Chapter 16
Ahead of me by several paces, I let Kate lead the way to the grave of the man who had brought us together. She knew the way better than I did.
“Hey, my love.” She ran her hand over the gravestone, almost caressing it. “I’ve bought someone to see you.” She carried on like I wasn’t there at all. And I let her. This was the whole reason we were there. Paul was important to Kate. He would always be an important and huge part of our lives, and I wanted her to know that was fine with me.
“We have some things we need to tell you.” She giggled and self consciously looked over at me, like she had just remembered I was there. I smiled at her indulgently.
“But I’m guessing you already know, hey?” Crossing her legs, she sat, leaning heavily against the gravestone of the only other man she had loved. They had been together for so long, even when I had met them.
Forever.
That forever had ended in a bullet.
The pain of Paul’s loss was an open wound in my chest, still. It would always be there. There was no denying that.
I paused for a second before going to join her.
“Hey brother, it’s been a while.” It felt strange to be talking to nothing. To Kate, it seemed to come naturally, but it didn”t to me. I felt dumb.
I took a seat next to her, suddenly unsure of what I should do. Kate reached out and took my hand.
“I know you won’t be mad. I know it’s what you would have wanted but…” Kate’s voice broke.
“But I love her,” I finished for her. “I’m in love with her, Paul. And she feels the same way. We didn’t mean for it, but there it is.”
The trees lining the edge of the cemetery shuddered in a sudden gust of wind. Kate beamed at me. She thought it was a sign from above that Paul was okay with this. I didn’t believe in that sort of hocus pocus, but if it meant Kate felt better, then I would smile along with her.
Hell, what did I know? Maybe it was Paul’s spirit giving us his blessing. I did believe he would be happy for us. Paul would want nothing more than for Kate to be looked after and happy.
I could do both of those things.
I would continue where their forever had ended.
“I’m going to look after both of them for you. I promise.” I closed my eyes.
I wasn’t one for visiting graves. The dead were dead. They didn’t care if I came to visit their corpses. I had visited my brother”s and mother”s graves exactly twice. At their funerals and when I patched in with the Savage Sons.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
The voice was closer than I wanted it to be. Almost right behind us. I moved fast, but it wasn’t fast enough. Something heavy slammed into the back of my skull. I pitched forward.
Kate didn’t seem to know what to do. It all happened so quickly. “Legacy?” She made a move like she was about to come to my aid when Tristan Hunter caught her up around the waist.
“Time to pay up Katie-Kate.” He licked at her ear. And that’s when she screamed. The noise was loud and ear piercing until his hand clamped over her mouth, muffling the sound.
Dazed and confused, I forced myself up onto my knees despite my ringing ears. My only aim was to get to her and pull her out of that scumbag”s arms to safety.
A hard fist caught me on the back of the neck, immobilising me. Not that it stopped me trying to push my way forward. I didn”t want him touching her. Pawing at her.
Hell, I didn”t like the way he was looking at her. Scumbags like him had no right to look at someone as pure and innocent as her.
And I would kill him. I”d kill anyone who tried to hurt her in any way.
“Oh, don”t worry, Legacy,” Tristan continued as another blow landed on my neck, stalling me. “I”ll give her back when I”ve had my fill...”
Above the hand clamped over her mouth, Kate”s eyes widened. “When she”s paid the debt.” He chuckled. “Not sure if you will still want her then, but…” he shrugged and addressed his next words over my head. “Make sure he doesn”t follow us.”
It happened in an instant. A hand gripped the base of my skull and forced my head forward, smashing my forehead into the corner of my best friend”s gravestone. Blood gushed into my eyes, blinding me.
“Legacy!” I heard Kate screaming, and I knew she was struggling, but I didn”t have a chance to say anything to comfort her as my head made contact again and the world went away in a blaze of white.