Chapter Twenty-Four

Raven

Late at the motel, the atmosphere feels strangely peaceful after everything that’s happened. Me and Ty sit on the double bed and is Penny laid down with Midnight curled up beside her, slowly drifting off to sleep, exhaustion pulling her into a deeper slumber. I glance at Ty, and for a brief second, we share a knowing smile, one of those silent exchanges that says everything without a word. It’s bittersweet, watching Penny finally get the rest she deserves.

We’d had a long conversation before Penny finally passed out, and the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. It turns out Penny was put into Sacred Heights shortly after the night she was taken, then she forced into Sacred Heights to be ‘taught obedience’ by their parents. I can see now that Ty feels some guilt about it. He said he was the one who encouraged her to be rebellious, to push back against the system, but none of that was his fault. None of this nightmare was. It wasn’t his fault that they twisted everything so badly.

But the truth was darker than we could’ve imagined. When Ty killed his parents, believing they had sold Penny off to some horrible fate, Dr Moss saw an opportunity. He decided to keep Penny and take Ty as well—one to experiment on and manipulate, and the other to try to ‘rebuild’ and play games with. He could’ve even manipulated the documents, the court system, to get Ty the insanity plea he needed, to send him straight to Sacred Heights. Which, in turn, makes me wonder: was Ty’s diagnosis ever accurate, or was it just another lie to keep him there? Was any of this real, or just part of the twisted game Dr Moss and everyone else played with their lives?

Dr Moss was a sick man, no doubt about it. But he was something far worse than just a mad doctor. His twisted outlook, his manipulation, it runs deeper than we thought. His methods were part of a larger, more insidious system—one linked to corruption, sex trafficking, and more. It’s too much to process, too many unanswered questions, and some things we might never figure out. But right now, all that matters is this. Us three. Together. Ty and Penny, reunited, and maybe, just maybe, Ty will start to feel whole again.

It’s been a long road to get here, filled with madness, with chaos, but somehow, we’ve made it. I can’t even begin to imagine what Ty feels in this moment. Relief? Sadness? Regret? It’s all swirling inside him, I know it. But time will heal those wounds. They have to.

As Penny’s breathing evens out and she falls into a deeper sleep, Ty stands up from the bed and looks down at me. He holds his hand out, and without thinking, I slide mine into his. It feels right—natural, even. Without a word, he pulls me to my feet, leading me to the door.

The night air is cool as he opens the door, stepping through first, then sliding his arm around my shoulders. He pulls me into his side, and together, we walk towards my car across the parking lot. For a moment, everything feels almost normal again, like we’re just two people walking down a quiet street, free from everything that came before.

When we reach the car, Ty swings open the back door and lets me slide into the seat first. He follows shortly after, closing the door behind him with a soft thud.

As soon as he’s settled beside me, his long legs crammed awkwardly into the back seat, I lean over to pull the front seat forward, giving him more room. As I stretch, I feel his palm run over my ass, giving it a squeeze with a rumble in his chest. I roll my eyes with a smirk, turning back toward him, but before I can say anything, his hands are already on me, seizing my waist and pulling me into his lap.

I let him guide me, settling onto his thighs and straddling him, my body fitting against his perfectly. His hands slide under my hoodie, his touch warm, and I gasp softly as his lips brush against mine. I shift my hips, my pussy grinding over his length, and a low growl rolls from his throat.

He lifts a hand, reaching for the edge of my hoodie to pull it down. I stiffen instinctively, grabbing his wrist mid-movement. My breath catches in my throat, and I lower my head, trying to steady myself.

His brows knit. “What’s up, beautiful girl?” he asks quietly.

I shake my head, a tear slipping free and trailing down my cheek. It’s everything—all of it crashing over me at once. The shaved hair. The torture. The relentless exhaustion of trying to survive.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, sniffing back more tears. “I’m being selfish and just having a moment.”

He stays quiet, waiting and when I finally let go of his wrist, he doesn’t hesitate. Slowly, gently, he continues pulling my hood back. My heart races, and I keep my gaze down, unwilling to meet his eyes as I wait for his reaction.

“Look at me, freckles,” he says quietly, his voice like a soft command.

I lift my gaze reluctantly, my wet eyes meeting his light brown ones. His face doesn’t falter—there’s no shock, no pity. Instead, his lips tug into a soft smile, his dimples deepening as his hand moves up to rub over my shaved head.

“I fucking dig it,” he says, his grin widening.

A small laugh bubbles out of me, unexpected but so needed. His smile grows in response, lighting up his face in a way that makes my chest ache.

He leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and when he pulls back, his expression turns more serious, though his eyes remain soft. He cups my face in his hands, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

“You still look fucking beautiful, you know that, right?”

I nod, swallowing hard. “Thank you,” I whisper. “It’ll grow back one day. It’s not that important.”

His jaw tightens slightly, and his hands slide down to rest on my neck.

“Did they hurt you, kitten?” Ty’s voice is low, almost a growl, but there’s a tenderness in the way his hands steady themselves on my hips.

I lower my gaze, unable to meet his piercing eyes and my silence says more than words ever could. “A little,” I admit quietly, lifting my gaze back to his. “But I’m okay. I’ll be fine. None of that matters now.”

He watches me carefully, as though searching for any cracks I might be hiding. I tilt my head, shuffling closer to him, needing the closeness to ground me. His hands tighten on my waist before they slide down, wrapping firmly around the curve of my ass, fingers pressing possessively into my skin.

“What about you? How are you doing?”

His dark eyes roam over me, taking me in slowly. “I feel good,” he murmurs, though his words come out rough. “Too good, actually. I don’t know what to fucking do with myself.”

A small smile tugs at my lips. “Well, you’ve got a lot of freedom now,” I say, my tone lightening. “And so does your little sister. There’s so much you two haven’t seen or done. You’ve got your whole lives ahead of you.”

He lets out a soft chuckle, the sound vibrating against me as his arm snakes around my back, pulling me flush against him. His other hand trails down again, gripping the curve of my ass as our lips brush, the heat between us sparking like a live wire.

“You want to go on an adventure with me, kitten?” he whispers.

I smirk against his lips, feeling his grin mirror mine. “Sure do,” I reply, my tone playful. “With you.”

His lips ghost against mine, teasing, as he murmurs, “You want to fucking keep me now?”

My heart flips at his words, the vulnerability hidden beneath the boldness, and I tilt my head, my hand sliding up to cradle his face. “Always,” I whisper back, sealing my promise with a kiss that sends shivers down my spine.