“You’re awake,” Doc Graves says as he enters the room. An older man wearing a fancy suit that I’d noticed drifting around follows him in. I sense a change come over Sully at the sight of the older man.
“Only here to make sure you’re alive,” the man in the suit says with a shrug, one I recognize because Reeve does the same thing. It all clicks together in my head as I get a closer look at the man. This must be their father. Sully once shared with me that his father isn’t a good man but not in the same way as mine.
“I’m alive.” The doctor starts to check him over.
“Thanks to me,” Reeve chirps from the chair he’s sitting in. His legs are stretched out. You’d think he doesn’t have a care in the world, but I see the look he gives Sully.
“Was it for her? She’s pretty,” Sully’s father says.
I start to say thank you, but Sully tries to sit up. “Don’t you fucking—”
“I’m proud of you,” his father says, cutting him off. “Your mother would have been even prouder.” The room grows quiet for a long moment. “I’ll make sure everything is cleaned up. Consider it a wedding present to the both of you.” He gives me a nod. “Maybe one day he’ll let me see you again. Until then.” With that, he turns and leaves the room.
“So, Doctor?” I ask, wanting to know if Sully’s wound is going to be okay.
“You can go home tomorrow. That’s all he cares to know,” the doctor responds.
“You would be right, Doc. Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Doc Graves says before leaving the room too.
“Get in here with me. You look tired.” Sully tries to pull me into the bed with him.
“Sully, no,” I hiss, not wanting to chance hurting him.
“I could use something to eat.” Reeve gets up from his chair. “You?” He offers my mom his hand.
“I’m famished.” She lets Reeve lead her from the room but not before shutting the door behind her, leaving Sully and me alone for the first time in what feels like forever.
“Get in here or I’ll put you here myself.” He scoots over to make room for me.
“Fine.” I can’t resist any longer. I slip into the bed, lying on my side to press my body up against him. I swear it seems like I took my first full breath in the last twenty-four hours. “Your family is strange,” I tell him as I snuggle closer into him.
“You’re one to talk.” I laugh. Isn't that the truth? I’m over here throwing rocks when I live in a glass house.
“Fuck I love that sound.”
“You did it.” I prop myself up on my elbow.
“You did it too, Petal.”
“Not like you.”
“Without you, none of it would have been done.”
I smile. A sense of inner strength fills me. I helped take down my father and save the women and children at the compound. Sully has healed me in so many ways. He reaches up, grabbing a chain under his hospital gown and yanks. When he opens his hand, I see the ring. My grandmother’s. He pulls the chain off of it, tossing it away. “Give me your hand.”
I don’t hesitate. I hold it out, letting him slip it onto my finger. I know without a doubt the man lying next to me is the one who was meant to put it there.
“Guess you will be the only one to ever know what I taste like,” I tease.
“Now that’s a vow,” he growls, pulling me down for a kiss.
I don’t know what’s out there in the universe, but whatever it might be, you’ll never convince me they hadn’t sent me my own avenging angel.
I love him in this life and any other.
EPILOGUE
SULLY
“She just got up from a nap, so she might be a little grumpy.” Orchid kisses Lily on her forehead.
“I’m grumpy after my naps too.” My father smiles and takes Lily in his arms, every line on his face going soft when he looks down at his new granddaughter. “Good lord, aren’t you beautiful?” he coos and dances away with her in his arms. Orion–who is something of a nanny these days–follows them, his tail high and straight and his whiskers pointed.
Orchid turns to me. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” I try to shrug away the tension in my shoulders. Having my father in our lives is a new thing. Very new. But he’s promised me he’s a changed man. No more dirty deals or illegal activities. I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime, thanks to him, and now he says he has, too. I suppose we’ll see. Orchid wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t. But when it comes to Orchid, I can be a bit of a pushover.
“Reeve’s outside with my mom.” She cups my cheeks in her palms. “Lily will be fine. Okay?”