Page 31

T he darkened street that lies between two abandoned businesses hasn’t seen this much action in years. The entire group that came together to help us take Colt down is here, waiting for Remy to walk through the door. With each second that ticks by, the tension becomes almost palpable.

“Where the fuck is she?” Ace growls, pacing along the blacktop while darting anxious glances at the closed steel door.

“She’ll be here. Don’t worry.” The words sound more confident than I feel.

“What the hell is taking her so long?” Saint cracks his knuckles, his eyes locked on the exit.

Rogue is standing in the middle of the street, glaring at the door like he can force her to appear by sheer intimidation.

Trip looks like he’s seconds away from crying.

Me? I’m doing my best not to lose my shit, though I’m not sure I’m entirely successful.

Etta is pacing behind me, her usually unfazed mask nowhere to be found. Every once in a while, she’ll stop and place a hand on my shoulder, but it’s like her nerves won’t allow her to remain still because she inevitably resumes her mission to wear out the pavement beneath us.

I keep telling myself that Colt was already weak. No way he could’ve bested her. But each quiet moment that passes without her beautiful face smiling back at me ratchets up my worry another notch.

“She should be out by now,” Jay says softly, stepping up beside me.

“She’s fine. I’m sure she?—”

“No, you don’t understand. She needs to be out of there by now.”

My eyes meet his worried stare. “Fuck. What did she do?”

“She asked me for?—”

A loud explosion rocks the night, shaking the buildings around us. A huge bloom of fire and smoke rises up through the sky, and there’s only one place that could be coming from. For a moment, we all just stare at the door, expecting her to walk through at any second. Sirens sound off in the distance, and in that instant, my stomach goes into free fall.

“No. No, she’s still going to come through that door. She probably just got shaken up, that’s all.”

Jay’s hand lands on my shoulder, and the guys form a line beside me. We stare helplessly, praying to anyone that might listen that our woman…our baby is okay.

“What the fuck even was that?” Trip whispers, hands woven together on the top of his head.

“She wanted that building destroyed, and I…” Jay coughs, his voice dropping to a mere rasp. “I helped her.”

“That’s why she wanted us gone.” Saint’s usually animated tone is flat with despair.

“She’s fine,” Rogue says, looking like he’s seconds away from running right back through the door.

Except there’s no handle. It only opens one way.

“I’m running back to the clubhouse. Maybe she made it out the front.” Ace rushes down the street, but when he gets to the corner, he comes to an abrupt halt.

“What is it, Ace?”

Through the orange glow cast by the fire blocks away from where we’re standing, I see the bob of Ace’s throat as he swallows harshly. My stomach drops.

“The blast took out the street in front of the clubhouse and part of the building across from it. The emergency crews are stuck on the other side.”

“I don’t care what you see,” Etta barks, walking toward Ace. “My sister got out of there. She did. I would know if…if…” Her voice breaks as Rage scoops her up into his arms. She tries to fight him off, hitting his chest. “She’s not gone. She’s not. I… She… She promised… ”

Watching the second strongest woman I know lose herself in her anguish damn near does me in. By the time I glance over, the first tear rolls down Trip’s cheek. Saint stalks forward and punches the brick wall, not seeming to register the pain. Jay is whispering something in Rogue’s ear as the big man looks seconds away breaking. And Ace… Ace hasn’t moved from where he stopped on the corner. His chest is heaving, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

But there’s nothing I can do to help them because my heart is shattered. My best friend, the mother of our unborn child, the woman I’ve loved my entire life, is gone . She promised me too, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in my short time on this Earth, it’s that promises are too easily broken.

I don’t feel it when I crash to my knees. It doesn’t even register when the first sob escapes my throat. The only thing I know is that I won’t survive this pain. I can’t continue on without her . She’s been my sole reason for living for so long that I can’t fathom a day without her beside me.

“Why’s everyone so glum?”

“Remy?” Etta cries.

My eyes whip around just as Remington walks over from the opposite corner. I take in the way her hair looks like she went through a tornado, the smudges of dirt and soot across her face, the tatter of her clothes, and the way she’s walking not quite straight. She looks like she’s been through hell, but I’ve never seen anything more beautiful because she’s fucking alive .

Ace is running to her before I can even process what’s happening. She’s in his arms, probably being squeezed damned near to death, but it’s like he can’t force his arms to ease up.

“I’d say you could kill me now, but people haven’t had much luck with that so far.” The hiccup at the end belies her sarcasm. “I really am sorry.”

“Fuck, Remington,” he rasps. “We thought we lost you.”

“Lucifer gave it his best shot but failed once again.” She squeezes him back, burying her nose in his neck. “Guess that’s what I get for taunting him.”

His chuckle is part laugh and part cry, then she’s wrenched out of his arms and straight into Rogue’s. He grips both sides of her face, his expression so ferocious I’d be worried if I didn’t know the dude is beyond lost over her.

“Hiya, big guy. Miss me?”

“Never. Again,” is all he can manage before his mouth crashes down on hers.

They kiss like two lovers that haven’t seen each other in years, which, of course, sets off Saint’s impatience.

“Look, I don’t want to have to resort to dirty tactics, but if you don’t share in the next ten seconds, I’m gonna kick you in the balls,” Saint demands, his voice husky.

Rogue releases Remy, gently setting her on her feet. She sways, but Saint is there to catch her.

“Angel, I swear to Christ, no more almost dying on us.” His voice breaks, and she wraps her arms around his waist.

“You can punish me later,” she mumbles against his chest.

Trip steps into her back, hands landing on her hips as his forehead drops to her hair. “I fucking love you, baby girl. Please don’t ever do that to us again. My heart can’t take it.”

With a shaking hand, she reaches back and rubs the stubble on his jaw, soothing him.

“Trust me, I don’t have any plans to do anything like this ever again.”

With my own patience at an end, I clear my throat. The other two drop tender kisses before stepping away. When she turns, facing me, her lower lip wobbles. She valiantly tries to fight it, but it’s a losing battle. Tears roll down her cheeks. When her body begins to give out and her knees buckle, I’m there, scooping her up as her arms wrap around my neck. Our foreheads meet, and I feel like I can finally breathe again.

“I’m here, Grant. I’m okay.”

Fuck, I could strangle her. But I won’t, because I need her so damn much, it’s scary.

“When I said I love you to hell and back, I didn’t mean for you to take that quite so literally.”

Her laugh ends with a sob, and before I know it, she’s crying so hard she can barely breathe.

“Shhh. We’ve got you now.”

The other guys surround us, and before I know what’s happening, we’re all in a big group hug. It sounds like it should be awkward as fuck, but somehow it works. Or at least it does for one blissfully heart-wrenching moment.

Then Saint has to go and ruin it.

Rogue’s growl echoes through the night. “Get your dick off my thigh, bro.”

“Aww, c’mon, Rogue. What’s a little rub between friends?”

Trip snorts.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ace mutters.

“You horny bastards! Let me see my sister right now.” Etta steps under Rogue’s arms, pushing all of the guys out of her way until she’s standing in front of Remy and me. “Hand her over, Grant.”

The others probably can’t tell, but I’ve been around the Steele sisters long enough to know that Etta is about two-point-five seconds away from going nuclear.

Gently, I set Remy on her feet, steadying her with a hand on her back. But I shouldn’t have worried. The twins step into each other’s arms at the same time, holding on like their very lives depend on each other.

Hell, maybe they really do.

“I swear to all that is holy, Remington Sunshine Steele. One of these days, you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“Her middle name is Sunshine?” Trip asks.

Remy’s head whips up to spear him with a watery glare. “If you ever repeat that, I will castrate you in your sleep.”

“I knew that already. How did you not?” Saint boasts.

Rogue rolls his eyes. “Of course you did.”

“Y’all need to catch up.”

“One of these days, I’m going to punch you in that smug fucking face of yours,” Ace growls.

As the guys bicker back and forth, Etta’s men, Jay, and the rest of the Sinner’s Mark leadership come over to talk to Remy.

I manage to fight back my urge to have her in my arms again until I realize she’s struggling to stay upright.

“Etta, we need to get her checked out.”

She steps back, eyeing her sister up and down. “He’s right. You look like shit.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Remy leans into my side, her head tilting back so she can look up at me. “But she’s also not wrong.”

Giving in and lifting her into my arms, I kiss her cheek. “C’mon, Rem. Let’s get you out of here so we can start our happily ever after.”

Her head finds my shoulder, and she hums her agreement.

With the love of my life in my arms, I walk away from the hell of our past and into a future that’s looking brighter than ever.