“If you want me to be happy,” she whispers, “then stop running from this and be with me.”
She stays completely still, with her breath brushing up against my lips, and waits for me to move. I know I have two choices. I can pull away—and something tells me she won't try again—or I can stop denying us what we clearly both want.
The question is, could I ever truly live without her?
I close the distance between us, and my entire body comes alive as we kiss—sealing our fate together. She smiles against my mouth and slides her hands into my hair to pull me closer. It's as if we're both breathing the life back into each other.
After all the drama.
All the pain.
All the words neither of us wanted to say.
The only thing that matters at the end of the day, is the two of us. I may not be a superhero, and I'm almost guaranteed to fuck up at times, but she's still here—loving me anyway.
The front door opens, and both our heads whip over to see Easton standing there. While he and I resolved our differences after Tessa managed to talk some sense into him, we never discussed the idea of me and Amelia. I watch him carefully, waiting to see what he's going to do, when he shudders.
“That is going to take a lot to get used to,” he groans and disappears into the kitchen.
Amelia giggles and buries her face in my neck. I hold her close and press a kiss into her hair.
She was right, we're better together than we could ever be apart.
I STAND IN THE middle of the RV, watching as a bunch of police officers rig my entire body with wires and listening to Mr. Trayland go over the plan for the third time. I can't blame him for being thorough. The whole case relies on this. If it goes wrong, it was all for nothing, and finding something that could finally put Blade where he belongs will end up being a lot harder.
“Say whatever you can to piss him off,” he explains. “People are more likely to admit to things in anger, and anything we can get out of him will help.”
Amelia sits on one of the couches close by, with Carter at her side. He's here with only one job— to keep an eye on her. I had tried to keep her home, but she wasn't having it. Ever since she got the go ahead to resume normal activity, she's refused to let me out of her sight. It's understandable, but I'd rather have her a million miles away from this.
“I still don't like this plan,” she says worriedly. “What if he goes after him again? Or have you not seen my sca
r that proves the damage he can do?”
Carter snorts at her sassy attitude, and I can't help but smile. Mr. Trayland, however, takes each one of her concerns very seriously.
“We will have eyes and ears on the place at all times. The second there is any kind of physical altercation, we'll put an end to it,” he tells her. “I promise you, Miss Donovan, he's safe.”
She looks over at me and her eyes narrow. “No trying to be an invincible superhero.”
“Says the one who tried to fight the guy with the knife.”
As she sticks her tongue out at me, I chuckle. The guys finish what they need to do with me and then tell me that they're ready whenever I am. I nod at them and walk over to my girl, pulling her into my arms and feeling her heart racing.
“I'm going to be okay,” I whisper. “And after today, we can put all this behind us.”
She nods but doesn't say anything as I lean down and kiss her softly. In a move I never thought I'd make, I pass her back to Carter and level him with a look.
“Make sure she doesn't try anything stupidly heroic again,” I tell him.
He smirks. “You've got it, boss.”
With one last glance at Amelia, I take a deep breath and head to my car.
PULLING UP TO THE abandoned house, you would never be able to tell there is surveillance on it right now. Nothing seems out of place, and everything is eerily quiet. If it wasn't for confirmation from police, I wouldn't even think Blade is here right now.
I climb out of the car and make my way around to the back yard. The cellar door is closed, but the lock is off, meaning he must have closed the door behind him. I open it up and start my descent down the stairs.
“About time, Raymond,” he sneers, but when he looks up and sees it's me, he grins. “Wow, Zaynie. You must have one hell of a death wish.”