Cut

by Bry Ann

  And I know that.

  That bravado of hers…

  Isn’t wanted or needed with me.

  I love her, and with that, I set her free.

  And with her love, she broke my chains.

  Epilogue

  Amanda West (It’s not Mandi to you, yet, missy) …

  I lean back in the seat of my car and scream at the top of my lungs.

  Brantley still has no idea. He has no idea that I’ve known Blade long before that party he set up. That I knew he was Cut long before the day he came to my apartment. That the whole show I put on when I ‘found out’ was just that. A show.

  He still doesn’t know I’ve had his card for years now. I knew the shit he was up to, training criminals. I kept myself up at night wondering if one of those criminals he trained would hurt an innocent person. If, God forbid, even worse, one of them turned on him.

  My life is a complete, utter mess. If only Brantley knew. God, he’d kill me. Completely and totally kill me.

  I jam the keys into the ignition, stare at the sunflower odor-killer hanging from my mirror, and turn on metal as loud as I can.

  Wheww, calm. I’m calm now.

  I guess I should tell you what’s become of Brantley these last several months, right?

  Okay!

  Will do.

  This makes me happy. Literally, little butterflies swell in my stomach when I think about it.

  Brantley and Maria are still going strong. I’m not going to lie, when I first laid eyes on Maria, disappointment flooded my system. I always wanted Brantley to end up with a sweet, quiet, pretty girl. A woman who would bring out his soft heart and accept him. So when Maria walked in looking like something out of a magazine, I was totally disappointed. Really? He went for the big-boobed, sexy, Latin woman. Geez, come on, Brantley!

  Then I got to know her.

  And got to see him with her.

  She’s bold, smart, considerate, and I immediately got it. Her being sexy is great for her, but she’s an awesome person and I really like her. Not to mention, for the first time since Brantley was attacked because of me, I saw hints of who he was before those men fucked him all up. Then the way he looks at her….

  Swoon.

  Ugh.

  My poor little heart can’t handle it.

  So they are happy as clams. They’ll marry one day. I think the most beautiful part of their whole story to me is that they live together now. And guess where they live? Just guess…

  A small little house with a fireplace. A home. With. A. Fireplace.

  I bet you don’t remember, but when we were kids, especially super young, when Brantley was just coming out of moving all the time, his dream was to live in a cozy house with a fireplace. Somewhere stable. Somewhere he could call home.

  And he has that now. With Maria.

  Tingles.

  That damn tingly feeling again. It always leads to false hope. I don’t get a happily ever after, because I don’t deserve one. Brantley’s the hero. I’m the criminal.

  Anyway, speaking of criminals.

  Maria has convinced Brantley to do more vetting when taking on new clients. He was always strict, but he doesn’t have full control over what they do outside of his sessions. But now, he doesn’t take on anyone unless he is 100% sure they won’t use the skills he teaches to hurt a woman, child, innocent man, or animal. The process of becoming a client of his is extensive, but he can afford that. His name has spread around the criminal circuit like wildfire. He won’t leave the criminal circuit, though. That’s his element. It’s where he feels comfortable, and a man can only change so much.

  Maria, and some girls named Rose and Lacey that I’ve never met, are trying to convince him to take on more women, ones who can handle and benefit from his style of teaching, but he’s downright refusing to do that. If I know him, and I do, I think he’s scared he’ll hurt, scare, or fail them, so we’ll see.

  Maria is now head tech at a nursing home, and she seems to really love it. Maria and I keep in touch, and what I don’t find out from Maria or Brantley, I find out from my mom. Well, Brantley’s mom. But she’s mine. The only true parent I’ve ever had. I can’t even talk about her without crying. She sacrificed so much for me, saved my life. Gave me love when I had absolutely none.

  As for Maria, on a personal level, losing her dad is still a soft spot. Brantley and I set up a wake for her father. Maria handled the burial and initial loss all on her own, so we make sure we are all there for her for the rest of the mourning process. Maria almost collapsed when she walked into the room to discuss her dad’s incredible life during the wake, but with our help, she stayed her usual strong self.

  Goals. She really is incredible.

  “Sweetheart, you’re gonna get kicked out of your complex.”

  Air leaves my lungs as I leap back in my seat. Oh no! With shaking hands, I roll down the window.

  “What are you doing here, Blade?” I hiss quietly. God, I hope I don’t sound as panicked as I feel.

  “Wouldn’t have guessed you’d be into such… gruesome music.”

  His lips curl in amusement.

  “It’s not gruesome,” I mutter.

  “I’m ripping my heart out to hear you cry. When you’re around me, I want to take my liiiife,” he sings. “So, yeah, whatever you say, sunshine. You gonna let me in?”

  I look at his tight black jeans and the casual way he leans against his giant motorcycle… and swallow. Hard.

  I’m so screwed.

  Welcome to the Mandi show… It’s nothing but trouble.

  Amanda, shit.

  The End…. Kinda.