Page 172

“You’ve been served.”

Chase spluttered as she crushed the envelope in the crook of his elbow and turned on her heel. Job done. Beatrice appeared beside me, her phone in her hand. “Don’t worry, sister, we’re on this.”

Sybil and Lorna looked up briefly from their screens before dropping their gaze again.

“Sister?” My throat narrowed.

“I always wanted a sister.” Lorna leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

“You’ve got two.” Walden clicked his tongue and ushered them out of the way. “Explain, Tully.”

“I’m suing him. Maybe I can’t prove he leaked those nudes. But I have evidence of his assault and I will not let him hurt another person.”

Their mouths dropped open and Pan chased his look of surprise with laughter.

“Seriously? How did you ever doubt your strength, angel?”

“Surprise?” I let my teeth show.

Lloyd pulled me into his arms, replacing the harsh sting of Chase’s salty spray in my nostrils with the cool lash of waves.

“Are you okay?”

With them surrounding me?

“I am now.”

I could finally carry the weight of my name.

With a strength forged in pain and endless love.

Epilogue

Tully

Two Months Later

“Isn’t he improving?” Pan clicked out of the video with a satisfied grin. “Puck is a superstar in the making.”

“Careful, you sound like a proud daddy.”

I adjusted my low-cut dress and Pan’s tongue traced his lip in interest.

“You offering, angel?”

I turned away from him before my flush gave away how much that appealed to me. Maybe one day we’d have a family, but right now I was in firm career mode. The Hartlock Foundation was going from strength to strength, and Pan had stepped back to dedicate more time to the music charity he started in TheBarracks. After spending so much time there clubbing, he was now paving a respectable path. As much as that was possible for Pan.

I pressed my finger into the middle of Ajax’s book and pushed it down.

“I want you to bite me.”

Ajax closed his book and laid it carefully to the side.

“Right now?” A smile played on his lips.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Walden loosened his tie and tossed it on the sand.

I lay back on the sun lounge and lengthened my neck, gratified by the gulp he made.