Consume (Civil Corruption Book 3)

by Jessica Prince

  Gina

  He stayed through every excruciating minute that ticked by while we waited for my mother to finally pass. He held me while I sobbed, pouring out all my pain and sorrow, drenching his shirt with my heartache. He was my rock when it was finally time to go home. I never thought the day would come when I’d want to stay in a place like that, so sterile and sad, but leaving that hospital was like ripping my own heart out.

  I knew he’d argue, but I couldn’t have done it without him. No way. I would’ve crumbled. I would’ve shattered into a million pieces onto the floor, never to be put back together again.

  But with him, I knew I could heal. It would take time, and the ache would always be there, but I would heal eventually. He thought I was strong on my own, and maybe he was right, but there was one thing I knew for certain.

  I was stronger with him.

  Instead of taking me home, he took me to his house, where he drew me a hot bath and forced me to eat a full meal. He called the girls and had them bring me enough clothes and toiletries to last me several days. He washed the dirty clothes in my suitcases, even going as far as folding them to the best of his ability. He sat beside me, holding my hand as I made funeral arrangements for my mom, and picked up the conversation whenever it got to be too much—which was frequent. And when it came time to write the check, he all but pushed me out of the way and paid for everything, his expression leaving no room for argument the one and only time I tried.

  He wrapped around me at night as we slept, and woke me each morning with gentle kisses on my shoulder before forcing me to get out of bed and into the shower because he knew that was what I needed. He let me mourn, even encouraged it, but he never allowed me to wallow. I was able to function, able to make it through the day feeling moderately human because he made it possible. Hell, he made it easy. Or at least easier.

  There hadn’t been a single doubt in my mind before all of this, but his actions through the hardest time in my life solidified one thing.

  He was the one.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Killian

  I was in awe of Gina. She’d made it through the entire funeral and graveside service with a strength of will I’d never seen before. She’d cried, she’d been unbelievably sad, but she’d held her chin high through the whole thing.

  The gravesite was starting to clear out. People would be making their way to my house for the wake since Gina’s pathetic little studio apartment wasn’t big enough for her, let alone all the people who cared for her.

  Our friends, joined by Lucille and Marco, stood back and waited while I gave Gina the time she needed to say goodbye one last time. After a few minutes, she stood from the chair and stepped up to the casket. She placed the snow globe with the cherry blossom tree among the spray of flowers lining the top, then rested her palm on the smooth wooden surface, staying like that for several seconds before finally turning on her heels and heading back toward me.

  “You ready?” She took the hand I held out for her, and I started leading her to our posse all waiting a couple yards away. The instant we reached them, the girls—Lucille included—took her under their wings and pulled her a few feet away, where they began speaking in hushed voices.

  I averted my attention to Garrett, Deck, Mace, Ian, and Marco. “Thanks for comin’ you guys. She might not have said it, but I know she appreciates it.”

  Marco let out a low chuckle and asked, “Just how bad did that hurt to say?”

  I had to hand it to the bastard, he had a talent for lightening the mood. “Not as bad as you’d think,” I returned, the corner of my mouth hooking up in a smirk I couldn’t hide. “It means a lot that you’d fly all this way.” I lifted my arm as a metaphorical olive branch.

  He hesitated for all of a second before taking my proffered hand and giving it a shake. “It’s what friends do.”

  My head bobbed in a nod of understanding. Marco wasn’t my competition. He never had been. Not really. He was just another person who cared about Gina. And at times like this, it never hurt to have as many people in your corner as possible. “You heading back to my place with everyone else?”

  “Nah, I gotta get back. There was a job I was working before this went down that I need to get back to.”

  A month ago I would’ve been the first to send him off with a giddy smile on my face. But now… well, now I felt a sense of contentment I’d never experienced, and that cemented trust deep in my bones. “Don’t leave without sayin’ goodbye to her, yeah? She’ll just hop her ass on the first flight to Virginia to kick yours.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” The smirk that had been stretching his lips slowly faded away. “Take care of her, man. She’s good people.”

  “I know. And I will. You’ve got my word.”

  He broke from our huddle and started toward my Thumbelina. I watched as she stepped away from her girls and moved into his arms for a long hug that would’ve made me lose my fucking mind just a handful of weeks before.

  “Aw, look at that,” Deck chided, drawing my attention back to the guys. “Our little Kill’s all grown up.”

  “Shut the hell up,” I rebutted with a chuckle.

  Gina and Marco shared a few more words I couldn’t hear before his arms gave her another squeeze and finally let go. They smiled at each other, and then he turned and started away, shooting me one last chin lift before climbing into his car and driving away.

  Gina’s arms coming around my waist pulled me back into reality, and when I shifted my head to look down at her, she was staring up at me with a small, sad smile.

  “You ready to go, baby?”

  She nodded and blew out a long exhale. “Yeah, let’s go. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can put this day behind us.”

  Gina

  I’d needed a break from the constant hovering. I loved my friends, but I needed a little time to myself. So when no one was looking, I escaped out the front door.

  I had to admit, Kill’s house was amazing. A tasteful Mcmansion in a gated neighborhood surrounding a lake that sat on a big plot of land edged on three sides by evergreens so tall they damn near kissed the clouds, and a real, honest-to-God wooden swing on the big wraparound porch.

  It was like a private oasis tucked away in nothing but beauty. Even in the front yard there was a sense of privacy I didn’t have in my own apartment. Truth was, I loved it there. I never wanted to leave, but I wasn’t going to broach that subject with him so soon in our relationship. All I could do was hope things stayed good enough that, one day, I’d be able to call this place home.

  Footsteps beat against the wooden steps leading up to the front door, pulling me from my thoughts. When I glanced up, I knew exactly who I was looking at, even if I’d never seen the man before in my life. He had the same eyes, the same jaw and nose, the same build. He was the spitting image of Killian, only twenty-five years older.

  “Hi.”

  He hadn’t seen me sitting there until I spoke, and once I did, his steps stuttered to a halt.

  “Hi.”

  Pressing my feet against the wood slats of the porch floor, I used the momentum to rock the swing back and forth. “You’re Killian’s dad, aren’t you?”

  “That I am, little lady. And I’m guessin’ you’re Gina.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He hesitated for a second before starting in my direction. “You mind if I sit?”

  “Not at all… unless you’re here to give your son a hard time. He’s had a lot on his plate lately, so I’d appreciate you not making things worse for him.”

  The man’s laughter was gravelly, rough, like it had been so long since he made that noise his throat was surprised. “You’re a blunt little thing, aren’t you?” he asked as he took a seat beside me. I took that as a good sign.

  “I am when it’s necessary,” I answered with a shrug. “And when it comes to protecting someone I care about.”

  He looked out at the landscape of the sprawling yard. “Gotta say, I’m a litt
le surprised to hear you being so protective, especially considering you’ve had an even rougher go of it lately.” When it became obvious that I was too stunned to form a response, he kept talking. “I’m very sorry to hear about your mother, darlin’. That’s why I’m here today. I don’t want to make any waves. I just wanted to pay my respects.”

  “I… oh. Well, um, thank you.”

  Reaching up, he rubbed at the back of his neck in a way that seemed almost nervous. “Look, I, uh… I want to apologize. You know, for what I said to you.”

  “It’s okay.” I spoke quickly in order to give him a break from the distress he was in.

  “No, it’s not. I was outta line—”

  “Listen, Mr. Everett—”

  “Paul. You can call me Paul.”

  I gave him a soft smile. “Listen, Paul. Something to know about me is I don’t hold grudges. You apologized, and it was sincere. I forgive you. It’s as simple as that. Life’s too short to hang on to things that make us unhappy, don’t you think?”

  “And she’s wise too,” he muttered to himself before giving me a grin. “Thank you, darlin’. That means a lot.”

  “You’re welcome. But just a word to the wise, Paul. I might not hold grudges, but there are only so many second chances I’m willing to give. After that… well, I may be tiny, but I can be scary.”

  He gave me another rough laugh. “Consider me warned.”

  “Good. Now, while you’re here, why don’t you head inside and go make things right with your son?”

  He stood from the porch swing and saluted me. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am.”

  Paul headed into the house, and another bit of the weight that had been settling on my chest for the past week vanished into thin air, making breathing a little bit easier.

  “I wanted to give you space, sweetness, but I’m starting to think you’d sit out here by yourself all night if I let you.”

  I turned from the sun setting over the trees and grinned up at Killian. “I ran into your dad out here a little while ago. Thought I’d give you two a chance to talk.”

  He sat down beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. I laid my head on his chest, and his voice rumbled into my ear as he spoke, soothing me. “Figured you said somethin’ when he came in and the first thing he asked was how I was doin’.”

  That made my smile even bigger. It was a sad day, but it was also one of closure. I truly believed Mom was better off. There was no more suffering or pain for her anymore. She’d been set free of her failing mind and could be at peace. And I took an unbelievable amount of comfort in that. “Good. It’s time you two straightened things out.”

  “He said the same thing. Also said life was too short to be unhappy, and he was gonna try to do better.”

  Pulling in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and blew out a relieved exhale. “I’m glad.”

  “I have to be honest with you, Thumbelina. I think my old man might be just a little bit in love with you. I don’t know what all you said to him, but whatever it was, he couldn’t stop singin’ your praises.”

  I let out a loud laugh, burrowing deeper into his side and hugging his waist tightly. “Careful, honey. You might be in for some serious competition. No offense, but your dad’s kind of a silver fox.”

  “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” he grumbled. “Maybe that way I can keep my food down.”

  God, he was amazing. I hadn’t thought it would be possible for me to laugh that day of all days, but I had, over and over again. And it was all because of him.

  “You ready to go inside?” he asked a couple minutes later.

  “In a bit. It’s relaxing out here.”

  His arm tightened around my shoulders. “You like it here?”

  “I love it,” I answered instantly. “You house is amazing, but this swing… I’m in love with this swing.”

  “Good. That’ll make moving you in here that much easier.”

  Sitting up, I looked at him with huge eyes. “What?”

  “You didn’t really think I’d let you go back to that shitty studio, did you?”

  I gaped at him for several seconds. “You want me to move in? Here? With you? Now?”

  His expression fell as he asked, “You don’t want to?”

  “No! No, I do! I was actually hoping for that to happen one day, but I didn’t want to seem pushy—”

  “I want to be with you,” he said with firm conviction. “I love you, Thumbelina. I love you in a way that I know will be forever. It might seem fast to other people, but I don’t give a shit. Having you in my house, it feels right.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” I asked breathily. “It feels right.”

  “So you’ll move in?”

  “Yes,” I said with a smile so big it made my cheeks ache. “I’ll move in with you.” Leaning in, I pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. “Thank you. Thank you so much, for everything, Killian. Maybe I would’ve been able to get through all this without you, but I’m glad I didn’t have to. You make everything easier… better.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way, Thumbelina. ’Cause as long as you’ll let me, I’ll spend every day trying to make your life better in any way I can.”

  “You make it better just by being with me.”

  “Feeling’s mutual, baby. From here on out, it’s you and me. For the rest of our lives.”

  I rested my cheek back against his chest and let out a contented sigh. “For the rest of our lives.”

  I really loved the sound of that.

  Epilogue

  Gina

  One month later

  “Kill? Baby, you home?”

  “In the back!”

  I dropped all the bags I’d gotten on my shopping excursion with Gwen, Corrine, Tate, and Lyla on the ground just inside the door and made my way through the house toward the kitchen. We weren’t planning to go on a shopping spree. The trip was initially to help Corrie find a wedding dress and pick bridesmaid dresses for us. That had turned into lunch and drinks, which eventually turned into spending a crapload of money on clothes and lingerie that I really didn’t need but seriously wanted.

  “Damn it, boy!” I heard Paul snap. “Are you tryin’ to cut my goddamn fingers off?”

  “Well if you hadn’t gotten in the damn way! I told you I’ve never used a fuckin’ table saw before!”

  Table saw?

  “If you’d have just listened to me and gone to Ikea like I said, you wouldn’t need a damn saw.”

  “No Ikea, damn it! I want these to be special. Will you quit bitchin’ and help me already?”

  My feet started moving quicker. I sat my purse on the kitchen counter and headed for the open french doors that led to the backyard. And what I stumbled on made me come to an immediate stop. “What’s going on here?”

  There were pieces of lumber scattered everywhere, like a freaking ship had wrecked right in our backyard. Sure enough, a table saw was set up on the patio, and there were tons of other tools thrown all around.

  “What’s goin’ on is your boyfriend here thinkin’ he can master carpentry on his first go, and he won’t listen to his old man’s advice.”

  It might not have seemed it at that very moment, but Kill and his dad had actually gotten extremely close over the past month, especially since Paul had picked up and move to be closer to his son. It was still a work in progress, but Paul was determined to be a better father, and Killian was more than happy to give him the chance. There were times the road got tough and the two bumped heads—pretty damn often, truthfully—but it was honestly more hilarious than frustrating, or at least it was to me. And everyone else who wasn’t Killian or Paul.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Kill grumbled as he stopped scrubbing at a piece of wood with what looked like a sanding block and came over to give me a kiss. “He’s just pissed ’cause he got a little too close to the saw while I was using it. His fault, not mine.”

  “He’s trying to kill me is wh
at he’s doin’. I’m too old for this shit.”

  “I didn’t ask you for your help, old man. You’re the one who horned in on my project because you were bored.”

  “I horned in because I knew you couldn’t do this without my help.”

  “Stop!” I shouted, holding up my hands and shaking my head. “It’s like dealing with children,” I muttered to the heavens.

  Then I swear to god, they both grumbled, “He started it.”

  “Just… can you guys quit complaining for two freaking seconds and tell me why my backyard looks like a damn lumberyard?”

  Killian blew out a frustrated breath and raked a hand through his sweat-damp hair. “Well, it was supposed to be a surprise.”

  “For what?”

  “For your birthday.”

  My forehead wrinkled in confusion as I placed my hands on his chest. “Sweetheart, my birthday isn’t until next month.”

  “I know,” he grunted. “But I figured I’d get a head start. The first took longer than I thought it would, and there are still three more to go.”

  “Three more what?”

  “Well, I’m….” He hesitated, looking to the side and rubbing at the back of his neck. “I’m making you cabinets. Curio cabinets. With glass doors for you to display your mom’s snow globes in so you can see them whenever you want.”

  My hand came up on a gasp, resting on my chest where my heart was currently threatening to bust through my ribs. “You….”

  Paul chose then to speak up and effectively killed the moment. “Aw, Christ. Is she about to cry?”

  “Jesus, Dad. Go get a beer or something, will you?”

  He stomped into the house muttering under his breath the whole way, but at least he had the decency to close the door behind him.

  “Oh my God,” I breathed, stepping into him and wrapping my arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you did this.” Then I looked around the massacred forest lying all over my lush St. Augustine. “Or, well, are trying to do this for me.”