Epilogue
Astra
“You sure about this?” Donovan asks me as he pulls to a stop in front of the cabin I spent most of my life locked up in.
Sure, I didn’t know it at the time, but the memories are tainted nonetheless.
It’s been weeks since the death of my father and Sandra, and weeks before that since I was here last. I’ve been struggling with coming back.
It took me a long time to come to grips with everything, and I don’t think I’m still okay with it. It’s going to take a long time to untwist this brier patch of a life I’ve had.
It all comes down to how much I need answers. The only place to get them is here. I’m hoping the aunts will have them.
“I think so,” I answer him.
No, I’m not really sure. I don’t know if I want to hear what they have to tell me. I don’t think I want to know how much they were in on it. But I can’t keep running for the rest of my life.
I get out of the car, glancing quickly at the SUV that followed us up here. Torrin is already standing at the rear of Donovan’s car, ready to follow us. I know there are two more guys in the car who will probably watch our backs at a distance.
I walk up the path to the door, noticing how things seem a little overgrown. It’s hard to shrug off the strange feeling brewing in my gut.
Donovan must notice it too because he grabs my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. He steps in front of me, and heads for the door, and I can see it’s already cracked open. He pushes it, widening the gap. I rush past him, not even thinking about what kind of danger I could be throwing myself into.
I gasp, tears spring to my eyes as I take in the cabin that at one point had been a place of warmth and love. There’s no life here. It looks as of it was abandoned years ago.
That’s when I see the three dust-covered skeletons cowering together in the corner.
There’s no way to tell if they are the aunts. Sure, one looks taller, and I could say that’s Blossom. One looks like it’s protecting the other two, which has Bambi written all over it. And I could easily say the other one is Misty.
But it doesn’t make sense in my mind. The skeletons look like they’ve been there for years.
“More magic?” Donovan asks.
I’ve never seen anything like this, but what else could it be?
“It has to be Sandra’s doing, but I don’t understand,” I say.
I cry.
I let it all out because I don’t know what else to do. My life has been an illusion. It’s been toyed with and twisted. If I think about it too much, I’ll start to question if this moment is even real.
How can I trust anything I see? Anything I experience?
“Astra,” Donovan says softly as he pulls me into his body.
I’ve gone through so much, but he’s real. I know in my heart. Sandra is dead. My father is dead. There’s no reason for me to doubt my reality now.
“What do you want to do?” Donovan asks me softly.
“One of my favorite places here was the flower garden in the far back corner.” I swallow thickly. “We’ll bury them there.”
I won’t ever know if they were in on it or helpless victims like me, though I’m suspecting the latter. They might not have even been real while I was here. But none of that matters now. I’m going to give them rest and move on.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” And as I take in a deep breath, I make another big decision. “And my mother, too.”
I don’t miss the look of surprise on his face.
If I’m being honest, I’d been thinking about it for a while.
I want her to rest somewhere beautiful. Somewhere that has a part of me to watch over her.
There’s no better place than with the resilient flowers that come back year after year.
The ones that make the air smell sweet and bring a smile to your face the moment they come into view.
Donovan told me he’d find my mother’s ashes for me, and he didn’t let me down. Okay, so he had someone else search for her remains, but I can’t hold that against him because he was taking care of me and so many others at the time.
“Show me,” he says as he takes my hand.
Without hesitation, I lead him to the huge space where the flowers are dying out. I wish it were spring so he could see them in full bloom. It looks kind of sad now.
I point to a stone bench and tell him that’s where I would sit for hours sometimes.
“I’d get so lost in my thoughts I wouldn’t even realize the sun had gone down.” I let out a little wet laugh.
Torrin steps into view with two shovels.
He gets to work, and I’m surprised when Donovan rolls up his sleeves and starts digging up the soggy earth alongside him.
When I notice Torrin losing steam, I take over.
It takes a couple of hours, and by the time all four of them have been given their own resting place and covered up, the sky is glowing orange with the setting sun.
It’s beautiful.
As weird as it might sound, I feel like I’m able to close so many chapters of my life. I breathe in deep, filling my lungs with fresh air. When I release it, I let everything go. All the paths of my life have led me to here.
To Donovan.
And as much as some of it sucked, I can’t hate how things turned out.
I’ve found someone who loves me, and I love him with everything I have in me. We have a strange patchwork family, and we all look out for one another.
I’ve never been happier in my life.
“Ready?” Donovan asks as he gives my hand a squeeze.
“Goodbye,” I whisper, tears leaking out of my eyes. I’m glad I have most of my memories of my mother back, but it only makes this harder.
I let Donovan lead me away. I’m sad, but I know I’ll be okay.
When we get to the car, he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t rush me to get in. He just wraps me in his arms and holds me until I’m ready to go.
I don’t know what my life would be like without him, and I hope I never have to find out.
Donovan
“Who’s that?” Astra asks as she takes the seat at the table to my left, her eyes on the man standing in the corner of the courtyard.
“New guy,” I say as I motion for him to come closer with a jerk of my chin. He doesn’t hesitate, stopping a few feet away from the table. I take a sip of my coffee, praising Lucille in my head for her magical nectar. No one makes a cup like her. “Meet Amant. Your new bodyguard.”
He wins points when he glances at her long enough to respectfully nod. Any longer, and I might have taken his eyes.
This might work out after all.
“Um, no,” she says. “Andre is mine.”
Andre and Torrin both snort, while Fabien’s body jerks in my peripheral vision like he’s trying not to laugh. I cut my eyes over to Torrin sitting on my other side, since he’s the only one of my two men I can lay eyes on at the moment. I know Andre can feel my glare, though.
The miracle of Andre being alive has turned into the miracle of Andre being able to walk without any trouble. I have my eye on Fabien. I think there’s more at play here. I won’t push him, but I will say I’m very curious to know exactly what is going on. For now, I’m just thankful Andre is okay.
I grit my teeth at Astra’s response.
How did I know this was going to happen?
She’s going to get what she wants because I won’t tell her no, but it really sucks that I’m going to lose Andre. He’s basically my third in command. Now, I’m going to have to shift shit around and figure out what I’m going to do with Amant.
I should stand up to her. Make this our first real fight.
But…
I fucking can’t.
I love her enough to give her Andre. I love her enough to give her the damn world.
“That’s not happening,” I say instead of giving in right away. Hey, I have to keep up appearances, especially if I’m going to permanently add this guy to my team. Can’t have him thinking his boss is a softie when it comes to her, even if it’s the fucking truth.
Fabien mutters something about needing more coffee. He’s dashing off with the French Press in his grasp. If only he knew I was laughing on the inside.
I can feel her eyes on me.
Torrin reaches across the table and steals a grape from Astra’s bowl. I’d glare at him if this hadn’t become a thing they do. Any minute now, she’s going to start tossing fruit across the way for him to catch in his mouth.
I both love and hate how they’ve become so close. Well, mostly love, if I’m being honest.
Astra fits right in here, with me and my fucked-up world. She’s really made us all a damn family.
“Donovan,” she simply says.
“Fine,” I say through clenched teeth. “You can have Andre.” Most of the time, but I chose to leave that part out. I won’t completely give him up. That’s a situation I’ll have to deal with later. “But you owe me a thank you.”
Heat flashes in her eyes the moment the words are out of my mouth.
“Here?” she teases as she looks around. “Now?”
Her flirty voice does me in.
“Everyone out!” I bark. New guy follows my direction right away, heading inside before I even realize he’s moving.
“You do realize you’re outside, right?” Torrin points out with humor in his tone, and yes, I’ve noticed how he hasn’t made moved to get up. “Anyone walking by could look through the gate and see what’s going on.” His smirk makes me want to punch his face.
“If they know what’s good for them, they won’t,” I growl.
Torrin laughs as he finally gets to his feet. He walks beside Andre into the house, shaking his head.
“Come here, My Beauty.”
She rises like a queen, taking her time crawling into my lap. My mouth is on hers the minute she’s settled, and I tangle my fingers in her hair.
I only give her a quick, hard, deep kiss before I pull away.
As her lips rip away from mine, she lets out the cutest little whine.
My other hand goes to her neck. She body arches as I bend her back over the table.
The exposed swell of her breasts is in my face, and I can’t help but drag my tongue over the full mounds.
As much as I want to take her here, I won’t. She owes me a thank you, yes, but she also has to know that she can’t think she can always owe me. I chuckle darkly at the thought.
Who am I kidding? When it comes to Astra, I’ll do anything.
My life is better with her in it.
And I’ll do anything to keep her.
“Donovan,” she whines.
“I can still smell your pussy on my lips,” I say as I pull her back into my body. I nip her neck, the curve of her jaw, her plump bottom lip. “I bet if I slip my finger inside you, you’ll still be messy with my cum.”
She lets out a desperate, breathy sound.
“Remind me, Astra, how many times did you come this morning?”
“Three,” she answers.
“Right.” I kiss her hard. “Remember that all day.”
There’s fire in her eyes when she realizes what I just said. I can’t help but chuckle at it.
“I’ll pay you back for that,” she promises as she slides off my lap. I snag her wrist and pull her back down.
“I’m hoping you do.” I smirk before kissing her.
“Tell me you love me,” she whispers, lightly kissing my lips.
“I love you, My Beauty.” I hold her eyes as I say the words. They come easier now, though I still like to keep these shared moments behind closed doors. Nothing is more important than keeping her safe. “Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” she promises. Her fingertips graze the side of my face as she tucks my hair behind my ear. “Forever.”
The End