I have decided that the debt is paid.
You killed one of my men, and I killed one of yours.
It’s rather poetic that you will have to live knowing you sacrificed your father for a woman. And she will have to live with knowing you will blame her for that for the rest of her days.
The bounty I put on Bellamy is void.
Congratulations on the fulfillment of the debt.
Sincerely,
PC
I crumpled the paper in one hand, squeezing until my knuckles popped and ached. Dropping it at my feet, I glanced back out the window, back into the darkness.
You killed one of my men, and I killed one of yours.
He thought I killed Spidey. He was taking credit for the death of my father.
Perry Crone thought that made us even. He thought this was over.
He was wrong. I was just getting started.
Crone was a man who usually did the chasing. I wondered how he’d react when it was his turn to run.
THE END
—for now—
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This book has no cliffhanger at all. I’m expecting everyone to be super thrilled about it.
Don’t you just love when a book wraps up and there are no loose ends, nothing to wonder about?
Me, too!
But seriously, I didn’t really plan for Blizzard to end this way, but here we are. I gotta say this wasn’t an easy write. There were more twists and turns than I expected. In the end, I like how this story came out. I like the growth of the characters and the way the plot was propelled forward. I never really intended for this series to be quite as dark as it’s become or for Liam to be as flawed. It’s definitely got some suspense thrown in with the romance, but hopefully you will find a good mix of both.
I really debated on Ren… his cancer, his death… everything.
I have never wanted to write cancer. It’s touched my life far too many times. So when this was whispered in my head by the characters, I searched for other plots. I searched for anything different. But some characters won’t be swayed, and so Ren revealed he was terminally ill. I know the end of this book is sad, but to be honest, it was almost a relief for me. I’d rather Ren die saving the life of people he loves than wasting away in a bitter battle with a disease that would win out in the end.
I want to thank you for reading this one and for being patient while I completed it. I hope it was worth the wait and that you will continue on with book three.
Without you, the reader, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. Your support is invaluable in so many ways.
See you next book (which hopefully won’t have a cliffhanger)!
XOXO,
Cambria
ABOUT CAMBRIA HEBERT
Cambria Hebert is an award-winning, bestselling novelist of more than forty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of birds (including chickens). You can often find her painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails) or walking her Chihuahuas (the real rulers of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. She has also written romantic suspense, science fiction, and most recently, male/male romance. Her favorite genre to read and write is contemporary romance. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, GearShark Series, Text, Amnesia, and Butterfly.
Recent awards include: Author of the Year, Best Contemporary Series (The Hashtag Series), Best Contemporary Book of the Year, Best Book Trailer of the Year, Best Contemporary Lead, Best Contemporary Book Cover of the Year. In addition, her most recognized title, #Nerd, was listed at Buzzfeed.com as a top fifty summer romance read.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com.
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