Chapter 44
Forty-Four
Sometime during the night, Kyler slips next to me. His trembling fingers wander over my waist and he pulls me toward him. His entire body’s shaking.
I turn in his arms. “Hey,” I whisper, voice hoarse. “You okay?”
A smile spreads on his lips. “Hmhm. Just adrenaline leaving my body,” he mumbles and presses his lips to my mouth.
“What did you do?” I frown at him, but I can’t see his face clearly in the dark. It’s mostly his silhouette that’s lit up by the moon.
“He’s dead, Layne.” He buries his face in my shoulder.
“What are you talking about?” Who on earth is dead? What has he done?
“Vanderberg,” he says, and my whole body relaxes. “Brooks…” His voice trails off.
“I don’t think I want to know exactly what Brooks did, but it’s okay, Ky.” I breathe out deeply. “That he’s dead, I mean. And that Brooks did it.”
He presses his lips to mine and I open for him. Immediately, he deepens the kiss and moans. “Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of this?” he whispers against my mouth.
“Of what?” Killing Vanderberg? I pull back a little.
“Coming home to you. Snuggling up against your warm body, holding you in my arms.” He presses his nose into my shirt and slowly his breathing deepens. Until he falls asleep. I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of having him in my arms.
“You ready, Shorts?” Kyler lingers awkwardly in the kitchen while Rebel calmly eats her bowl of cornflakes.
“For what?” she mumbles around a spoonful of cereal, glancing up at him with curious eyes.
Kyler rubs a hand down his face, a flicker of hesitation in his features. “Remember what I promised yesterday? That we’d do something special for your dad today? To say goodbye properly?”
My ears perk up. What promise? What plan? But the second Kyler finishes speaking, Rebel straightens up, eyes wide with anticipation.
“You did,” she says quietly, hope blooming on her face.
“I arranged something.” A small, proud smile tugs at his mouth.
“You arranged something?” I echo, narrowing my eyes at him.
He only nods in response.
Within minutes, Rebel’s scraped the last bite from her bowl, rinsed it, and slipped it into the dishwasher.
“Can we go now? I even cleaned up.” She beams at me, those big brown eyes full of excitement.
I glance at Kyler, completely in the dark here, but he gives a subtle nod.
That’s all Rebel needs—she shoots off toward the hallway like a rocket.
“Easy, Shorts,” he calls after her with a chuckle, before turning to me. He lifts my chin with two fingers and looks into my eyes. “Can we take your car? I rode the bike last night.”
I nod and pass him the keys. A few heartbeats later, we’re out the door and on our way.
We drive to the Renegades’ compound and I glance questioningly at the side of his face. However, he refuses to look at me, but Rebel quickly voices my question. “What are we doing here?”
“Just wait,” he says softly. And so we do.
Kyler parks at the clubhouse, gets out, and motions for us to follow him. I shrug at Rebel, and we both exit the car. Kyler takes Rebel’s hand, and we step onto the path that leads deeper into the grounds.
We walk past Paxton’s house when suddenly something dawns on me.
A little further, we come to a point where the road splits into three other paths.
The left one leads to Abby and Kai’s house, the right one to Colton’s.
We take the middle one. The one to the club’s cemetery, where my parents are buried.
Kyler is leading us to that spot, and we walk silently to my parents’ graves.
When we arrive, I notice a wooden cross next to my father’s grave that’s new to me and ugly as hell.
“It might feel a little strange,” Kyler begins gently, his voice soft as he speaks to Rebel.
“There’s a spot now. There’s no headstone yet—I couldn’t make that happen overnight—but there’s a wooden cross for now.
” He gestures toward the simple, rough marker standing in the grass.
“I know your dad isn’t really here, not like…
physically. But this is a place that’s just for him.
Somewhere you can always come to talk to him, think about him. Somewhere no one will ever bother you.”
He points quietly. “That’s your gran’s grave…
and next to it, that one is your Pops’s.
” His hand shifts ever so slightly to the freshly marked grave.
“It only felt right to put your dad here with them. Even though…” He trails off, sighing deeply.
His eyes flick up to her, almost shy. “You never got the chance to know them.”
Kyler slowly lowers himself to his knees so he’s looking up at her—completely unguarded, completely hers in that moment. “I didn’t know where else to go, Shorts,” he whispers. “But I made you a promise. I wanted to keep it. I hope this is okay.”
Without saying a word, Rebel crashes into him, wrapping her small arms around his neck.
Her shoulders shake with quiet sobs as she clings to him.
That’s all it takes—my own tears start slipping free, hot and heavy.
I mouth a silent thank you to Kyler, but my lips tremble too much to form anything more than a ghost of a smile.
We stay there for a long while.
Rebel talks. She tells Kyler stories about Connor—some I’ve never even heard. Her voice is bright, filled with laughter and memory. Kyler listens like it’s gospel, smiling with her, nodding along, letting her take the lead.
And for the first time in a long time, it feels like it’s just us. Just the three of us. Safe. Real. Home.
That afternoon, while Rebel sits at the kitchen table carefully coloring, the news hits.
The voice of the radio reporter cuts through the silence: “This morning, a well-known real estate tycoon was found dead in his office. Police suspect foul play, but haven’t released any further details at this time.”
And just like that, the report moves on—as if it’s nothing more than a blip on the day’s chaos.
I stand frozen in front of the cabinet, my hand resting on the handle. I was reaching for two mugs, but now I can’t move. I stare at the wooden door, heart thudding.
They found him.
Behind me, Kyler doesn’t say a word. He’s still in the living room, quiet as ever. The kettle whistles softly, and I somehow manage to snap back into motion. My hands tremble as I pour the coffee.
“Look, Mom!” Rebel’s voice is bright. She holds up her drawing with pride. “Can we put this on the stone when it gets here?”
Her voice tugs me out of my spiral.
“Of course, sweetie.” I force a smile, swallowing the lump in my throat.
She beams and dives back into her drawing. “I want it to be really pretty so Dad will like it.”
“I’m sure he’ll love it,” I whisper, voice rough. “He’d be proud of you.”
I take the mugs and walk to the couch, sitting beside Kyler. “Are you absolutely sure—”
“I’m sure,” he cuts in softly.
“But the news, they—”
“Layne.” He gently takes the mug from my hand and sets it on the table. “Look at me.”
I lift my gaze and meet his stormy gray eyes.
“They have nothing,” he says. “No DNA. No proof. And Vanderberg made plenty of enemies in his life. It won’t come back to us. Colton’s watching the department through his contacts—if something changes, we’ll know.”
I nod slowly, feeling the tension loosen just a little.
“I also asked Colt to monitor Connor’s case,” Kyler adds. His voice tightens. “So far, they haven’t done shit. It looks like the police are chalking it up to a voluntary disappearance. Just another missing name on a list they’ll never follow up on.”
I swallow hard and lean against his chest, breathing in the familiar comfort of his scent. “It’s okay,” I murmur. “Rebel and I… we’re safe. I know what happened to Connor. I know the truth. And even if Brooks did it for Jen, it still feels like justice. Like someone finally gave a damn.”
My voice cracks. “It’s okay.”
“Mom?” Rebel’s voice is a whisper. I turn, and she’s standing at the edge of the couch, eyes round with concern. “Why are you crying?”
I blink away the tears and smile faintly. “Just… a little bit of everything, honey. About Dad. About what we’ve been through.”
She clambers onto the couch and curls up between Kyler and me, her little body warm and comforting.
“But everything’s okay now, right?” she asks, peering up at me. “Kyler’s here to protect us. And we can go visit Dad’s place and talk to him when we miss him.”
My throat tightens again. I wrap my arm around her and hold her close. “You’re right, sweetheart. Everything’s okay now.”
And for the first time, I almost believe it.
After dinner, I drop Rebel off at Teagan’s. The second the door opens, she dashes inside with her backpack bouncing behind her.“Gaby! I’m here!” she calls, her voice bright and full of excitement.
Teagan smiles at her, then shifts her gaze to me. Her look says it all.“You owe me one,” she says, teasing—though I know she’d do it without asking.
“Fine by me,” I reply. “Next time you’ve got a hot date, Gaby’s welcome to have a sleepover with Rebel.” I force a smile, but even I can feel how hollow it is. She notices, but chooses not to push.
“It’s a deal.” She pulls me into a quick hug. “Enjoy your night with Kyler.”
“Oh, I plan to.” I flash a more convincing grin and turn back toward my car.
The drive home is quiet, but my head isn’t. My thoughts jump from memory to hope to fear and back again. Tonight it’s just me and Kyler. No distractions. Nothing in the way. It feels like a time machine—like I’m headed straight back to the version of us that once was.
When I pull into the driveway, he’s already there. Leaning against his motorcycle, arms draped casually over the seat like he’s been waiting forever. Like he knew I’d come back.
I step out of the car, slam the door shut, and slip my hands into the back pockets of my jeans.
“Well, hey there, stranger. What are you doing in my driveway?” I ask, squinting into the evening sun.
Without a word, he holds out a helmet.
“You coming with me?” he asks, eyes locked on mine.
“Where to?” I take it from him and slide it over my head.
“Remember the dam?” he asks, fastening his chin strap. “First bike I ever had. That old green Moto Guzzi.”
I nod, grinning at the memory. “Mm-hmm. I was scared shitless riding backpack.”
His mouth curls into a smirk. “Scared, huh? Then why’d you do it?”
“Because I followed you everywhere, Kyler Young. Didn’t matter how scared I was. If you were going, I was right there with you.”
He swings his leg over the bike and pats the seat behind him. “Damn, that’s sweet, Lay. Now hop on and wrap those sexy arms around me.”
I climb on, press myself against his back, and slide my arms around his waist. The moment the engine roars to life, a wave of adrenaline rushes through me. But this time, the fear doesn’t come.
Instead, there’s just that feeling Kyler’s always talked about—that wild freedom. The wind tearing past us, the hum of the tires on the road, the world blurring at the edges. It’s nothing like a car ride. It’s raw and real and terrifying in the most exhilarating way.
And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Kyler parks his Indian at the dam and puts our helmets on the seat. Then he takes my hand and leads me down a narrow path that runs through the bushes. We reach a huge rock at the edge of the water.
“Climb on,” he says, nodding to a smaller boulder next to it.
I put my foot on it and climb onto the largest one.
Kyler follows me and sits down behind me.
His arms wrap around my waist and a warm feeling flows through me.
The sound of the water reminds me of the past and nostalgia touches my heart.
“Layne, I know you want to take it slow and that you’re scared.” He pauses, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I understand…”
I swallow. “Just need to get used to it,” I whisper. “So much has happened.”
“I know, but I can’t… This is mine.” His arms tighten around me. “It always has been, Lay.”
I snuggle closer to him, and a smile creeps across my face. “And you’re mine.”
“Exactly.” His cheek brushes mine as he brings his face close to mine. Together we gaze over the river, just like we used to, and it’s right.
Everything feels right.