Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
In the safe room, I check my clip before popping it back into my gun and cocking one into the chamber. I screw on the silencer before securing it on me. Then I check my feeds and my phone. I see the alert from Garrett. I power down the surveillance and disengage my locks.
The trap has been set. Every day we left, I made sure to only lock the handle of the back door. You can’t make it too easy. I’d like to think that no one is that stupid, but I know that they could be. Criminals are some of the dumbest.
Libby’s father had no fucking clue who I was. His obsession with Libby also clouded his judgment. Libby had no idea why her mother loathed her so much. I’m not sure telling her would help. Who wants to find out their mom doesn’t like them because their father has a sick fascination with them, so she’s jealous?
She’s been one of the many pushing back at Heaven’s Temple. I'm at a loss for how to handle the women. Her mind is warped. I'm not sure if this is a reflection of who she is or if life has shaped her this way. However, her mother was among the first followers. She hadn’t grown up in this life. There was a choice on her end. They all broke off from another church. It too had radical ideas, but not this bad.
I slide on a pair of gloves before I give Libby one last look. She’s sleeping soundly. I leave her to her dreams, slipping out the door and carefully down the stairs, evening out my breaths. I press my back against the wall and wait. It doesn’t take long for the fucker to pick the lock.
I let him slip right in, but not far. He barely makes it a few inches before I round the corner and wrap my hand around his throat, while the other easily yanks the gun from his hand and tosses it away.
“You—” I cover his mouth, slamming him hard enough to the wall to knock the air from his lungs. I jam my knife into his thigh. The same spot he scarred my girl. He screams into my hand as I twist the blade, leaving it stuck there. I pull out my own gun, pressing it under his chin.
“Me.” I stare into his eyes. “She’s mine.” I pull the trigger.
He’s had a chance to get away, but he’d made his choice, so I made mine. I let his body slide to the floor, opening the back door for Garrett.
“That was quick.”
“My woman is waiting in bed for me.” I wasn’t going to waste my time on this piece of shit. He’ll never be a threat to her again.
“I get that.” Garrett smirks. “I got this.”
“Thanks.”
“What are brothers for?” I shake my head but chuckle.
I strip off my clothes and drop them down on the ground for Garrett to take care of before heading back upstairs. I shower and change before I slip back into bed with Libby. She rolls, snuggling her face into me, her hand coming to rest on my chest, our legs tangled together.
“Did you get up?” she asks, not opening her eyes.
“Yeah, I had to grab something.” I take the ring I’m holding and slip it on her finger. It’s a blue sapphire with diamonds that surround it. It’s a perfect match to her eyes. Those eyes captured my heart from the moment they first met mine.
I’ve now Claimed Her Forever, in every way. Libby claimed me long ago.
EPILOGUE
LIBBY
Many years later
“You didn’t save me a seat?” I tease my husband, who has been trying to get me to come sit down for the past twenty minutes.
“I am your seat.” Ace pulls me down to sit in his lap. I roll my eyes, pretending I’m annoyed at his behavior. He wraps one arm around me so that I stay snug against him. His other hand comes to rest on my stomach. I’m only four months along, but I’m already showing. “How is your leg?”
“It’s fine.” My leg is actually better than fine. A few months after everything calmed down, Ace got me into a doctor who had me undergo a microsurgery. The repair did wonders.
“I’ll be the judge of that later.” I know he means a rubdown. I cannot wait for that.
“In the tub,” I suggest with a sigh. It has been a long day. Yes, a long soak in the tub sounds delicious right now. I have been on my feet all day, but I have loved every second of it.
It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s the town's annual holiday show. It’s a tradition that Winter and I started. Fate has a lead role this year. The whole town is jammed into Town Hall.