Chapter 47
Xavier
Everyone’s hanging on José’s lips. “I forced Sunny Reed to kiss the men in question after I butchered them in front of her.”
I can’t believe what’s happening right now.
“And I threatened both her and her loved ones if she did not comply.”
“What about Bob Eizenheimer?” the prosecution asks.
“Bob tried to arrest me. I stopped him.”
“Mr. Martínez, why are you doing this?” the judge asks.
“Because she refuses to love me, even now. And I am tired of these games.”
More gasps follow, and Sunny just stares at him with furrowed brows.
Is she in on this?
The defense approaches for questioning. “Why did you make her watch?”
“Because they were her lovers or friends, and she gave them more attention than she ever gave me,” José says nonchalantly.
“So this was all an act of jealousy?”
“Correct.”
I’m baffled. Absolutely baffled.
“And Sunny Reed took no part in any of the killings or torture?”
“None,” José lies.
Why would he lie for her? Do they know each other?
“Mr. Friedrich, please approach,” the judge tells the prosecution.
More mumbling happens behind the scenes that we’re not privy to, and I hate how I have no clue what’s going to happen, but if it can get Sunny out of this mess, I’m all for it.
“All right,” the judge says, as the room is cleared again. “Trial will be rescheduled for Mr. Martínez. Sunny Reed is free to go. Please clear the courtroom. Thank you.”
The gavel is swung, and I can barely contain my happiness as I spring up from my seat.
Sunny is free.
Sunny
I exit the room and am immediately bombarded by too many hugs. My body is getting squished to smithereens from my family huddling up to wrap their arms around me, and it fills me with a kind of warmth I didn’t know I could even feel.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Mom says.
“I’m happy my baby is safe,” Dad says, kissing me on the forehead.
“I’m not a baby,” I grumble.
“You’re our baby and always will be,” Mom reiterates, hugging me so tightly I can barely breathe.
“I don’t know what just happened, but as long as you’re free, I’m not complaining,” Levi says, hugging me too.
“Sis, I hope prison wasn’t too rough on you,” Elliot mutters, leaning in for a quick hug.
“I’m just glad you’re out,” Max says.
“But you did kill them, right?” Silas winks at me from a distance.
I shrug. “I guess we’ll never know.”
My dad narrows his eyes at me. “Sunny...”
“She’s Lana’s kid all right. What else did you expect?” Kai muses, hugging me too.
“As long as you’re free and off the hook, none of it matters,” my mom’s third lover, Milo, says.
“But what if they still try to come after her?” Melody asks.
“I doubt it ...” Atlas muses. “They have far bigger worries on their mind.”
“Like what?” Apollo asks.
“The Bones Brotherhood,” Aspen says, swallowing away the lump in her throat.
Unfortunately, almost everyone here has had a run-in with them, me included.
I got too close because I was bored, and it cost me everything.
I won’t make that mistake again.
After everyone has had their say, the crowd disperses, and all who’re left are Xavier and Orion, staring at me from a corner as if they can’t believe their own eyes. And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t move even a killer like me.
I was angry for so long. I kept everyone at arm’s length, and I forgot how it could feel to just let someone in. Maybe I should just …
“Xavier, Orion ... thank you,” I say, and I truly mean every word.
I don’t know how they did it, but I’m sure they convinced Atreus to help me, and for that I’m grateful.
Orion’s eyes begin to water, and he sniffles as I approach, while Xavier tries his best to contain himself.
Whimpering, whimsical boys of mine.
Xavier
“Why is she thanking them? For what?” Heath asks, frowning.
“Clueless as always,” Cecelia says, chuckling.
But I ignore them flat-out as the only person who truly matters to me is finally safe and free again.
Orion sniffles like an idiot, and he wipes his snot and tears away before she’s near us. “No need to thank us. I was just so worried about you. What if you never got out again? I would’ve died without you.”
She suddenly grabs him by the neck and pulls him in for a big hug, along with a vigorous rub over the hair, and it’s got people around us laughing.
“Don’t be so dramatic. I would’ve escaped, don’t fucking worry.”
“My perfect hair!” Orion yelps.
“Write about how horrible I was to you in that little book of yours,” she says, winking. “Speaking of which … have you written another poem for me or not?”
He blushes, his voice finally not so dreary anymore. “Yes, yes, of course. I have plenty, but I’ll write some more once we get home.”
Sunny turns her attention toward me, and I’m at a loss of words.
I thought I’d never see her again, not without bars and infinite space between us.
But here she is before me, in the flesh.
I can smell her scent. Watch the devious sparkle return to her eyes.
Feel her skin as her fingers graze my arm, and I come undone.
But my rage, God my rage for these people, the system, it’s unending.
“Please … don’t ever make me ever watch you suffer like that again,” I say, swallowing. “I would’ve fucking killed them all to get to you.”
“I know,” she says.
My hands fist, and my lips part, ready to curse everyone here for what they put her through, but the second a single syllable leaves my mouth, she grabs my throat with those sharp nails and slams her lips onto mine.
In full frontal view of everyone here.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
My cheeks cannot grow any redder as my eyes land on my family, whose shocked faces embarrass the fuck out of me while they begin to gasp.
But her lips drown out any noise in my head, to ignore the voices telling me to pull away because of what anyone might think, and just let her kiss me.
Just let her.
Kiss me.
Take me.
Make me hers.
The last bit of my fear vanishes as she deepens the kiss, and my body practically melts in her arms.
My entire family begins cheering loudly.
“You go, girl!” Melody chimes.
“I knew you could do it, bro,” Aspen says, winking at me.
Sunny chuckles against my mouth as she pulls away. “Guess we gave them a little peepshow.”
“I don’t care,” I mutter, hard already. “Do it again.”
Her fingers unlatch to push a single index finger under my chin. “Beg.”
“Please,” I whimper.
There’s that beautiful, deranged smile again that makes me feel like I’m floating on cloud nine.
She gives me a peck on the lips, then pulls Orion in too with her other hand and slams her lips onto his right in front of everyone too.
“Two?!” Cecelia gasps. “Oh, you’re greedy.”
Elliot grins at her. “Ah, it runs in the family.”
The door opens up, and Atreus Foley saunters out of the courtroom. It’s as though the entire hallway suddenly drops ten degrees, judging by the way our extended families glare at him like they want his head on a pike.
They’d probably hang, draw, and quarter him, then toss him up to the vultures if it were up to Sunny’s mom.
“You … you have some nerve showing up here, Foley,” she growls.
“I’m just passing through,” Atreus mumbles.
“Who was that fucker José that you brought into the room? Why didn’t you find him sooner?” Sunny’s dad barks.
“Justice doesn’t let anyone dictate how fast it should come,” Atreus responds. “It happens when it happens.”
“Well, then it should’ve happened sooner. You’re the one who kept her locked in a jail cell,” Kai growls. “Shame on you.”
“Guys, stop. It’s okay, I’m fine,” Sunny says. “Jail is nothing compared to the hell inside my brain.” Her laughter echoes through the halls, making everyone look at her like she’s lost her marbles.
But this is exactly the Sunny I fell in love with.
“If you’ll excuse me …” Atreus mumbles, as he waltzes past our families.
He throws one glance at us and quickly tosses his jacket over his shoulder as he nonchalantly tries to pass us, but both Sunny and him still catch each other’s gaze when they cross paths.
And from the way she looks at him, I can tell …
If I want this to work, her and me, I need to learn to share.
“Talk to him,” I whisper.
She nods, and gives me a final peck on the cheeks that means the world to me, before she follows him down the hallway. “Atreus, wait.”
He stops in his tracks and glances at her over his shoulders. “If you want to talk … you know where to find me.”