Page 75 of Wrath

“Whatever happened there,” Esmae says carefully, “it wasn’t your fault. I’ll never judge you.” I give a stiff nod. “Anita says you’re staying across town in a hotel?”

“It’s really nice,” Wynter says.

“But you can’t stay there forever,” she replies.

“The local council are working on flats or houses for everyone, but some people will have to move out of area,” Anita cuts in.

“I have a house,” Esmae says. “It’s just up the road. It’s yours.”

I frown, glancing at Wynter. “We can’t take your house,” she says.

“My brother left it to me in his will. Your uncle,” she adds, smiling at me. “I have no use for it as I love my bungalow. I was thinking of selling it, but I can’t bear to part with it. He’d want you to have it.”

Anita stares at me with hopeful eyes, and I give a slight nod. “That would be amazing,” she says. “And it would get Ares off the waiting list for a property.” She looks to Wynter. “It’s not too far for you to visit him.” Wynter nods in agreement, but I narrow my eyes and take her hand.

“Where I go, she goes.”

Wynter glances nervously at Esmae, who smiles wider. “Of course. It has four bedrooms.”

“Summer too,” I say firmly.

“And the other guys?” Wynter asks hopefully.

I sigh, nodding, even though the thought of being around the warriors twenty-four-seven stresses me out. “That would be amazing,” says Anita eagerly. “And it would ease the pressure on us to find more places. It would just be temporary, until we find the guys something more suitable.” She looks back to Esmae. “If you’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m one hundred percent. I don’t want to lose him again. If he’s just up the road, I can visit?” she asks hopefully.

I smile. “Every day.”

She relaxes back in her chair. “I’ve gone from having no one to a family again.”

“And a grandchild,” adds Wynter, and Esmae’s eyes widen. “We just found out.”

EPILOGUE

WYNTER

One month. One month since we left Paragon Village. Two weeks since we moved into our new home. And it’s beautiful. Even Summer is wowed by its modern technology kitchen, which Anita spent ages showing us how to work because none of us could figure it out. The coffee machine blew our minds.

Coffee. That’s my new addiction, although I’ve had to have decaf because apparently too much caffeine isn’t good for the baby.

I lay my hand over my tiny bump and smile. I have a scan booked in for tomorrow, and I’m excited. Summer discovered she’s having a boy and she’s over the moon, although she’ll need to have the baby tested to reveal who the father is.

She’s accepted Michael, Zeus, and Max, and they’ve made a real effort to show her they’re good guys. They even fight to make her breakfast each morning, and that fight continues throughout each day to make sure she’s comfortable and looked after. I think they’re all secretly hoping to be the father because they seem to have a soft spot for Summer.

The guys are doing well. They have therapy sessions, some one-on-one and others as a group. Anita said they needed to facewhat happened to them and work through it, and she was right. The night we moved in here, Summer and I were woken over and over by the nightmares that plagued them, causing them to call out in fright. They’ve gotten less frequent, but they still happen. Ares got the guys jobs as security on the doors at a local nightclub. It made sense with nightmares keeping them awake. They sleep more peacefully when it’s light outside.

Anita gives me regular updates on the others from the village. Most are doing well. Martha visits us regular, and she even has a job cooking dinners at the local school. Jaycee and Anna live together too, and we met up with them just last week to see they’re thriving.

My mother . . . she wanted to stay in contact with me and Summer, and after many discussions, we decided against it, at least for now. Anita explained she’s moved out of the area and is attending counselling to deal with everything. I know she was a victim too, but there are things she did, things she said, that make me think she’s just as bad as he ever was. For now, it’s best we heal individually.

Ares and I are happy. He hates being away from me and follows me around like a lost puppy, but I don’t mind it. Having him close makes me feel safe again.

The door opens, and Ares grins, immediately stripping out of his shirt and kicking off his trousers. He drops beside me on the bed and pulls me to his chest. We haven’t tried to be intimate yet as neither of us are ready, but snuggling and kissing is our favourite thing to do. The rest will come naturally, according to Summer.

I sigh happily. “I love you,” I whisper as he strokes his fingers up and down my arm.

“I love you too,” he replies.

“Forever?” I ask, and I feel him smile.

“And ever.”

Our start in life wasn’t a good one, but we’re more determined than ever to keep moving forward, to get the life we deserve.

Together. Forever and ever.