Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Yeah,” I say, wiping the blood from my neck with the back of my hand. “And look where that got you.”
The arena door bangs open again—Bennett this time, then Grant, then Georgia, all of them pouring out and taking in the scene.
Lana is on the ground, sobbing, me standing over her with a skate in my hand and blood on my neck. Luke is wrapped around me like he’s never letting go.
“She killed Murphy,” I say, loud enough for all of them to hear. “She confessed.”
Bennett pulls out his phone, already dialing. Grant moves to block Lana’s escape route, though she’s not trying to run anymore. She’s curled into herself, muttering Joey’s name over and over like a prayer that’ll never be answered.
Georgia rushes to me. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s just a scratch,” I say, leaning into Luke and letting him take my weight. “I’m fine.”
“You’re insane,” he whispers against my hair, but his arms are tight, possessive, and proud. “You just took down a murderer with a figure skate.”
“She was trying to take my man.” I tilt my head back to look at him. “What was I supposed to do?”
He laughs—shaky but relieved. Then he kisses me, hard. “It was a little hot, not going to lie,” he says against my mouth.
“You’re impossible,” I laugh.
“I’m whatever you need me to be, Buttercup.” He kisses my forehead.
Luke really is whatever I need even when he’s pushing back. I stand there, Luke’s warm hand engulfing mine, a grounding force I didn’t know I needed or longed for.
I came to Kingmakers unsure of where my life was going or my plans for what was next. I’d felt a little lost and alone, still dealing with that ache of not being able to save my dad from himself. A fear that I could end up like him if I ever let myself love the way he’d loved Mom.
I’ve always been the girl who’s fine. The one that can handle it alone, never wanting to be a burden, but with Luke, that isn’t there. I know he wants me to lay everything I have onto him, and he’ll gladly eat it up.
I didn’t find the escape I was looking for. I found something messier and more complicated. As scary and messed up as it all was, I don’t think I was only chasing the killer to save whoever could be their next target. On some level in the back of my mind, if I could save someone else, maybe it would help heal those scars from not being able to save my dad, but that’s not how scars work.
Luke wraps his arms around me, and I rest my head on his chest, looking around. Now everyone is here: my sister and Bennett, along with Grant and Georgia.
I have a family bigger than I ever imagined. We all have our broken pieces, but they still fit together into something whole.
Luke peers down at me. “Still think I’m crazy?” A burst of laughter leaves me. Only he could make me laugh right now.
“Comparatively? No. That’s not saying much though, since the others are freaking insane.” I lift up and kiss the scar on his cheek, the one he’d gotten saving me. “Good thing I love crazy.”
“It is.” His tone is filled with promise. “Because I’m never letting you go.”
His words might scare some, but all they do is bring me comfort.
Epilogue
LUKE
Many months later
The overtime clock hits zero the same second the puck crosses the goal line. My mind is fully on my girl. That’s where my eyes went after I took the shot so that I could watch her cheer. I can always hear her shouts over the crowd. She’s my biggest cheerleader. The same way she is there for everyone she loves. Madeline always gives everyone her all. That’s why I pour everything I am into her. She deserves it and so much more.
She jumps up and down screaming, wearing my jersey. Shit, I don’t want her to lose her voice, and what kind of bra is she wearing? I need to get her one of those sports bra things because this is not going to work.
That’s a home bra now. I smile at that thought because we’re only weeks away from actually having a home that is both of ours together. She said after graduation we could get a place. I might have already done that, but that’s a surprise for another time. Today is different. With how nuts this school year has been, I want to give my girl some form of normalcy. All the shit is behind us, and everyone is where they should be.
I told her it would be a game she’d remember, and I had to hold true to that. I’m sure she’s thinking I was talking about winning the state championship or the two fights I’d gotten into. Neither of those are the reason she’ll remember tonight for the rest of her life.