“A month ago,” he said, looking less terrified. He thought he’d made some headway with me. If he only knew.
“So the bitch is dead. That’s good news,” I replied, as I lifted the gun and pointed it directly at his head. Standing up, I relished the pure horror in his eyes as he backed away.
“You can’t . . . I told you wh-what she did. What she owes me,” he said, his voice shaking.
“Reese owes you nothing. You stole her innocence, and you turned a little girl’s life into a nightmare. Not to mention you convinced her she was stupid. You marked her life in a way that can never be erased. Her past won’t ever disappear. It’s there inside her. She will deal with it for the rest of her life.”
He shook his head. “She wanted it,” he began.
And that was all I could take.
The bullet left the gun silently, and for a split second, I got to relish the look in Marco’s eyes as he knew his time was up. He fell to the floor with a thud, and I put the gun back into my holster. The hole in his forehead oozed blood that covered his face and began to puddle on the floor. His eyes were wide and empty.
He was the last bastard I’d send out of this world. My job was done. It was time I moved on from this. Taking out the man who had hurt Reese was the best way to close the door on this part of my life.
When it had all started, I hadn’t meant to fall in love with her. I knew her heart had been taken. But she was hard not to love.
“Enjoy hell, motherfucker,” I said with finality as I dropped the small printed card that had been sent to me for this moment. Then I walked out through the busted door and headed for the Escalade.
Once I got on the road and headed to my drop-off location for the Escalade, I took out the toss phone and hit the only number I had dialed from it.
“Cap,” the firm voice came over the secured line.
“Done,” I replied.
A sigh of relief came over the phone. “It’s over,” he said. I could hear the emotion in his voice. And I understood.
“Yeah, it’s over.”
We ended the call, and I dropped the phone onto the seat beside me.
I would miss working for DeCarlo. He’d given me a life when I was a lost kid. I owed him a lot. For the first time, I felt like I had paid him in full. The man who had sexually and physically abused DeCarlo’s daughter was now dead. Reese would live the life that her father wanted her to have. He no longer needed me trailing her to keep her safe. She was in good hands.
I had no doubt Mase Manning would give her the life of a princess.
Reese
Mase kept me in the cabin for the next two days. I was beginning to think he was more shaken up over this than I was. He kept me close, and Maryann brought us food. I let him keep me cooped up inside as much for him as for me. I knew we both needed to get back to our jobs, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the house.
More than once, Mase suggested that I call my father. He thought talking to him, my nonna, or Raul would help, but I couldn’t. I was afraid I’d hear their voices and be reminded of the life I hadn’t been given with them. The memories of what I’d lived with instead were too raw right now. Forgiving my father for not finding me and saving me sooner was harder after seeing Marco again.
Mase didn’t press me. While we were watching a movie and I was wrapped in his arms on the sofa, he mentioned going to Rosemary Beach for a week to visit. I knew he was trying to get me away from here. I had been safe in Rosemary Beach, but the fact was, Marco could have found me there. What if Marco had found me before? What if I hadn’t met Mase yet? That thought tormented me.
My nightmares were back in full force. As much as I wanted to be strong and go back to work, I knew I couldn’t. Not yet. I didn’t know where Marco was, and being anywhere that put me too far away from Mase seemed impossible. I hated that I was letting him do this to me. He was walking into my fairy tale and ripping it away from me. Just like he had done with my childhood and my innocence.
Until we knew that Marco had been found and was in police custody, I was afraid to live my normal life.
It was Tuesday morning when I finally told Mase that I wanted to go to Rosemary Beach. He didn’t waste any time. Our bags were packed, and a plane was sent for us within hours. Mase handled Piper, and he assured me that she was more worried about me than the job.
I loved Texas. I loved being here with Mase. But Marco had tainted it. He had taken that from me. I hated him. If only I hadn’t been so terrified; if only I’d screamed. If only I had hit him or reacted in some way, he wouldn’t be running free. I wouldn’t be living in fear.
When we landed and deplaned, Grant Carter stepped out of a silver SUV and made his way to us.
“Thanks for coming to pick us up,” Mase said as Grant took one of the bags from his hands.
“You’re family, man. No thanks needed.” His gaze fell on me. “Glad you’re here, Reese. Harlow has been planning every second of your stay. She’s very excited about having you at the house.”
The sincere smile on his face didn’t hide the concern in his eyes. These people actually cared about me. The evidence of that emotion caused my eyes to tear up. I’d never had a real family. The one I should have been able to rely on had let me down. They’d allowed me to live in a world full of nightmares. I wasn’t going to let that keep me from having a relationship with them, but I would never be able to truly forgive my father for that.
But this family, the one Mase came from, was loyal. They were ready to open their home and their arms to me. The people in his world just kept bringing me in and accepting me. Somehow I managed not to cry. Instead, I smiled at Grant. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to spending time with Harlow, too.”
Mase’s free hand settled on my lower back as he led me to the SUV. When Grant had loaded our bags and walked around to get in on the driver’s side, Mase pulled me close to him and held my face in one hand. “You’re my family, Reese. This makes them your family. No one in this world is more important to me than you, and because of that, my sister adores you. Accept that,” he said. “That’s not something to cry over.”
“I didn’t,” I said.
His small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yes, but you fought it. I watched your face. I know every expression you have, baby.”
With a soft laugh, I leaned into his hand and smiled up at him. “I love you, Mase Manning.”
“And that makes me the luckiest man in the world.”