Chapter 38
A fter twenty-three years of separation and six years of believing her dead, my cold dead heart never thought it would be reunited with my Helen. There’s no way someone like me would end up in the same place as her. My blood-soaked soul would never be granted access to the same place as hers.
Twenty-two years ago, we made the best decision we could for Cora’s safety and I wouldn’t change that, as much as it ripped us apart.
When I turn to leave Cole’s funeral with the weight of his death on my shoulders, at first, I think I’m hallucinating. It wouldn’t be the first time her ghost is haunting me. I never dared to hope Helen could be alive. To hope is to be disappointed. But at Cora’s sharp gasp, I know I’m not the only one seeing her here.
She’s a shadow of the woman I once knew, a pale imitation of her former self. But there’s no mistaking it—it’s her. As I move closer, the bruises on her skin and the haunted look in her eyes come into sharp focus. My chest tightens with rage and sorrow, and in that moment, I make a silent vow: I will do whatever it takes to erase that expression from her face and destroy the parasites who dared to harm her.
Pulling her and Cora into my arms at the same time feels like coming home, a grounding moment amidst the chaos. I’ll slay every demon that haunts her.
Whatever it takes to help her heal from the hell she’s endured, I’ll do it. If it means I get to keep her this time, nothing will stand in my way.