Page 143 of Blood and Thorns

“Clearly.” I glanced down at his handcuffs, then back up to meet his eyes.

“I thought the bombs were a clever distraction,” Chip continued, his eyes empty. Resigned. “Made you believe Margot knew about all the distribution, when in reality it was just me.”

“You made a mistake in coming after my Arabella. You did me a favour in taking out her father, but now it’s your turn.” Reaching over, I encircled my fingers around his throat, feeling his breath strain and his pulse become erratic.

Chip sealed his fate the moment he’d set his eyes on her. From the start he’d manipulated her kindness, turning her trust into a weapon against me. That betrayal I could never forgive.

Once, I might’ve strung him up above my ring, left him there as a warning. But things had changed. Now, Chip wouldn’t bleed. He’d simply vanish, because Arabella needed more than vengeance. She needed a future where she was free to be whoever she wanted to be. To have a life that wasn’t controlled by fear.

She may have never been meant for my world, but she chose me anyway.

Which made her mine to not only possess, but to protect.

“How does it feel to have the snake so close to home?” Chip managed to push out, his face becoming red the harder I squeezed. “Do I have your respect now?”

“No.” I dropped my face closer to his, my words the last he’d ever hear. “Checkmate.”

Epilogue Part 2

Arabella

Six months later

I didn’t think it would be this hard to say goodbye to a place I never cared about. But it was once my home, a place I thought was safe. With my single cardboard box, I stared at Dad’s armchair, trying to see whether I could see any stains. Which of course I couldn’t, the place having been thoroughly cleaned to the point I couldn’t even see the rings that were once engrained in the table from his bottles of beer.

I’d been putting off coming back for so long, and now that I was here, all I wanted to do was leave. To close this part of my story and honestly never think of it. Almost pretend it didn’t exist. Which yes, was a super unhealthy way to deal with my emotions, but I’d already filled up several notebooks and had run out of space. So I think I deserved a little head burying, thank you very much.

“Are you ready?” Sebastian asked, reaching over to take my box from me. It was pretty much empty other than my books and perfume bottle collection. Everything else I’d organised a charity to come pick up.

“I think so.” Taking the key, I left it on the table beside the armchair for the landlord to find. “You didn’t have to come with me, you know.”

“I know,” he said. “But I wanted to.”

I smiled up at him, finding those intense, midnight blue eyes on me. It was strange to think that nine months ago I didn’t know he even existed, and now I got butterflies at the thought of this dangerous man coming with me to say goodbye to my old life.

Becausehewas my new life.

With one last look, I left the house I’d shared with my father and walked out to the car. I smiled at the driver when he noticed me approaching, his returning expression warm as he opened the passenger door.

Sebastian appeared, shoving the box aggressively into the driver’s hands. I’d have rolled my eyes, but I’d already slipped into the seat, with Sebastian coming in beside me. He immediately pulled me onto his lap, spreading my legs so he could stroke my inner thighs.

“Bad girls don’t get to come,” he whispered against my neck.

I laughed, resting my head on his shoulder. “What makes me bad?”

He slapped my thigh, the sting lasting only a second before warmth spread across my skin towards my core. “Flirting with the driver. I’m going to have to fire him.”

I sucked in a breath, his fingers teasing the lace between my legs. “He… he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No?” He teased across the fabric, thumb pressing against my clit.

“Sebastian!” I groaned, trying to move, except he pinned me against him with a hand collaring the front of my neck.

“What does mybeautiful little rabbit want,hmm?”

I shivered at his words, his voice always huskier when he spoke French.“I want you,”I replied in the same language, having been learning it along with sign.

Sebastian tore the lace, his fingers finally touching me. “Ask me what he did, Ara.”