Page 154 of Kill for a Kiss

Stan tenses up. He’s scared. That’s hilarious. But then the fear in him turns into shock, when I pull out his old phone. It’s cracked to hell, the screen spiderwebbed. I toss it onto the table toward him. It almost knocks his coffee off the table.

Stan picks the phone up, turning it over before giving me a look like I just handed him a dead animal. “Real classy, Silver,” he mutters. “Nothing sayshappy endinglike returning property back, all brokenwith bloodstains.”

I shrug, unapologetic. Hey, at least he got it back with the picture still in there. Yeah, maybe, I’m rubbing it in. Who cares? It’s better than punching his lights out.

Across the clearing, Elle’s sitting at one of the long tables, barefoot now, her dress loose around her knees, her scars catching the sunset without shame. She’s laughing with Jade, a second slice of cake on a plate in her hand. Her hair’s tangled from the humid air. Her smile outshines the damn horizon. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’ve been earning it everyday.

***

By dark, the tent’s thinned out, most of the guests have moved toward the beach or retired for the night. I cross the shore without thinking, zeroed in on her.

Elle looks up, her smile breaking over her face like she’s seeing me for the first time. Like she did when I removed my mask for her.

She rises before I can even reach her, fitting into my arms with a soft sigh that melts all the burdens I’ve ever carried.

The music drifts, low and slow. I drag her close, my hands slipping to the small of her back, and we sway together. Her arms loop around my neck, her cheek resting on my chest.

Somewhere nearby, I hear the faint sounds of Damon’s deep growl and Kaye’s wicked laugh. I glance sideways to see them standing a few feet away, caught up in their own world. Damon’s mouth is tight, but Kaye’s grinning at him like she already won whatever argument they’re having.

Elle pulls back slightly, her fingers in my hair. “Do you realize,” she whispers, “we reunited at their wedding reception half a year ago?”

I feel the memory hit low, brutal but somehow hope burnedthrough. “Not quite the same sort of party,” I mutter.

“No,” she agrees, giggling. “But it was still the start of everything.”

I tighten my hold on her and breathe her in. “You’rethe start of my everything, Elle.”

She brushes her mouth on mine, sweet and devastating. “I know,” she breathes. “You’re mine too.”

Around us, the world spins on, but none of it touches us.

She leans into me, her heart beating against my chest. “I love you, Sterling.”

“I love you too,” I whisper. “Always and forever, Elle.”

She laughs easy.

I smile bigger than I ever have.

We sway together while the world slips into silence. And I know—across fire or sea—I’ll find her. I’ll love her. I’ll keep her in my arms any way that I can. Because she’s mine. All mine. And I’ll always be all hers.