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Picking up the gun, I aimed it at him. I should kill him, but he needed to suffer first. I blasted his knee. He screamed, cursed, and dropped to the floor. Blood poured onto the rug.

Infuriated, he tried to reach for a chair to throw it at me. “I’m going to kill you just like I did your father!”

I should have ended him for murdering my father and countless other people. But I knew the person he had hurt most was my love. She needed the closure.

A creepy tune that made me think of clowns echoed in the room. Where was it coming from?

The song also distracted Ghost. Then the door swung open, and Vivian stepped inside, looking pissed rather than scared. She held out her phone, pressed a button, and the song grew louder.

The song came from Ghost. Shock splashed onto his face.

His crown could play music? I loved this woman more and more.

“We’ve recorded everything. You shouldn’t have come to me for dental work,” she told Ghost. Then she flicked me a look I understood.Take cover.

“You bitch!”

He charged at her furiously, and she tapped her phone. “Who has the last laugh now, asshole?”

“Duck, baby!” I shouted to Vivian even though she already knew.

I ran and crouched beside a long table. Ghost’s mouth detonated. Parts of his head scattered to the floor. His body swayed and finally dropped to the ground.

I rushed to Vivian, gathering her in my arms. “You okay?”

Though her body trembled, her eyes gleamed with tears as she smiled at me. “It’s over.”

CHAPTERSEVENTY-TWO

VIVIAN

A weekafter the event in Monaco, I let the debris settle before doing anything else. My life before that trip had been filled with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. But now, all those emotions had drained out of me and were replaced with love, hope, and joy. With these emotions, I felt liberated.

The emotions stirred in me, making me aware of where I was compared to where I’d been. I witnessed my personal transformation, and that was a gift I’d cherish forever.

Governor Fenner and Judge Patterson were apprehended based on anonymous recordings sent to the FBI and the news stations. Prince Allard was dealing with the problems in his country. Two families had filed lawsuits against the prince for assaulting their young daughters. This was only the beginning of his downfall. The Trogyn were probably livid right now. Their elite members were slowly apprehended, which meant their organization was crumbling.

Ghost had died from the crown explosion, which the authorities believed resulted from a crime organization taking out an enemy. They also said Ghost had pulled the fire alarm to create a distraction for attacking Arrow. Arrow had removed certain audio portions that could incriminate us prior to sending it to the authorities.

My love got the closure he deserved. Though Arrow never talked about his father, knowing what had turned him into a monster made forgiveness possible. Sometimes, forgiveness was the first step to truly healing the past.

Today, Arrow and I were meeting up with Calvin in Newport, Rhode Island. Arrow walked along the seashore, talking to someone on the phone. He gave me privacy to talk. I loved Arrow, and he knew it. There was nothing between Calvin and me.

Calvin sat on the bench beside me, looking at the few boats on the water. Early April was cold, but that didn’t stop people from enjoying the sunshine. He wore a brown leather jacket with jeans, looking more relaxed than I’d ever seen him.

“Thanks for the gold and the cash,” Calvin said. “Arrow organized everything into one legal business transaction.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Why didn’t you keep it?” he asked, referring to the money I’d discovered in the storage.

“It’s not my money.” I looked at him. His black hair had grown longer. “It belongs to The Triad.”

He nodded and smiled. “We used it to rebuild two restaurants and a warehouse that Ghost destroyed. I’m glad the fucker died the way he did.”

“I kind of wish he’d suffered a bit more, like going to prison. But then I’d worry about him escaping prison and coming back to find me. So his death was the closure I needed. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“You feeling okay?” He met my eyes. “Seeing someone die like that changes you.”