by Linda Kage
“Yes.” I shuddered in relief. She understood. Thank God. “It does.” A tear trickled down my cheek. “It really fucking does.”
“I know, baby,” she repeated, her eyes filling with pain as she wiped my face dry for me. “I hate that you have to go through this. The right thing doesn’t always feel good. And it’s rarely easy. But it’ll be worth it. Eventually. After you work through the guilt, you’ll remember that you’re free now. I’m free. Brick and Kaitlynn, everyone at JFI. None of us will ever have to worry about her again. Because of you. You saved us.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I buried my face in her hair and hugged her tight. “But why did she have to do what she did in the first place? Why did she—?”
I shook my head, unable to finish the question.
“I don’t know.” Gabby stroked my hair and let me continue to hide against her. “She wasn’t going to stop, though. We do know that. She was going to keep hurting people. Hell, you probably even saved that lawyer guy’s life. She was trying to get him murdered, remember?”
“You mean the guy who fucked Kaitlynn over and helped steal her inheritance from her? Yeah.” I snorted bitterly. “Saving him was a real service to humanity.”
“Hayden,” Gabby growled, gripping the front of my shirt and shaking me hard. “I know you want to think you’re a bad guy for getting your mother arrested, but you’re not going to convince me. Right now, all I can see is a freaking hero when I look at you.”
Sniffing, I pulled back far enough to peer into her eyes. “How the hell can I be a hero to you? I helped get you stuck as her maid. I—”
She smiled softly and set a finger against my lips to shut me up. “You let me help you seek justice for your father’s death. For Kaitlynn’s father’s death.” Shaking her head, she wiped at her own eyes that were beginning to glisten. “I couldn’t do that for my mom, you know. She always suffered from a little depression, but after Miguel was born, it hit her hard, and she sliced her own wrists, bleeding out on our living room floor. I was the one who came home from school and found her. And…”
When her voice went hoarse, I reached out and touched her shoulder. “Gabby?”
She covered my hands and gripped my fingers in gratitude. “I wanted a sense of justice for what happened to her so badly, but…” She shrugged helplessly. “Who was there to punish? She took her own life. It was just a sad, tragic thing that never felt vindicated to me. But this—helping you find your father’s murderer, saving Kaitlynn’s inheritance, and getting a hitman, a crooked lawyer, and an evil woman off the streets—” Touching my face, she shook her head to keep me from talking over her when I opened my mouth. “We got justice served. And no matter how she was related to you, you know it was better that she was caught and stopped. You gotta feel that somewhere in you, at least.”
I slowly bobbed my head up and down before softly admitting, “Yeah, I do.”
She smiled sadly. “Then you’re going to be okay. Someday. After getting over the unpleasantness of what you had to do, you’ll realize it is okay to be relieved that she’s gone.”
My jaw tensed because she was right. Under the guilt and horror, I was relieved. And that right there was my biggest, secret shame, the one thing I didn’t want anyone to know. Except Gabby had realized it all along. And here she was, still looking me in the eye as if I was worthy of her.
That's what I needed most. Acceptance despite my flaws.
“I think I love you,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to hers.
She grinned and touched my face. “Well, I know I love you, so ha! I win.”
Chuckling, I pressed my mouth to hers, thinking she must be right about everything. Once I accepted the guilt and shame and relief, things were going to be okay. Maybe even better than okay.
Because I had my beautiful, dark-eyed accomplice by my side now. And whatever life threw at us from here on out, we’d handle it. Like badasses.
Epilogue
GABBY
I looked down at the ring on my finger and sighed happily.
Married. I couldn’t believe I was freaking married. For a full twenty-four hours now. To the man who pissed me off as much as he made my heart pound in double time with love.
“Your first book club meeting is today, right?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and kissed the top of my shoulder.
“Yep,” I answered, smiling as I leaned back against him to feel more of him against me. “And yes, Kaitlynn will be there. So…” I turned to face him and fluttered my lashes dramatically as I silently asked for permission to—
“You want to tell her,” he guessed. “Don’t you?”
“I mean, if you want to tell her,” I started on a wince, “that’s fine by me. She’s your stepsister, but…?”
I would let him decide, even though I kind of wanted to be the one to spill everything.
It had been months since I’d met Hayden in Lana’s apartment on Halloween night. In that time, Camille had started an online group that she was calling a book club. Both Kaitlynn and I were a part of it. We all communicated on the group almost every day, and yet I hadn’t told any of them that I even knew Kaitlynn’s stepbrother.
And now—now, he was my husband.
I was still trying to wrap my brain around that fact.
I’d moved in with him a couple weeks ago because Papá and Miguel had been doing great. Papá had gotten the board operator position at the power plant, and we’d found a new place to live in a better building. I still watched my brother almost daily after work, where I was now a receptionist at a dentist’s office, but they were both doing so well on their own that I actually said yes when Hayden asked me to move in with him.
Since then, life had been a whirlwind of arguing, making up, and always going to bed with a smile on my face, tucked in the arms of my exasperating lover.
Until yesterday. Yesterday, I’d woken up to him gazing at me adoringly and tracing my face with his fingers as if I were the most important thing in his world. I’d sucked in a huge, satisfied breath and smiled back, wishing him a good morning, only for him to reply, “Marry me. Right now.”
And what was the only logical thing I could reply to such a crazy, spur-of-the-moment, idiotic suggestion?
I said, “Okay,” of course.
So, we had hurried from bed and gotten married.
Best day of my life.
We’d picked out rings this morning from the jewelry store, and now Hayden was planning a honeymoon to Acapulco for us later this month.
Aca-freaking-pulco!
I know, right.
But today, I was supposed to see his stepsister face-to-face, and she knew none of my relationship with Hayden. So, I was freaking out a little.
Truth be told, I’d been waiting for Hayden to tell her everything. Except he hadn’t, so this was getting weird and uncomfortable. I knew I wouldn’t make it through our get-together today without saying something. Which was why, here I was, asking for his permission to finally let the cat out of the bag.
“Why would I mind if you told her?” Hayden asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
I scowled at him. “What do you mean, why would you mind?” Slugging him hard on the arm, I railed, “If you didn’t mind, why the hell haven’t you told her yourself already?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Kaity and I aren’t exactly the talking type. I thought you’d tell her.”
“Jesus.” I slapped a hand to my forehead. “Well, if I’d known you didn’t care if she knew, I would’ve freaking told her from the beginning.”
“Well, you certainly could have, because once again,” he said, lifting his eyebrows. “Why would I care if she knew about us?”
“Oh my God,” I cried, glaring. “You are truly the most aggravating pain in the ass I have ever met. I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Probably because you secretly like it when I piss you off,” he countered with his typical, knowing smirk. “Just li
ke ol’ Daffodils, you enjoy a good challenge.”
“Lord help me, I must,” I muttered, “because otherwise—”
“I’d bore you to tears,” he cut in, leaning in to kiss me. “And we can’t have that, can we?”
No, we most certainly could not. Grabbing the front of his shirt, I said, “You better be worth all this hassle, that’s all I’m saying.”
He winked. “Oh, I am.”
“Well, in that case…” I tugged him back to me for a longer, deeper kiss.
Three hours later, I was back to being pissed at Hayden, because there I sat in Camille’s front parlor across the room from Kaitlynn, and I couldn’t seem to her tell anything. I just wasn’t sure how. I mean, hey, how’s it going; by the way, we’re stepsisters-in-law now, just seemed so random and out there.
Dammit. This was all Hayden’s fault. He should’ve told her weeks ago; now it was going to be awkward.
I’d even tucked my wedding ring away out of sight before entering the house, too chicken to break the news to any of them too suddenly.
But as I fidgeted, waiting for a good segue to make my announcement, my tongue started to tie into knots.
Completely oblivious to my distress, Camille clinked a silver spoon against the side of her wine glass and lifted it above her head. “I hereby call to order the first meeting of the most kickass book club ever assembled.”
When she took a big swig, Kaitlynn and I exchanged raised-eyebrow glances before we shrugged and tossed back our drinks as well.
“Uh, hear, hear,” Isobel—Ezra’s sister from the flower shop—added uncertainly before taking her own sip.
My gaze fell to my new stepsister-in-law as she lowered her wine.
Kaitlynn was thankfully doing better than ever now that the truth was out and Lana was behind bars. She was still going strong with Ezra, her new co-CEO at JFI, and they were somehow making their way through dating and running a company together at the same time.
Her rightful inheritance from her father was still trickling in; Hayden had to call her lawyers every few days to nudge them along, but she was finally—finally—getting what had rightfully been hers all along.
And the more money that came her way, the more that was taken away from Lana. It was crazy how much that bitch had done. It felt like every day Hayden was getting a call and hearing about something new they’d discovered that Lana had mixed herself up in. Extortion, money laundering, blackmail, racketeering, embezzlement, Lana had without a doubt dabbled in it all. The charges against her just kept rolling in.
She was going to stay in prison for a very long time.
She’d even withheld half the money her two sons were rightfully left in their stepfather’s will. Not that Hayden nor Brick—who still didn’t know about his paternity—wanted any, but it was the principle of the matter than counted. The woman had fucked over her own children.
The two brothers seemed to be handling her convict status with composure. They both continued to work at JFI under Ezra and Kaitlynn’s leadership, and they each watched over Kaitlynn like guard dogs. I’m surprised they hadn’t done background checks on everyone in the book club before allowing her to attend it.
Or maybe Hayden had, knowing him.
I glanced at the hardback copy of The Nightingale on Isobel’s lap and winced, wondering if I should’ve brought a copy as well. I’d actually checked mine out from the library and returned it already. Hopefully, I wouldn’t get any brownie points taken away just because—
Hey, hold up there. I frowned at Isobel’s hand wrapped around the book and set my empty glass down when I realized her ring finger looked a lot more sparkly than it had the last time I’d seen her.
What was this?
Was I not the only one with wedding news?
“Not to stray from the topic of books or anything,” I said, smirking knowingly. “But I love all things sparkly and pretty. And, Isobel, I couldn’t help but notice you were not wearing that ring on your finger when we first met in your flower shop.”
“What?” Gasping, Kaitlynn swerved her attention to Isobel’s hand. “Oh my God! Ohmigod! Shaw proposed?”
“Well…” Isobel’s face flamed bright red. “He just gave it to me this morning.” She laughed self-consciously and set down her drink so she could lift her hand for Camille, Kaitlynn, and me, who immediately gathered around to check it out. “I hadn’t had a chance to tell you guys yet, and I didn’t want to interrupt the book discussion with my own—”
“Girl,” I broke in, clicking my tongue because I planned to do just that myself with my own announcement. When the time was right. “When you get bling like this, you always interrupt the book discussion to show it off.”
“Amen,” Camille agreed, taking Isobel’s hand to get a closer look.
“Well, all right,” Isobel answered, flushing self-consciously, and revealing how nervous and thrilled she was to be sharing this moment with us.
“I’m so happy for you.” Kaitlynn clutched her arm and shook it, chirping out a happy scream. “You and Shaw are so cute together. You make an awesome team.”
Isobel nodded, tears glittering in her eyes. “You and Ezra do too,” she said. “I just know someday, he’s going to get you your own ring, and we’ll be sisters, and raise our babies as the closest of cousins, and oh my God…” The tears began to drip down her cheek, so she fanned at them furiously with her hand. “I never thought this would happen for me. After the fire, and I messed up my face, I thought I’d be alone and miserable for the rest of my life. But then Shaw came along, and now you guys are here in my life, and—I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m turning into a blubbering mess. I’m just so happy.”
“You’re a beautiful mess,” Camille assured her, closing an arm around Isobel’s shoulders. “You just go ahead and let it out, sweetie. We’ll cry with you if you want.”
“Too late.” Kaitlynn sniffed and dabbed at her moist eyes. “I already am.” With another squeal of excitement, she hugged Isobel.
When Camille went in and wrapped her arms around both of them, I gulped.
Oh boy. Group hug. So not my thing. They glanced my way expectantly, but I shifted backward and offered Isobel an uneasy thumbs-up.
“You got this,” I encouraged her, tempted to tell her how awesome married life was. I had enjoyed my one day of it, anyway.
Camille was having none of my resistance though. “Oh, don’t even think about getting out of this.” She reached out and caught my wrist before I could escape. A second later, I was smashed against someone’s boob and someone else’s arm.
“Oh Lord,” I whimpered, just waiting for it to end.
The other three started to laugh, and when I realized it was at my uncomfortable expense, I yanked free of all of them, mumbling, “Not funny.”
Only Miguel, and Hayden, and sometimes Papá were allowed to get so touchy-feely with me.
Camille shook her head, still amused. “I can’t wait until some guy you actually like and accept comes along and totally shatters your personal space. That’s going to be a hoot to watch.”
I sent her a startled glance, wondering what she knew, only to realize she was just randomly teasing.
Except I think my expression gave me away because Kaitlynn squinted at me, murmuring, “Or maybe someone already has.”
Damn. It was time to spill my story, I guess.
“Oh my God!” Camille shrieked, taking in my guilty mien. “Someone has! Gabs! Why haven’t you said anything? Who? How? I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on us. You know I love a good romance. What the hell, woman?”
I winced at her in apology only to turn to Kaitlynn and immediately wring my hands. “I was about to tell you and Camille everything a few months ago, but then we got interrupted by Isobel’s brother, and—and well, I was waiting for him to say something, but I swear it’s easier to crack open a can of tuna with your bare hands than get that close-lipped bastard to talk about shit.”
“Um.” Kaitlynn
furrowed her brow and shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m totally confused right now.”
Camille nodded. “Yeah, so am I.”
“Who is this him you’re referring to?” Isobel asked.
I gripped my face between two hands and blew out a long breath. Here went nothing.
“I should start from the beginning,” I said, focusing on my stepsister-in-law. “The beginning that involves you, Kaitlynn.”
“Me?” She pulled back in surprise and pressed a hand against her chest.
“Yes, you,” I said. “There is so much you don’t know. So much he never told you. But you were never alone. I thought you should know that. He was always watching over you, making sure you made it through to the next day, like, I don’t know, some secret ninja fairy godmother, or something. After your dad died, he never would’ve let anything disastrous happen to you.”
“He who?” Kaitlynn asked, shaking her head with confused surprise. “What in the world are you talking about, Gabby?”
“Well…” I drew in a deep breath and began from the onset of my tale. “It all started the night I kind of, sort of broke into someone’s apartment.”
And ended with me meeting the love of my life.
Who knew participating in a little B & E could bring about one’s happily ever after?
I certainly hadn’t had a clue.
Hansel and Gretel – B & E EVER AFTER
Once upon a time, there were two children named Hansel [Hayden] and Gretel [Brick].
Their stepmother was very cruel.
She took them deep into the forest [a foreign country] and left them there.
But clever Hansel [Brick] had some breadcrumbs [Skittles] in his pocket [backpack] and had [accidentally] dropped them on the path so they could find their way back home [to their villa].
* * *
[Twenty Years Later:]
* * *
Alas! The birds ate all the crumbs and they couldn’t find the path that led back home. Hansel and Gretel [Gabby needed money. So she went to find some at Preston Estates where she] went deeper and deeper into the forest, hoping to find their way [building, searching for help]. They were hungry [She was desperate] and tired.