Epilogue
EPILOGUE
brEE
ONE YEAR LATER
It’s her birthday.
Everyone else seems to think it’s a bigger deal than it is.
Especially Cole, who decided to surprise her with an intimate get together that included Darlene, Kyle, and even Carl.
Carl, who slapped Cole on the shoulder and threatened to kill him if he ever hurt Bree.
She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Her mate even coerced their cat into wearing a birthday hat before she grew annoyed and batted it off her head.
It’s all surprisingly domestic for a man that was happily killing people a year ago, but she’s not complaining.
Her life has significantly improved because of her mate—and the sundress she wears for her birthday proves it. It’s still covered by a sheer sweater, but her marks are visible, and she feels no shame. She’s making progress.
“You need to come up again,” Darlene insists over mouthfuls of cake. “No one’s died in like, a year, up there. It’s perfectly safe now.”
Bree chokes on frosting.
“You can bring Ellie, too,” Kyle adds, petting the cat as it struts across his lap on the couch. “So she can meet her dad.”
“That’s not how cats work,” Darlene says, narrowing her eyes. “He’d probably try to eat her.”
“Anyway,” Kyle adds. “You should definitely come up. And we have a spare room; you can stay with us.”
She feels Cole slide an arm around her waist and she relaxes into his hold. “I don’t see why that’s a problem,” he says, looking down at Bree.
She raises an eyebrow in surprise, but he quirks his lip.
“What? They said it’s perfectly safe, sweetheart.” He presses a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll protect you, don’t worry,” he whispers in her ear, low enough that only she can hear him. “I’ll make sure there are no murderers lurking around.”
She glares at him in disbelief as he gives her a wicked grin.
That’s what she’s learned in the last year about her mate. He has a good heart and a sense of justice that she admires. It’s only when he decides to take matters into his own hands that things can get messy.
Cole’s not perfect by any means, but she’s learned he’s perfect for her.
“Oh, hey! They were spotted!” Darlene’s eyes widen as she looks at her phone. “Holy shit. No way .”
“Who was spotted?” Bree asks.
“The prisoner from last year! And the girl!”
“Erik and Ellie?” Cole asks, his voice neutral.
“Yes. Look! ”
Darlene holds up her phone. It’s a blurry photo, but Bree can see a couple, both wearing sunglasses, sitting outside a café.
The woman is laughing. She looks happy.
“Are you sure it's them?” Bree asks. “That picture isn’t the best quality.”
“That’s what the article says,” Darlene explains. “But…oh, it’s in Austria . Yeah. Maybe it’s not them.”
Kyle looks over at Darlene’s phone. “Well, if it is, they look just like any other couple. Guess she did go with him willingly.”
Bree’s heart feels like it’s going to burst. A surge of love rushes through her, and she glances at Cole, who wraps his arm around her tighter.
She’s almost positive it’s Erik and Ellie in the picture. She spent too many hours doing a deep internet dive on their relationship, and their faces have been ingrained in her mind.
Ellie did choose him. Ellie went with Erik willingly, in the end.
Doctor Porter was right.
She wonders if he saw the article about his former patient.
A part of her breathes a sigh of relief, knowing she’s not the only one who looked past the monster and found the man inside.
“You look lost in thought,” Cole murmurs into her ear. “And your emotions are all over the place.”
Darlene is chatting with Kyle, no longer paying attention to them, and their cat is cuddled up on the opposite cushion, dozing.
“I love you,” she says simply.
He grins, brilliant and breathtaking, the corners of his eyes crinkling .
“I love you, too.”
Heart full, she spends the rest of her birthday with a small, secret smile on her face.