Page 99 of Empire of Carnage

“Glad to share it with you.” I smiled at her, Ronan squeezed her shoulder from her other side, and with a slight gesture of his head he silently asked to push her in.

She nodded, and we followed the rest of the way into the guest room she’d been making residence in. Didn’t feel right to keep her any further away from us. It was probably not going to be as temporary as we all tried to make it out to be. Shewasfamily. Because family was more than blood, more than who you slept with, more than who you created. It was the people who were there for you unconditionally.

The ones who cheered you on, who made you believe you were worthy of love and happiness.

“When are you gonna stop milking it and get out of that chair? I was shottwiceand was walking a week later,” Ronan teased her.

“Look my ugly friend, I have absolutelynothingto prove. I’m gonna relax and heal on my own.” She elbowed him off her chair and I chuckled.

“I think I keep you around because no one puts him in his place like you do,” I told her.

“What can I say, I have a way with the assholes. Goodnight Celia.”

“Buenas noches amiga.” I shut her bedroom door and followed Ronan back through the hallway to find Santos and Mateo sleeping on the couch together.

Their legs entwined and Santos’ head resting on Mateo’s chest.

“Take a picture, this is adorable,” I whispered to Ronan, knowing damn well my phone had died at least three tequila shots ago.

“Should we wake them up?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“Nah.” I pointed to the other couch. “They look so comfy.” Ronan walked over to the other sofa, laying down and gesturing me towards him.

I sank into his hold, melting in his embrace and smelling the lingering scent of the bonfire in his clothes.

“Te quiero,” I told him.

“Te quiero mucho, mi amor,” he responded. “Is this everything you wanted?”

“And more. Is this enough for you?” I asked, lifting my head up from his chest.

“Enough? You’re everything.” He squeezed me tighter.

“You think it’s enough for them?”

“They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t, flower.” He kissed the top of my head, his fingers raking gently through my hair, coaxing me into a peaceful sleep.

It was enough. Because we were together.

We were enough.

36

BONUS EPILOGUE

25 years later—

The following epilogue has content that could be considered spoilers forHeartless Heathens: A why choose gothic romance :

click here to read first

“Señora Presidente.” A blue-eyed girl with an array of silver and black hair was led into the office by my secretary.

She couldn’t have been more than twenty-five.

This was the girl that was going to change the world?

I’d heard plenty about her, how she graduated at the top of her class, the orphaned granddaughter of the multi-billionaire and rumored occultist, Arlan Black. It was a known fact when you got high enough in the chain of the world that the Black family had been responsible for discreetly placing and choosing world leaders. Something happened twenty-five years ago and that potato with arms ended up sending the country to the gutter just as we found our way back in México.