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The rain has finally stopped, and a new day is breaking when the police finally finish interviewing me. The night feels like a blur, and I can barely remember their questions, I’m grateful Knox called the club’s lawyer. Reliving the night’s events has completely drained me. Thankfully, the police seem to believe me, and their lawyer doesn’t think they’ll press charges. That does little to assuage my guilt. I let Ashley die. I may not have trusted her, but she didn’t deserve that. If only I’d found the gun sooner she might still be alive. I know I’ll never forget tonight, as much as I may want to.

Knox is waiting for me when I come out and he pulls me into his strong arms, his embrace a welcome comfort. Part of me had dared to hope that the others would be there too. Their absence is worrying.

“Let’s get you home,” Knox says, gently guiding me out of the door.

“Where are the others? Why didn’t they come?” I ask, my voice small and childlike.

Part of me worries they’ve somehow decided they don’t want me, that they don’t care enough to come, the other worries they physically can’t come because they’re hurt. I don’t know which will hurt more.

Knox looks torn and I can tell he’s wrestling with whether or not he should tell me the truth. “Please, whatever it is, tell me,” I urge.

Finally, he relents. “They’re at the hospital.”

“What happened? Are they okay?”

“Yes, they’re okay,” he says, but I can tell he’s withholding something from me.

“Please, tell me.”

“Not here. Let’s get home and then I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

I can only assume he doesn’t want the cops overhearing.

“I’m not going home. We’re going to the hospital to see them, right now. You can tell me what happened on the way.”

Knox knows me well enough by now to know how stubborn I can be. One look at my determined expression and he gives in with a sigh.

“Come on then,” he says heading over to Ashley’s truck. He only had his bike with him, so it made sense to take hers. It feels strange climbing inside. It was only a few hours ago that Ashley and I were driving to the safehouse and I thought the nightmare was over, it turned out it was only just starting.

As we drive to the hospital, Knox explains everything that happened up until the point that Axel told him to come find me. He then relays his phone conversation with Jace. Apparently, Lucifer was fighting dirty, trying to run Axel off the road. Axel managed to hold his own and even overtake Lucifer at one point, but then the other man rammed into the back of his bike, causing him to crash. Lucifer’s move was a foolish one as it caused him to lose control of his own bike. He came flying off, colliding headfirst with a tree, killing him instantly.

Seeing their leader was dead, but that there had technically been no victor, the remaining Hellhounds wereconfused. Some decided to flee while others stayed and fought. Knox doesn’t go into details, but it sounds as if Rider and Jace were lucky to have beaten them. Both got wounded in the process but will be fine.

He continues, “Axel wasn’t so lucky. He hit his head when he crashed. The helmet saved his life, but there was swelling on his brain, and he’s got several broken bones. He’s currently in a medically induced coma.”

Knox is still speaking, but I can’t take any of it in. After surviving so much, will a motorcycle crash be the thing that ends him? I don’t even realize I’m crying until I feel Knox lean over and wipe them away.

“Did you hear me, Leah? I said he’s going to be okay, the doctors think he’ll make a full recovery.”

Relief floods me. “He’s going to be okay? Really? They’re all okay?”

“Yes, Leah, he will be, and they are,” Knox replies with a smile. “Please try to keep calm, it’s not good for the babies,” he adds, worry marring his handsome face as he pulls into the hospital parking lot.

I love how much he cares for these babies before they’ve even been born. My heart swells with love for him and I pull him close, kissing him deeply. Pleasantly surprised, he kisses me back.

“You’re incredible, do you know that?” I tell him.

He smiles at me and shakes his head. “No. You are. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself for not being there on time to rescue you, for not being there when you needed me the most. But I hope that if you take one positive thing from this wholehorrifying ordeal, it’s this, you are a strong, capable woman. You don’t need a man to save you, you can save yourself. I promise, I will be there every step of the way as long as you’ll have me, as a partner, a lover, or even just as a friend if that’s what you want, but know that you are capable of doing anything, with or without help.”

A strange sense of pride floods me. He’s right. I did survive all that without anyone else. I don’t need a knight in shining armor to save me, I can save myself. If I survived tonight and finally got Tony out of my life for good, there’s nothing holding me back. I can be the mom these babies need without any help. I can choose. He’s giving me an out. He’s telling me that he won’t mind if I want to be alone. He’s giving me a choice. Something Tony robbed me of. I love him for it.

“I love you.” The words come before I’ve even registered what I said.

He looks at me in shock and for a second, I think I’ve misjudged it horribly, but then he breaks into the most gorgeous grin I’ve ever seen. “I love you, too.” The words are like music to my ears, and I know I can face what’s to come with him by my side.

We head into the hospital hand in hand where we find Rider and Jace, both bruised and bandaged but otherwise fine, waiting for us in the reception area. I rush over to them and throw myself into Jace’s arms. He hugs me tightly.

“Good to see you, gorgeous. I heard about how badass you were tonight, remind me never to piss you off.”