by Penelope Sky
His arm circled me, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
Beside him, I cried.
“It’s over, chérie. It’s over.”
Twenty-Eight
Retirement
Fender
I stayed in the hospital for a week.
Melanie rarely left my side.
She would go back to the palace to shower and change, but then she would stay with me until the next morning. Visitors weren’t allowed, but some cash was enough to change that policy.
Even days later, Melanie was still an emotional mess.
It didn’t matter that I was still here, that the doctor said the wound was closing nicely—it wasn’t enough to erase the trauma.
Gilbert brought us lunch, so she sat beside me in the chair and ate while I remained in the bed.
Having to stay in bed for a week was ludicrous, but I didn’t try to get discharged early because that would get Melanie worked up. She was obviously more comfortable having medical help at the press of a button.
She hadn’t asked me about the camp, the girls, anything. She just seemed to be content that I’d survived the ordeal. But now that it’d been a few days, she brought it up. “So…what happened?”
I gave her the G-rated version. “We underestimated Napoleon—again. But we got the best of him, so it doesn’t matter. We lost a few of our men. Not many. Their men were all massacred, so that’s over.”
“The girls?”
“We had them brought to Paris with money and clothes. Told them they were free.”
“I bet a lot of them went to the police…”
I took a few bites. “Doesn’t matter. It won’t amount to anything.”
“And the camp itself? Is it just…vacant?”
“Yes.”
“What will happen to it?”
“No idea.” We’d taken the remaining coke and sold it off. The valuables in the cabins were removed. The horses were taken to my pasture. The camp was gutted, and the bones remained behind.
“What will happen to you?” She looked down at her food and pushed a few pieces around with her fork.
I watched her, seeing the apprehension. “I’ll get married. Take my wife on a nice honeymoon. Greece is beautiful this time of year. Knock her up a couple times. Live happily ever after, or whatever that line is.”
She raised her chin, a slight smile on her lips. “You got it right. But…is that enough for you?”
My eyes narrowed on her face. “Yes. Because you’ve always been enough for me.”
Her eyes softened like the rose petals in the garden, like the fire that glowed red before it went out for good, like the wick of a candle as it slowly met its end.
A knock sounded on the door, and Magnus entered. “Still here? Fucking pussy.”
I grinned. “Shut the fuck up.”
He came around the bed on the opposite side of Melanie. “That doesn’t look like hospital food.”
“I’m not eating that shit.”
Melanie smiled at the two of us before she rose to her feet. “I’ll give you guys some privacy.” She took her meal outside.
I watched her go before I took another bite.
Magnus watched me, his look turning serious. “How are you?”
“Never better.” I took a few more bites before I set the container on the table beside me.
“How’s the pain?”
Pretty fucking painful. “Insignificant.”
Magnus knew I was lying but didn’t call me out on it. “Melanie really loves you.”
A half smile entered my lips. “Damn right she does.”
He didn’t mirror my look. “She was a mess the entire time you were in surgery.”
I could only imagine.
“I’ve never cared for her. You know my reasons. But she really loves you…which is all that really matters.”
“You’re coming to the wedding, then?”
He nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Will Raven be a problem?”
His eyes shifted away momentarily, as if I’d struck a chord. “I don’t think so. Not anymore.”
“I’ll do my best to make amends with her, but I don’t think I’ll ever be successful.”
“Probably not.”
I looked out the window next, the energy in the room changing. The conversation neither one of us wanted to have was on the horizon, like the sun at dawn, almost on the crest of the earth.
“Thank you…for saving my life.”
I didn’t look at him.
He gave me all the time I needed to respond.
Which was a very long time. “Always, brother.” I turned back to meet his gaze.
He was relaxed in the chair, one ankle resting on the opposite knee, hands in his lap. “I would do the same for you, brother.”
I already knew that without his having to say it. “Looks like we won’t have to worry about that again.”
“Guess not.” He rubbed his hands together. “I thought you were dead before I got you in the chopper. But the medic said there was still a pulse…”
I was alive when I shouldn’t be—and I knew exactly why.
“I just can’t believe you pulled through that. Looks like Melanie gave you the will to live…”
“It wasn’t her.”
He watched me, his eyes narrowed.
I looked out the window for a while, seeing the dust motes float in the air from the beam of golden light. “It was Mom.”
All the features of his face softened. His hands stopped moving. He stared in silence, desperate to understand my meaning.
“She was there.”
He didn’t say a word, his eyes still on me.
“And she forgives me.”
I sat on the couch across from Magnus, in a tuxedo with shiny shoes, ready to pledge my undying love to the only woman I’d ever love. I had to vacate the room so she could get ready, and I’d been down here for hours, just waiting.
Just wanted to fucking marry her already.
I took a drink and regarded my brother, who looked visibly different than he used to. A couple weeks had passed, and while the changes to his face were subtle, they were noticeable. We spent more time together, did things that brothers did, like drinks at the bar, watching sports, doing something besides discussing work. “You gave it all away. I’ll never understand that.” Raven had given him an ultimatum because she considered his wealth to be blood money. I didn’t agree with that. I didn’t agree with her extreme views. But it wasn’t my place to disagree with her anymore.
His expression didn’t change, remained lighthearted. “We don’t need it.”
“Where do you live now?”
“In her old apartment. The tenant moved out, and we moved in.” His mood didn’t drop or change, like it was a simple decision.
“And you’re okay with that?”
He nodded. “It feels right.”
“Our goal was to retire. And you’re working again.” We’d worked to earn back the wealth that was stolen from us, so his actions made everything we’d done pointless. I would offer my money to him, but he would never take it.
He shrugged. “I like horses. As long as I don’t deal with people, I’m fine.”
“You could start the business again. Just do it the right way.”
He was quiet for a long time before he shook his head. “I’m not interested in that anymore.”
I nodded in understanding, wanting to accept his decision without judgment, but I needed to know something first. “Are you happy?”
His eyes shifted away, his mind elsewhere. “Yes.”
That was all I needed to know. I raised my glass to him. “Cheers.”
He smiled and did the same. “Cheers.”
We both took a drink.
“What about you?” he asked. “Are you happy?”
“The love of my life is marrying me today. Fuck yes, I’m happy.”
His eyes gave a smile. “I meant with retirement. You really
think you can do that?”
I wasn’t obsessed with crime. But I was the kind of person that always needed to be doing something. I needed to be working toward something. I couldn’t just hit the gym all day and fuck my wife afterward. “Maybe I’ll start some other kind of business. Or maybe when we have kids, that will be enough to keep me busy.”
“What kind of business?”
I took a drink. “I’ve always admired art. Maybe an art gallery.”
He nodded. “That’d be cool.”
“So, when are you going to ask her to marry you?”
His eyes immediately flicked down the hallway to the stairs in the foyer, making sure the girls were still upstairs and nowhere nearby. “Soon.”
“Yeah? How?”
“I have an idea.”
“You going to tell me, or what?”
“You never told me how you proposed to Melanie?”
I grinned. “Because it was romantic as fuck, and I don’t want you to copy me.”
He rolled his eyes and laughed into his drink. “At the Eiffel Tower.”
“Cliché.”
“I’m going to put the ring inside the Count of Monte Cristo. It’s one of her favorites, and I gave her a copy when she was a new prisoner at the camp. Meaningful to her for a lot of reasons. I thought she would open it, see the ring inside, and that would be it.”
I grinned at my brother. “Okay, that’s pretty romantic.”
He grinned back.
“She’ll say yes.”
“She won’t. Because I’m not going to ask.”
I nodded in approval. “Melanie loves that book too.”
“She does?” he asked in surprise.
I tried not to be offended because nothing would upset me on my wedding day. “She’s a lot smarter than you realize. And you also fail to realize that if it weren’t for her, none of this would have happened. She kept Raven alive. She reminded me who I was. Without her, we’d still be at the camp right now.”
He absorbed what I said, his gaze turning serious. He gave a subtle nod in agreement. “Mom would have loved her.”
“Yeah, she would have. And she would have loved Raven, too.”
With her arm through her sister’s, she glided toward me.
Like she had wings.
The gown was more expensive than my car, and she was the only woman who deserved to wear it. With her hair down, diamonds in her ears and around her neck, she was divine.
And she was mine.
Eyes locked on mine. Confidence in her spine. Love in her eyes. She walked slowly, but she was so eager to get to me.
Just as eager as I was to get to her.
They stopped in front of me, and Raven finally let her go.
Melanie was my responsibility now.
I took that responsibility seriously.
My arms circled her waist, and I pulled her into me, kissing her like no one was there. It was just the two of us, and she stepped into my office after she woke up. My lips took hers with a gentleness I’d never exhibited before, because my love had never been as deep as it was now. Deeper than the roots of the oldest tree.
She rested her forehead against mine, her hands on my arms, just a few inches shorter than me in those sky-high heels. A breeze moved through her hair, making it dance in the wind. Her eyes reflected the sunlight behind me, but they were brighter because they glowed entirely on their own.
The priest cleared his throat. “Shall we begin?”
I had been married to her the first time we were together in that cabin. My commitment was solidified for a lifetime. There was never another woman for me after that, even when she left me, because I was miserable without her. There was no hesitation or doubt. She was the woman for me—and I’d known it the moment I saw her. “Yes.”
Twenty-Nine
Forgiveness
Melanie
Nothing changed.
Marriage didn’t change our lives whatsoever. Our honeymoon didn’t feel like a honeymoon. We didn’t feel like newlyweds.
Because every day was our honeymoon. Every day felt like we were newlyweds. Every day was experienced with the same commitment we’d always shared. My last name was different, and I was a countess, but I’d felt like royalty the moment he’d laid eyes on me.
Raven stood across from me at the kitchen island, where we used to eat together when we both lived in this apartment. We drank our coffee and picked at the muffins she’d bought at the bakery that morning.
It was strange to be there, because I was a different person than when I had first arrived.
Now I didn’t even know that woman anymore.
“How was your honeymoon?” Raven’s voice brought me back to reality.
I held the mug between my fingers, feeling the warmth against my skin. “It was amazing. Greece is…indescribable.”
“What did you guys do?”
“Well…other than the obvious, we went shopping, had lots of lunches and dinners, lay by the pool. We stayed on the island of Santorini, in Opa, and it’s this little village where you can walk everywhere. I thought Paris was beautiful…”
“I’m glad you had a good time.” Raven had dropped her hostility toward Fender, but she wasn’t warm toward him either. There was just calm acceptance, and that was all I wanted.
“How are things with you?”
“Magnus is liking his job at the stables. He trains horses, grooms them, takes care of them. He keeps Rose there.”
“That’s nice.” When Raven told me she’d made Magnus give away his money, I’d thought it was harsh, but I accepted it without question or judgment. We were different people. She saw the world in black-and-white. I saw it in all the colors of the rainbow. “What about you?”
“It’s nice to be back in school. I’m also working at the bar I used to go to.”
“Is it weird…to be living a normal life?”
She looked down into her coffee for a long time as she considered the question, probably reflecting on her life in the camp, everything that had transpired. “It’s weird that it happened so quickly. It feels like…it’s always been this way. I feel like Magnus has always been a part of my life, when I’ve only known him for months. I guess our shared journey changes the measurement of time.”
I understood exactly what she meant. “When do you think he’ll ask you to marry him?” I brought the mug to my lips and took a drink.
A smile moved on to her lips. “He already has.”
“What? Why are you asking me about my honeymoon, then?”
She laughed and held up her left hand, a simple band there.
I’d noticed it earlier, but since it didn’t have diamonds, I’d just assumed it was a ring she’d decided to wear on that finger. It wasn’t anything like mine, but it was perfect for her, perfect for them. “Aww, I’m so happy for you. How did he ask?”
We talked about it for a while, and it was a proposal that was ideal for her. Our coffees were depleted, and we picked at the muffins until nothing was left.
“Where do you want to get married?”
She looked out the window for a long time before she ripped off another piece of muffin and placed it in her mouth. “The chateau.”
We had been deep in the snow, a blizzard blowing around us, and she’d claimed to hear that bell. I couldn’t hear it—but maybe I wasn’t meant to. I gave her a smile. “It’s perfect.”
She nodded, emotion moving into her eyes. “I think so too.”
We sat together in silence for a long time, each of us reflecting on the events that led us here. I came to Paris looking for a trip over Christmas break, but in the end, I would never return to America.
Because it wasn’t my home anymore.
Fender was my home.
Magnus was hers.
All we’d had was each other—but now our family had grown.
“Melanie.” Her voice changed abruptly, dropping a few decibels, turning serious the way it did before she reprimanded me.
“I’m sorry…for the way I’ve treated you.”
My eyes didn’t blink. My body was still. I stared at her because I had no idea what she meant by that.
“You didn’t ask for Mom to die. You didn’t ask me to take care of you. I’ve resented you for the burden, but it was never your fault…and I’m sorry for that.” She dropped her gaze to her coffee, like she couldn’t look at me as she said all this. “I moved to Paris because I was tired of being responsible for you. I was tired of cleaning up your messes. I’m ashamed of that now, because if I’d just taken the time to help you grow into your potential, I would have seen what Fender sees. I would have seen your kindness, your compassion, and your bravery. But I was too busy resenting you to do that.” She lifted her gaze and looked at me, her eyes a bit watery. “I didn’t realize how deeply my resentment affected you…until Fender told me.”
I inhaled a deep breath, feeling my eyes water, because that man was always there for me—even when I wasn’t in the room.
“You’ve always been loyal to me, Melanie. You’ve always been loyal to what we both believe in. But I was too lost in myself to see that. If it weren’t for you, I would have died a long time ago. If it weren’t for you, that camp would still be running this very moment. If it weren’t for both of us, the future would be different for a lot of people. We both played our parts, and I think it was meant to happen. I think we were meant to come here, end that camp, fix those broken men, and together, heal. We’ve lost the same thing that they have—family. But together…we’ve become our own family.”
Tears dripped down my cheeks for the first time since my wedding. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that to forgive myself, to find the closure my soul desperately needed. “I’m still sorry that I got us wrapped up in the first place—”
“Don’t be.” She looked at me with her own watery eyes. “Because I wouldn’t change anything. I had to go through hell to find Magnus—but he was worth it. There’s no one else I could ever be with. He was made for me.”
