Page 28

Chapter 27

Trey

My father chose a cemetery for Mother on the mainland. The one thing I can be grateful to him for—I never have to return to that wretched island.

He’s rolling over in his grave now that his only heir is selling off everything he ever owned. His entire estate. I don’t need or want any of it. The money from the sale alone will be enough for me to find my own place, start fresh somewhere with Juliet. A place that isn’t tainted with so many horrors, the subject of both of our nightmares.

The heavy weight on my shoulders that has been my constant companion my entire life is gone. Disappeared with my father’s final breath.

Now that I have Juliet by my side, holding my hand and loving every part of me—even the darkest parts—an unfamiliar feeling floats up in my chest.

Hope.

Under the bright sun, Juliet presses her hand against the tufts of grass that have grown over my mother’s grave. He buried her here alone, no family around. Nothing more than a name and some dates. She was so much more than that. At one time, she was everything. All that I had.

“Thank you,” Juliet whispers to my mother, swiping away silent tears. “For saving my life.”

Her gratitude for my mother makes me love her that much more. Part of me regrets that my mother will never get to see the two of us together, that I’ll never introduce Juliet to her as my girlfriend, that she won’t attend our spontaneous courthouse ceremony whenever we elope.

But another part is certain that she knows exactly the love and healing we’ve found in each other.

My little demon presses a sweet kiss to my cheek before leaving me alone with my mother to say my goodbyes. For now.

I’ll never be able to thank her enough. Never stop being grateful for the sacrifice she made that night for a fifteen-year-old girl she didn’t know. She was well aware of what would happen to her for taking that risk, for saving a girl’s life, and she did it anyway.

The warmth from the sun kisses my cheeks, and I let my eyes fall shut for a moment, pretending that the warmth is from my mother’s hands. “Thank you for keeping her safe. I’ll take it from here.”

A whisper of a breeze. My mother telling me to go. To take care of the girl I love. The girl she saved so that I might one day meet her and fall in love.

The girl who would, in turn, save me.

I join Juliet back in the parking lot, her ass resting against my bike, metal shining under the bright sunlight, and her red helmet clutched in her arms. I swear she’s almost as in love with the bike as she is with me.

Blinking away the tears, I grin at her and grab my own helmet. “You ready for our first official date?”

She cradles my cheek before mirroring my grin. Her touch heals me in ways she’ll never know. “I’m ready.”

We’re hitting an escape room before we go axe-throwing. Then, if we’re up for it, we might swing by a rage room and destroy some shit. Perfect first date with the perfect little demon.

“Kind of weird that we’re just going on our first date when we’ve already killed together, fucked each other’s brains out, and now share custody of a pet.”

“So weird.” Juliet slips on her helmet. “Absolutely crazy. Just the way I like it.”

I swing my leg over the bike and take her hand to help her climb on back. “Am I fucking you on the bike tonight, or chasing you into the woods and taking you against a tree?”

Either option works just fine for me. As long as I have Juliet, I’ll do whatever she wants me to do to her. I’ll show her how grateful I am for her every second for the rest of our lives.

She wraps her arms around me, squeezing close. “Who says I’m letting you fuck me? It’s only the first date.”