Epilogue

Ash

One Year Later

"W hat are you doing over there?" Soren called from where he was waiting for me under a tall palm tree.

"Hold on just a second," I told him while typing Levi back. "Levi just texted me. He doesn't know how to turn on the heat."

With how hot it was here, in Thailand, Koh Samui, it was hard to believe it was winter back home.

"Are they struggling with the new house? I can ask my assistant to go and help them," Soren said, stopping before me.

"Don't worry, I explained to him how to turn it on, and he just texted back, saying it worked," I said and pocketed my phone.

"Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to travel here right after we got into the new house," Soren hummed, mostly to himself, and I chuckled.

He was still thinking way too much over everything, but it was one of the things I loved about him.

"Nah, if anything, they're excited to have the place all for themselves."

We'd just moved into our new gorgeous house in Carpinteria. It might be an hour away from LA, but we loved it there—our little piece of heaven within arm's reach.

Soren and I had been inseparable since that day in the hospital, and things had been going well, enough for us to live together for the past few months. Just like he'd promised, Soren took over his grandfather's firm, and other than making Daniel angry for stealing some of his clients, he was doing great. Andrei had started college in hopes of becoming a lawyer and was already excelling, while also moving in with Miles. Thankfully, they were only an hour's drive away, so I saw his face almost every day, especially with him coming on the weekends to study with Soren, who helped him with his school. To be honest, it was beyond me how Soren still remembered what he'd learned in college with it being years ago. Levi had also started college, but unlike Andrei, he and Jessie chose to move in with Soren and me after we left the old house. Jessie loved Carpinteria's nature, and he spent the hours he wasn't drawing searching around, although he was mostly working on his business. That kid was creating amazing art for clients all over the world while also working on his very first webtoon.

Watching them pursuing their dreams not only brought me pride but also pushed me to do the same, and after closing my small surf shop, I signed up for a few photography courses. My new passion was the reason I dragged Soren out of bed at the ass crack of dawn so I could take some beautiful pictures of the ocean at sunrise. I used to think nothing could beat Malibu's sunrise, only to find that it was nothing compared to the ones in Koh Samui.

"Let's go." I took Soren's hand and began leading the way to the shore. Our cabin was not too far from here, but yesterday when we were swimming, I saw a spot that I knew would make the best place for a shoot.

"Do you know where to go?" he asked, and I nodded, holding on to his hand harder.

"I do," I said, thinking of how happy this simple moment made me feel. There was something utterly amazing about being alone, with the person you love, on the other side of the world— so far away from everything you know. As crazy as it sounded, it gave me comfort.

I had never been this happy in my life before, and while the old Ash might have felt guilty over this unbelievable amount of happiness, the new me didn't. All simply because I'd stopped living life in the shadow of regret. My life was mine to decide on, even if my choices didn't suit others. But the last year had taught me that when you're confident in your decisions, things had their way of working out. Mom finally came to terms with my choice to be with Soren, and the two of them had actually learned how to get along. When she wasn't so stubborn and Soren wasn't too bitchy, they made a great team. Aiden was also settling down well in my old house, which was originally his and which I gave back to him. With him returning to California, it only felt right.

And Kai? He'd started his recovery journey back from scratch and was making great progress. And while I could happily say he was doing a great job staying sober, I couldn't say the same about us, as he took the hating on me part very seriously. Everything we used to have was as good as gone, and Kai hardly ever spoke to me. But from what Aiden had told me, he was doing much better, and I was happy. I was happy to know he was finally able to move on the same way I had. And oh, did I move on.

I turned my head to look at Soren, my gorgeous man who was all mine to admire. With his shirt open and his hair falling loose over his brows, he looked so relaxed and peaceful that it warmed my heart. Not that it was new because literally everything he did made me all warm and fuzzy.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked when he noticed me staring.

"No, I was just thinking about how handsome you are."

His lips stretched up in a smile. "And yet, you are a thousand times prettier."

I snorted. "It isn't a competition."

"Of course not, because you'd win so easily." He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.

Now smitten, I giggled like a little kid, my cheeks turning red despite how accustomed I was to his flattery. What could I say? He was always smooth with his words.

"Oh, isn't this the place?" Soren then said, snapping my attention away from my cheesiness.

Looking up, I saw he was right. "Yes, it is." I'd already pulled out my camera from its case, grateful that we got here just in time to catch those first rays of sun. Walking over to the beautiful spot that was basically the end of the shore, I stopped a few inches from the water and positioned myself to face the horizon. The sun started to rise, and I took the first picture, the snapping sound mixing with the waves each time I took another photo, wishing it would be as precious as this moment. The sun slowly stretched its rays over the sky, painting them and the water in bright colors. The ocean was so calm you couldn't even tell where it ended, and instead, those turquoise waters spread on and on until the far, far horizon. The only sounds you could hear were those of nature slowly waking up, and it brought me so much peace.

"Soren, come here. I want to take pictures of you."

Soren moved in front of the camera, turning the view, which was beautiful until now, into perfection. Excited over this beauty, I began capturing this moment through the lens, admiring how after all these years, he still looked like a young prince. But then, he fumbled with his pocket until he pulled something out of it, and at first, I had no idea what it was until I did, and my heart stopped. Slowly lowering my camera, I gazed at the small black box in his hand with my mouth open.

"S-Soren?" I swallowed hard, my camera nearly slipping from between my fingers.

He smiled at me with such warmth before he cleared his throat. "At first, I thought of doing this at sunset, but then I realized that sunrise would be a much proper hour because—" He got down on one knee, not even minding the wet sand. "—I want this to mark new beginnings." He opened the box, and I gasped at the sight of the silver ring presented on white velvet. It was simple, classy, and so Soren. "I know our love story was complicated, to say the least." He chuckled, and I snorted, half crying already. "But it was beautiful nonetheless, and you, Ashton, are without a doubt the love of my life. And while I know and hope our story is far from being over, it would be my honor to go through the rest of this journey as your husband." He held my stare, his silver eyes shining so vividly, even more than the ring itself. "Ashton Sage, would you give me the greatest honor of marrying you?"

My throat was too sore to speak with the number of tears I tried swallowing, and instead, I nodded. "Of course," I cried, covering my mouth. "Of course I'll marry you." Thankfully, my camera was attached to a string around my neck because the next moment, I tossed myself on him, not caring if it would break. My weight crashed us both down to the sand as my lips were already on his. "Fuck yes," I said over his mouth. "I'll marry you a thousand times." I kissed him again, my chest tight with love and joy.

Soren pulled back only to take my finger.

Shit , I almost forgot about the ring.

My hand trembled, but he calmed me down by stroking my skin with his thumb before slowly sliding the ring down my finger. My face was all red from excitement and sticky with tears, but that didn't stop Soren from kissing my cheek.

"I'll love you forever, my little Sparrow," he promised in my ear while I kept looking at my beautiful ring, which was the same color as my summer's eyes.

Getting back to our cabin, which was more of a suite, was nearly impossible. I could hardly keep my hands to myself, and that was without mentioning Soren, who was all too eager to get me naked before we even walked in.

The shower we took together to clean the sand from our bodies was nothing if not foreplay, and now, all washed up and groomed, I was ready to show my fiancé how excited I truly was over his surprising proposal.

"Ashton." Soren gasped my name so beautifully after I'd pushed him back on the bed.

Tossing my towel to the floor, I slowly climbed on top of him, already knowing I was about to blow his mind away. I started kissing up his body and stopped once I reached his chest. Taking one of his nipples into my mouth, I nibbled on it until Soren couldn't hold back his voice and let out a throaty groan that went straight to my already hard cock. On very rare occasions did I wish to be the one to squeeze such a precious reaction out of him. Almost every other day, I was eager for him to bring this side out of me, but today… today was different.

"My goodness, Ashton," Soren gasped, lacing his fingers through my hair as I dragged my lips along his toned stomach until I reached the root of his cock. I inhaled him deeply, taking in every bit of his masculine scent before I grazed my teeth over his shaft, my fingers moving over his trimmed pubes. He hissed, and I dared to glance up only to find him looking at me, his face already a display of pleasure.

Happy beyond words that this man was all mine, I parted my lips and took him in. What started with shallow sucks quickly turned into long, deep swallows until his magnificent cock slid down my throat.

The sensation of having my mouth filled was like no other, and intuitively, I moved to cup his balls and massaged them in my palm. He hushed a moan, and I wished he hadn't because his deep voice was music to my ears. Feeling like he'd be up for it, I slid my hand from his heavy sack down to his ass and caressed his tight hole. He didn't say a word, so I went on massaging his entrance, pressing my thumb to his rim until he warned me to stop, or he'd come.

Withdrawing at once, because the last thing I wanted was for this moment to be finished too soon, I grabbed his hips and sank my teeth into his right cheek. "Can I do you today?" I asked, my lips ghosting over the fresh mark I'd left on his perfect skin.

Stretching his hand, Soren stroked my jaw, his eyes looking at me with nothing but love. "You don't even need to ask."

His words swayed my heart, which only seemed to go faster by the minute. It wouldn't be the first time I'd topped him, as I'd done it before, only those times were few and could be counted on two hands. Usually, I preferred to be on the receiving end, but now, I couldn't help but want to be buried inside him.

Licking my lips, I took the bottle of lube Soren handed me and applied a decent amount to my hand. Soren watched me as I did before he turned around to lie on his side. I moved up on the bed so I was aligned with him, kissing him while my fingers slipped between his firm ass cheeks. With his leg tossed over my hips, I had easy access, and I pushed my fingers into his unbelievably tight ass at the same time I licked into his mouth, savoring the taste of him. Soren wasn't like me, as he didn't turn into a bundle of whines and whimpers as I fucked his ass with my fingers, and instead stayed composed. His pleasure came in the form of soft blushes and stifled groans.

Watching his arousal grow on his face turned me on beyond words, and my dick leaked with precum, all eager to go inside Soren's body.

"That's enough, Ashton," Soren whispered over my lips, his fingers moving through my hair. "You can put it in."

And even though I was supposed to be the one in charge, it sure as fuck didn't feel like it. I watched with awe as he moved to lie on his stomach and arched his back for me while I positioned myself behind him. His strong back was on full display, and he looked so gorgeous while he waited for me to take his ass.

"My heart is beating like crazy," I confessed, and he turned to look at me over his shoulder, a tiny little smile tinged on his lips.

"Mine's the same."

Heat flushed to my already flaming cheeks, and I bit my lip before taking my cock in hand and bringing it to his entrance. Pressing the tip to his puckered hole, I first rubbed the head of my cock against it, and we both groaned with the sensation. It felt so good, and I hadn't even pushed inside. There was enough lube, but I added more just in case before I grabbed Soren's hips and thrust forward. His body moved with me, and he let out a deep moan at the same time I did as I began sinking inside him, inch by inch, until I was settled all the way in.

"You're so warm and tight," I gasped, my eyes locked on where his ass sucked me in. "It's perfect."

"No, you are," he half laughed, voice rough. "Now, fuck me, little Sparrow. Own me like I own you."

His words became my command, and I began thrusting my hips, sliding in and out of him, my fingers digging into his flesh while I held him tighter. Soren's body was as strong as mine, if not stronger, and he moved against my thrusts, increasing the sensation. It felt so good, and overwhelmed both physically and emotionally, I slumped down on top of him, one arm hooked around his strong chest. His ass swallowed my cock to perfection, and I nearly saw stars with how good his hole felt.

"I-I'm close," I moaned, then kissed his neck, trying to hold back at the same time I ached to fill him. "God, Soren, I'm so close."

Soren sent his hand backward to grab me, his fingers sliding along my sweaty skin. "Then come, my love. Come deep inside me. I want everything you have to offer."

His words sent me over the edge, and I hugged him tighter before I pushed inside him, only to pull all the way back and do it again. My balls tightened, my muscles tensed, and I sank my teeth into his neck a second before my climax forcefully hit me, my body shuddering while I came inside his perfect ass. I continued to thrust through my release, not stopping until my dick turned too sensitive and it was actually painful to move.

Breathing heavily, I pulled out, licking my lips at the sight of my cum dripping out of his used hole. I wanted to say something, but before I could, Soren already had me on my back with my legs thrown over his broad shoulders.

"Now's my turn," he smirked, moving his dick to my already stretched hole.

When we took a shower together, Soren had worked on my ass, and I couldn't be more grateful because just now, when he pushed inside me in one sharp move, I saw fucking heaven. I didn't need to be hard to enjoy the pleasure of his thrusts, although the longer he fucked me, the stiffer my cock turned, as if I hadn't just come.

"Yes, fuck, yes!" I hugged my thighs closer to my body before allowing him to bend me like a fucking pretzel.

"I love how flexible you are," he groaned before putting his full body weight on top of me, his cock drilling in and out of my hole.

My ass hurt in the best way possible, and I closed my eyes as I tried my best to stretch my legs further so he'd be almost completely on top of me. At this point, I almost felt like a sex toy, his sex toy , and I moved my hand over my face to clean some of the sweat. As I did that, the cold silver caught me off guard, and I looked at my ring. I was flooded with emotions because even though he was fucking me brutally, like I was nothing more than a piece of meat, I knew it wasn't true and that each part of him was adoring me in this moment. Because this wasn't just hot sex but another aspect of our complicated relationship that spread over many years. A relationship that might have started from a heartbreak but rolled into the most beautiful love one could ever dream of.

Swallowing hard, I moved my hand to his neck and brought my lips to his ear. "I love you, Soren. I love you so much."

He stopped thrusting only to meet my adoring stare, and as I looked into his eyes, I saw love.

So much love.

Soren reclaimed my lips and somehow moved us into a new position where I was on top. Now having the power again, I rolled my hips while he slid his hands over my body, admiring me in the way only he knew how to do. His touch was warm, burning my skin with his love, and I wondered how I'd ever mistaken his hands to be cold.

Soren thrust inside me at the same time I rocked my hips, and it didn't take much before we both came together, while being so in love with one another it was almost illegal.

"What are you doing?" Soren asked as he returned to bed after he'd taken a shower.

Glancing at him, I smiled, then handed him my phone. "Just texted the guys a photo of the ring." I smiled to myself. "They are so excited for us, and Jessie already asked to be the best man."

Soren gave me back my phone before leaning closer to kiss the top of my head.

"They can all be your best men," he chuckled.

"I want a small wedding, though," I said, my eyes going over the boys' texts again. "Like my parents had."

"We'll have whatever wedding you wish, Sparrow. Big, small, I don't care as long as I get to marry you."

I snorted. "You're such a romantic."

And while all the boys responded in the group chat immediately, one didn't. And even though his lack of response wasn't surprising, it was noticeable. It was noticeable because despite not hearing from him in over a year, Diesel's presence in our life was still vivid. Whether it was the empty chair around our dinner table, his clothes and plants we took from the old house, or his name that still appeared on our group chat in spite of him never responding to any of our messages.

I missed him, we all did, but knowing that he didn't want to be found, I had no choice but to accept it as a fact. And yet, despite my acceptance, there were times I couldn't help but wonder where he was or what he was doing. All I knew was that he had disappeared off the face of the planet like he'd never lived, leaving us all behind, including Shay-Lee.

But who knew better than me that sometimes, you had no choice but to leave your heart behind.

My heart broke for Shay-Lee, and I took small comfort in knowing that Soren was constantly there for him. For the past year, they'd grown closer, probably over their shared trauma, or maybe not? Their conversations were private, and I respected that.

Unable to stop myself, I clicked on Diesel's contact info and hovered over his number. Sadness washed over me, but it quickly vanished once Soren hugged me.

"You're thinking of calling him again?"

"He won't answer." I closed my phone and tossed it over the bed, then turned to look at him. "Where do you think he is right now?"

Soren simply smiled before grabbing my hand and bringing it to his lap. "Someplace warm, hopefully."

The thought of Diesel bathing in the sun somewhere in the world, a thousand miles away from all the crap that had haunted him for years, brought me a bit of comfort, and I wished that that was the case and that he'd left simply because he wanted a fresh start. After all, wasn't that what we all wanted?

Looking at our interlaced fingers, I admired my ring, then turned to face Soren. "I hope you're right." I closed my eyes and leaned against him, thanking God for giving us our own fresh start.

Camilo

The city of Seattle seemed to be in the same state as my heart, buried under a deep layer of snow that kept it still and frozen. It was almost impossible to see ten feet ahead, with thick fog covering it all like a blanket of frost, as barely there noises reached from the street. The tip of my fingers stung with the cold, and my face grew numb after I stood on the rooftop of this twenty-story building for the past thirty minutes. I hated Seattle almost as much as I hated winter, but then again, what I liked or disliked had no say in what my life had come to.

Feeling dead inside, I took out my phone, the one I almost always kept shut down. Moving my finger over the broken screen, I felt the shift of the damaged surface underneath the pad of my thumb as I waited for the screen to light up. Once it did, I opened the group chat of the people I used to consider my family and focused my attention on Chief's text. He was getting married to the lawyer who'd represented me during my trial last year. I had no idea how it happened because the last I knew, he was with Kai, but then again, I didn't care.

While I was stuck in the hell I was born into for the past twelve months, they all kept living their lives. In the beginning, they used to write to me, especially Andrei, but after a few months, even he'd stopped. I never answered any of their calls or texts, so they eventually gave up, which was good… I guess. And yet, even though I knew being away from me kept them all safe, I couldn't help the rage twisting my gut. Not at them but at myself and the decisions I'd made that forced me to be away from him . Away from the missing part of my heart.

Doing what I promised myself not to, and only because it hurt so fucking much, I closed the group chat and opened my photo gallery. I tapped on that one photo where soft sunrays reflected in Shay-Lee's eyes while his gorgeous lips stretched into the most beautiful smile a sucker like me had ever seen as I kissed his cheek. Only the cracks on my screen went right between us and nearly erased my whole face. By some miracle, his side remained untouched, and I could continue to gaze into his stunning eyes for the rest of my life.

My heart ached with the distance separating us, and my stomach flopped with the memory of leaving him behind. Whenever I thought of him, the pain nearly sliced me in two, and in the beginning, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through this year without going crazy. I was worried sick for his well-being and recovery, but somehow, I was able to block away those thoughts long enough to survive one day at a time. My only comfort was that in a few weeks, I'd finally be free to go back to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" someone asked, and I turned to look at one of the men I worked with. "My balls are fucking freezing, and I've been here for less than a minute," he tsked, still standing by the emergency exit leading into the building.

"What do you want?" I snapped, irritated at this idiot for infringing on my time alone.

He seemed even more pissed off than I was. "The boss is here, and he's pissed." That was his way of saying I better get my ass in there before he turned on his heels and left me alone.

With my jaw clenched, I ripped my stare away from where he stood only a second ago and looked back at my phone, my heart breaking with how much I missed Shay-Lee.

"Just a little longer, Llorón ," I whispered to myself, somehow praying to God he could hear me. Although, by now, I knew there was no God in this world, only devils. Fucking demons.

Shutting down the phone, I waited until the screen turned black, then walked back inside, my body still cold from standing outside for so long. The resentment and anger I felt thus far only doubled the second I stepped inside the guarded room and saw Dion's smug face looking at me with the same smile from when he came to visit me in jail.

" I knew it was only a matter of time before you'd ask to meet." He grinned, then cocked his head forward. "That must hurt like a bitch," he added, referring to the black eye I was sporting after the guards beat me the fuck up.

They got violent because of how my meeting with my lawyer ended the other day, with me nearly choking him to death after he came up with those sickening files.

"Cut the bullshit," I snarled at him, holding myself together because my urge to kill and destroy was like a living thing, beating and breathing inside me.

"Fine." Dion glanced at the guard standing in the corner of this room, which was enough to make the man step outside. This French fucker owned people everywhere. Once we were alone, he leaned closer to me. "Let's hear you out."

"Get me out of here."

He snorted. "And how would I do that?"

"I know you have your ways."

"Okay, let's say I can get you out of here." He tilted his head aside, still holding my deadly stare. "Why would I do that?"

"So I can kill that motherfucker."

I still refused to believe what that lawyer had shown me was the truth, but even if it wasn't, I had every intention of ending Christian W. Rogers's life in the most brutal way one could ever think of. The thing was, if I ended up locked in here for the rest of my life, I'd never be able to do that, hence why I asked to see this demon to make a deal with him. It took all of my pride to call in a favor from the man behind my brother's death, but Shay-Lee's life meant more to me than anything.

Dion's smile grew bigger. "I have a deal for you."

Hearing those words coming out of his mouth frightened me because I knew a deal with him was no better than a deal with the devil.

"I'll get you out of here and will help you kill Christian without getting caught, but in exchange for a life, you give me a year of yours." He held up his hands and shook his head with a light grin. "As simple as that, can you believe it?"

No , I couldn't, but at this point, I had no other option than to take it. So without stopping to dive deeper into his words, I nodded.

"We have a deal."

Back to the present, I focused my eyes on Dion, who was sitting on a leather couch in this fancy room that one could mistake for a proper office. Only just a couple of hours ago, pounds of drugs were sorted on the same table Dion was now resting his legs on.

"What is that?" Dion asked, kicking a box that was on the table closer to me.

I had to stop it before it fell off the table and then straightened back up.

"A box."

He tsked. "Don't play with me, jackass. What's inside of it?"

I hissed under my breath. "A hand."

He snorted. "That's right. A hand." He dropped his legs from the table and leaned with his legs spread apart, finally sitting like the mob boss he was. "And what did I ask for?"

I kept quiet.

"Answer me before I shove that hand down your throat."

"A head."

"That's right." Dion got up and walked around the table, picking up the box before coming to a stop in front of me. "I asked for this motherfucker's head, and you give me a hand?" He opened the lid, yet the chopped limb did little to shift me.

After all, I was the one to chop it off and then put it in this box.

Removing my eyes from the amputated hand, I met Dion's stare. "I don't kill."

Dion studied me before he held the box in one hand, and one of his men quickly came to take it from him without Dion even saying a word.

"You're my hound, just like they are." He referred to all the men standing around us that would shoot me in a heartbeat. "And just like any other hound I own, you do as you're told."

Gone were the days I'd been one of his Gatti . And more than once, the things he'd forced me to do made me miss that damn Gatto mask. But no matter how many times he threatened me and how determined he was to break me into being his dog, there were things I'd never do.

"I don't kill," I hissed through gritted teeth, not afraid of his vicious eyes.

But my words didn't seem to scare him off, as he just smirked like the crazy fucker he was. "Didn't you kill him ?" He licked his lips. "Oh, that's right, you didn't just kill him. You butchered him."

My chest tightened, and I held my breath, trying to keep it cool, even though his mockery was enough to stir awake the beast within me. My palms felt hot and wet, like they were still covered with his blood, and I knew that if I looked down, all I'd see was red. My nose scrunched up with the sudden stench of blood and burning flesh that flooded me as my head pounded with the sounds of his screams. Screams that went on for days until what had been left of him could no longer resemble a human. My skin turned cold, and my knees grew weak as my heart beat like crazy, and I felt like I was about to pass out when Dion laughed.

"My God, wasn't that an exciting sight," he chuckled, pleasure oozing with his sadistic joy. "You, my sweet dog, are an artist. I swear to God, not even I had the stomach to do what you did to that scum." He moved closer and then grabbed my jaw.

The pain from his fingers digging into my skin snapped me out of my sick head, and I stared back at him.

"It's why I want you to work for me. Because I see your talent, Camilo, your true talent."

To be a cold-blooded monster who could rip a man's body apart with its bare hands? A beast who enjoyed watching another human being writhing in pain until it was too great to move? But Christian wasn't a human being. He was a rapist. A devil who hurt the one thing I loved most in this world. And same as any other rapist, he deserved death. So whatever Dion was trying to prove was utter bullshit. The only man I'd killed was Christian, and only because he deserved it.

"It doesn't matter what you want," I rasped, not afraid of him. "I have two more weeks with you, then I'm done."

Silence drew between us before Dion's brows pulled close. "What are you talking about?"

Not minding the other men in the room, my sole focus was on him. "Our deal. Next month, it will be one year, meaning it's over."

My heart raced as his expression slowly shifted from confused to amused.

"Next month will only mark the end of the first out of five years you owe me."

Pissed off at his nonsense, my jaw twitched, and I stepped closer, nearly headbutting him. "What?"

He only smirked, holding my gaze as if I wasn't a spit away from killing him. "That was our deal, Camilo. A year for each life taken." He lifted his hand, holding four fingers in the air. "On that little plane crash we organized to give you Christian on a silver platter, with no questions asked, four people had died." He added another finger. "Then you murdered Christian." With five fingers up, he waved his hand before patting my cheek. "So give me a little smile, will you? We're going to have so much more fun together."

My whole body was burning with my rage, and without thinking about my actions, I pulled out my gun and pointed it at his head. Ignoring the guns his men quickly aimed at me, I spoke. "You son of a bitch, you tricked me."

Unfazed by the barrel pressed against his temple, Dion smiled like the sick monster he was. "It's not my fault you were too dumb to listen." He snorted. "But that can be expected of a dog."

"I'd rather just kill you now and die than serve you one more day," I rasped, my voice deep and low.

"You can, but just know that if you pull that trigger, not only would you pull it on me and yourself, but on your sweet baby, as well."

The mention of Shay-Lee was all it took to force the raging monster inside me to stop, and I swallowed hard before taking down the gun.

"That's right, Camilo. I have a man ready to kill your whore at any moment, so remember that the next time you're about to do something stupid like this."

Feeling like a fool, I stayed rooted to the floor as Dion turned around and walked back to the couch. "Someone get me something to drink," he ordered before looking back at me. "And you, you're lucky I enjoy you so much, or you would have been dead long ago."

He might as well have done it because living for four more years in this hell would be worse than death. In order to get rid of one devil, I made a deal with another, and now, I was paying the price. One year was too much, so four more?

My breath shuddered as the room began closing around me. There was no way I'd make it, no fucking way I could go through this torture for another second.

"Now, go get some rest, Camilo, because first thing tomorrow morning, you're flying to Switzerland for some unfinished business I have there."

Unable to hear a word he was saying, I got out of that room and out of that building. Walking straight into the freezing night, I turned into the first alley I spotted. "Fuck," I screamed and punched the wall, only the ache spreading through my tensed fist wasn't enough to overcome the one in my chest, and I threw another punch, and another one, and another one. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." I pressed my head to the cold wall and cried, cursing the day I'd exchanged one prison with another. Breaking my own hand wasn't even enough to distract me from this nightmare, and for a second, I thought of pulling out my gun and ending it there and then. But as my finger grazed the trigger, I thought about my mom and how she'd left me. And then I thought about him, about the love of my life, and that time I snuck in to visit him in the hospital. He was asleep, unaware of my stolen visit that lasted for no more than a few minutes, but it gave me enough power to get through those lonely months.

" I'll be back to you before you know it." I kissed the top of his head, lingering for as long as I could before pulling away. "It will be so fast it will almost feel like a dream." That was what I'd promised him, so how could I betray him even more than I already had?

Taking a deep breath, I let go of the gun. I might have sold my soul to the devil, yet Shay-Lee was the one holding my heart. And for as long as he'd have it, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and accept my fate because I'd return to him come hell or high water.

Come.

Hell.

Or.

High.

Water.