Even though it was a cheap move, a hollow victory, I ended up winning.
I fell back, laughter erupting from my mouth, the exhilaration of victory washing over me as I lay there, paralyzed and unable to move. I wanted to get out of here, to see Laney, to tell her that I had won. That I loved her.
But I couldn’t.
My body was like jello, unable to move forward, unable to foster a single ounce of movement.
I chuckled once again, sitting there and touching the floor.
“You really did it now Stephan,” I said to myself, laughing once more.
As I continued to sit there and laugh, a part of me wondered if I would be saved by someone, anyone at this point. I wished that Laney was here, to be with me in my final moments.
I turned to Daniel, his body lifeless. I moved over towards him, touching his stomach. For a second, tears began to flood through my eyes, and I started to realize that this was it. This was the end of the line for me.
“You know, I’ve always hated you. I really have. And yet … I get it. We could’ve been friends had you acted normally. And I guess that’s what I miss the most.”
Of course, there was no one there to listen to my rabbling. But then, all of the strength I had left, that little bit of strength I’d been holding onto, was gone.
I passed out. I didn’t know whether Laney would come to save me, or if she was alive, but I did hope that I’d wake up after this, see her again, and we could live a normal life.
That was all I really wanted.
Chapter 5—Laney
When I got there, all I saw were bodies on the floor. My breathing grew ragged as I raced over, holding Stephan’s body in my arms.
“Stephan? Please tell me you’re okay! Please,” I screamed out loud.
I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt like no matter what I did at this point, it would only make things worse. I grabbed his body, hoisting it onto my back as best I could. I made every effort to lug the big man, the man I loved, toward the exit. I quickly called Meryl, saying that I had found him, but that he was unconscious. Moments later an ambulance arrived on the scene.
“Are you sure you want to stay, miss—”
“Yes. I’m with him,” I simply said, my voice hollow as I looked at them. They all stayed silent as the ambulance brought us over to the hospital. When we got there, they wheeled him into the ER, and I waited.
I was scared. Did I get there too late? I remembered seeing Daniel’s corpse on the ground close to where Stephan had lain. I was suddenly reminded of how precarious the situation was.
Stephan had killed him. Just like how I killed Audra. I knew that it would all be figured out and rectified, but that still didn’t make the ache in my heart any less fearsome, and it didn’t make me feel any less guilty.
After what felt like forever, the door opened, and someone came out.
“You’re Laney, aren’t you? Meryl told me about you. Well, we have some good news. He’s going to make it. It’s going to be a long road to recovery though. It took out a chunk of his motor function, so I don’t’ think anything besides tattooing is on the cards for now,” he explained.
I listened, my head feeling heavy with regret.
“Can I see him?”
“If you want. He’s still unconscious though, and I don’t believe he’ll be waking up anytime soon. I think it’ll take a few days.”
I nodded.
“I’ll stick around anyway,” I told him.
“I get that. You do love him, don’t you?”
I felt that in my heart. I really did love him.
“Yeah I do.”
“Well, as long as you understand that he may not be awake for a while, I’m sure it’ll be all right,” he said to me.
I waltzed inside, seeing him there unconscious. I grabbed his hands, feeling the heat that radiated off of them. I felt like crying as I realized the true reality of my situation. He may not wake up anytime soon. But at the same time, I was just grateful that he was alive.
For the next three days, I didn’t leave Stephan’s side. The nurses brought me some food, and I thanked them for it. I didn’t want to leave him because I felt that if I left he may not make it.
It was a stupid feeling but I couldn’t help but feel like no matter what, I would stay by his side.
After a bit, I wondered if he would ever wake. This comatic state wasn’t fitting for the leader of the Ravens. Apparently, Meryl was working her ass off to make sure that we weren’t arrested, and I did thank her for that. She was one of the best people out there, and she helped me far more than most people ever did. But I did wonder what might happen to us, what might happen next, and the future we would face.
I was scared, but also, I was ready to see. I knew that he felt the same way too.
After a week or so, or maybe it was less than that, I noticed him stir. I quickly opened my eyes, looking at the figure in front of me. Soon, his eyes opened and Stephan and I looked at one another. A smile of relief flashed across his face.
“You made it,” he said with a smile.
“I told you I would. But I could say the same to you,” I told him.
He laughed slightly, a small wheeze coming out of his mouth.
“Well, I told you I’d come back too. I’m glad the woman I love didn’t leave my side either,” he said.
“I told you I wouldn’t. I’ve been here since I discovered you. You know, back when I found you unconscious on the ground and all.”
Yeah. I killed him, Laney. I killed the one person standing in my way. I avenged his death. And yet …. I feel sad,” he admitted.
I knew what he was going through. Audra was someone I had hated, but I also felt like I had done the wrong thing in a weird way.
“I feel this I certainly worry about whether I did the right thing or not. But Audra was a part of my past, someone whom I didn’t really expect to ever see again, who became a much bigger part of my life than I thought. While it is sad to see them go, we can work on building a better life together. Now that the threat is gone, we can be happy. I think that’s something we can take as a reward, you know,” I said to him.
He nodded, smiling warmly. He leaned in, touching my cheeks slightly and smiling.
“I can move on. Because I have you,” he said.
“I…I have you too.”
We both stayed there for a second, hugging one another. The evil was gone, we could live our lives like normal people again. For me, I could finally have a normal relationship with Stephan, one that wasn’t held back by the problems of the past, and one that didn’t have some strange bullshit attached to it.
And we could actually be a couple for once, something I’ve always wanted, and something I could finally achieve.
Chapter 6—Stephan
Recovery wasn’t all that bad. I was in the hospital for a little bit, but it didn’t take nearly as long as I expected it to. When it was all over, I was released, and shortly after, I was back to normal. Of course, mobility was the biggest issue.
I hated having to use a wheelchair for a long time. But it also meant that I could go back to my duties. Thankfully, the fighting soon calmed down. We were able to find the soldiers that Audra was producing and stopped them from committing more heinous acts. Some of them did need to be euthanized, since they were so far gone and keeping them alive would’ve driven them mad. But a lot of them finally calmed down once we had them.
A month passed and it was time for the meeting between Meryl, Heusinger, and me. He had made a recovery and thankfully the other groups were able to quell the rebellions. We had managed to take control back.
“Here are the financials, Stephan,” she said.
“I see. So we can safely say that everything’s chilled out for a bit?” I asked.
“You could say that. I’m surprised really,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when I heard about you getting poisoned, I wasn’t sure if you’d recover. But here you are, safe and so
und. I am relieved.”
I smiled.
“I am too. I told you I wouldn’t be dying anytime soon,” I said to her.
She nodded. “I know that you’ve been through a hell of a lot, but I can see that you’re better now. I am just glad you made it.”
“I am too. I’m glad I didn’t have to give up the leadership to others. And that I got to avenge him,” I said.
I thought about Robert. The man who raised me and who was almost like a father to me. He is gone, but I did end up fulfilling his dying wish. To make the world a better place for all of us.
There was something oddly satisfying about that, and there was something about all of this which made me feel good.
“Anyways, what’s the plan now?” she asked.
“The plan is we keep everything the way it is and work to expand,” I told her.
That really was it. I didn’t have any specific plans that would change because of this, and I didn’t want to change many things either. I felt better just by being myself and taking care of the business.
“Good. I’m glad. So when are you and Laney gonna get hitched,” she teased.
I blushed, but then laughed.
“I’m not sure. We’re finally a normal couple. I wouldn’t mind doing it … well soon. I just want to make sure she’s fine with it,” I admitted.
“She should be. Just go out and get a ring. Trust me on that,” Meryl said.
The rest of the meeting went as normal. After I told Laney I’d be back later tonight and I decided to make a few trips.
The first was to the jeweler. When I got there, he looked at me with an agape face.
“You … you’re here. I never thought I’d ever see you again,” the jeweler said.
“Yeah well, you still have that ring, right?”
He nodded.
“I was going to buy it.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I know that you were on the fence with that girl and—”
“The situation’s changed,” I told him with a beaming smile. I put my hand through my ponytail, my eyes staring directly into his. I wasn’t going to leave until I had it.
The guy quickly nodded and then got the box ready. After he gave it to me, I made one last stop.
The cemetery.
There was about an hour till closing, and when I got there, I walked right towards the plot, the place that I hadn’t been to ever since the incident happened.
I put down the knife that I had along with the gun that I used to kill Daniel, burying it in the ground.
I stood back, looking at the gravesite. My eyes filled with tears as I stood there.
“Hey there, Robert. It’s me. it’s been a long time. I came here to tell you that I did the job. I killed your murderer. It wasn’t the best thing I’ve done, nor my proudest moment, but I did it for you. And now I’m going to marry the best person to come into my life and I’m going to be happy. That’s all I’m here to say.
I do wish we didn’t have to part like we did all those years ago, but you changed me for the better, Robert. I wish you could have stuck around. I wonder if you’d be proud of me. Anyways, I better go. I have to go and see her.”
The wind whistled through my ears as I stood there, my body shaking slightly. It hurt, but at the same time, it felt really good to come back here.
I finally did it. I could move on with my life and finally get over the past.
I left the cemetery, my heart heavy, but I touched the ring that was in the box, and I felt slightly nervous, but also happy. I was a bit scared, but I also knew that no matter what, things would be okay.
When I got to the house that Laney and I shared together, she raced over, giving me a hug.
“There you are! I was wondering when you’d be back,’ she said.
I hugged her back, holding her there for a moment. The two of us stayed like that for a long time, neither of us saying much more. After a moment, I pulled back, looking into her eyes.
“By the way, there is something that I wanted to speak with you about.”
She looked at me with surprise but then nodded.
“What do you mean?”
I pointed over towards the balcony.
“Let’s go out there.”
She looked confused but did my bidding. Outside, I stood there, looking out at the city below.
We were together at last. There was nothing stopping us. I turned to her, giving her a small touch on the shoulder.
“You know, I told you after everything was done, we’d be a normal couple, right?”
“Yeah, I was wondering what happened with that. I mean, we kind of have but I’ve just been wondering what’s next.”
I then moved my body slightly, looking her in the eyes.
“Well, I finally closed the door on my past today. I paid my respects to Robert and I gave back his gun. The one I used for killing. I don’t’ need it anymore. Robert told me to give it back when I no longer needed it. So that’s what I did.”
“I see. I’m glad,” she admitted.
“Instead, I wanted to put a lid on that and move forward. And because of that, I wanted to give you this.”
I then moved my body down on one knee, fishing for the box. Her eyes widened with shock as I pulled out the box, holding it there in my hands. I opened it and she gasped.
“I wanted to give you this. Will you … will you marry me, Laney? I’m not sure if this is the right way to do it, but I’m just—”
“I will! I want to!” Laney cried out, pulling me into her arms and hugging me. I chuckled, hugging her back and feeling the relief flood through my body.
I thought she’d say no. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was just my own doubt, but she didn’t. I slipped the ring on her finger and looked into her eyes. I grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close, and holding her there.
“I love you, Laney. I hope you know that” I told her.
“I love you too,” she replied.
We leaned in, spending a moment in one another’s arms, giving each other the passionate kiss that we both deserved. I was happy and I knew that this was the beginning of a new life for me, and one that I’m sure Laney wanted as well.
Chapter 7—Laney
It was the life I'd dreamed of. As I kissed Stephan, I realized that we could finally have some semblance of normalcy.
It was strange after living your entire life on the edge, with people following you and trailing you no matter where you went. It was finally over. For me, it all began the day I broke up with Alex. But now that it was all finished, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I knew that it was the same for Stephan.
We made out on the balcony overlooking the city. As I kissed him, he put his tongue near the entrance of my mouth. I opened it slightly, letting him in. The two of us locked lips and kissed passionately for what felt like forever.
There was nobody to stop us. We were in our own little world.
When he pulled away, we both panted, looking into each other’s eyes for a long time, neither of us saying anything. He stared at me, touching my hair and taking a moment to just look at me.
“I’m so happy I get to marry such a beautiful woman,” he said.
“I’m glad too,” I told him.
He looked at me with a smile on his face, and soon, he pulled me inside. I locked the door to the balcony, but soon, we were kissing once again. It took a long time to finally make it to the bedroom, but when he laid me down, I looked up at him with a smile.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too.”
We kissed again for a long time, both of us savoring the moment. There wasn’t any danger, nor were there any real threats out there. Instead, there was just us, and there was just that happiness that we both experienced with one another. He kissed down my neck, touching and teasing the edges of my veins with little kisses and nibbles. I shuddered, moaning out loud and in pleasure at the feelings he bestowed to me.
This was heavenly. I
wanted nothing more than to just solidify this moment, to experience it completely and without anything else.
I started to feel him touch the tip of my collarbone, touching the very edge of it and sucking on the succulent flesh there, making me shiver with delight and cry out in pleasure as he continued to tease the flesh there. He quickly discarded my clothes, taking a moment to look at my naked body, touching my curves and looking at me with the sincerest gaze.
“I’m glad that I get to come home to this every night,” he purred.
“The feeling is mutual there,” I told him.
He pressed his lips to one of my breasts, touching and caressing it slightly, making me cry out as he sucked on the tip of the nipple. His other hand moved towards my other lonely nipple, tweaking it in his hands. I cried out, bucking my hips slightly and moaning in sheer pleasure. I wanted more and I knew that he was enjoying this just as much as I was.
His hands and mouth worked wonders against my body, touching and teasing me, pleasuring me in the ways he knew how to. He didn’t want to stop, and I realized that this was only driving me more and more mad.
I was losing my mind.
I could feel the pleasure completely overtaking my body with every single moment, driving me to the edge with each passing second. I loved it and I sensed that he wanted nothing more than to just make me lose control.
I watched him smile, and I could see that he wanted to see how far he could take me, how much he could tease me until I was close to cumming, and then, he would stop.
I gritted my teeth, crying out little sounds and moans as he doted on me.
His lips moved away from my breasts, but his fingers kept teasing me as if I was an instrument and he was a skilled player. He paraded his lips downwards, delivering small, succulent kisses with every passing moment, driving me to the point of madness with every single action that happened.
He made his way to the tip of my clit, touching the very edge of it with his tongue. I shivered with delight, moaning out loud with every single motion. I felt the sheer pleasure that came from all of this. He continued to tease me, pleasure me, and making me feel good.
Inked MC Boxset: Books 1-6 Page 18
