MOLLYOh, god.Not again, but again.All that flashed through my head in the space when Ashton let me back down, and bang!Bang!He cursed, pulling up my panties, then fastening his own pants. He had a gun out, and where did he get that gun? But he had it pointed down, and he took my hand, pulling me to the back of the shed.I looked around, hearing the screams but knowing I had to follow Ashton.Another scream. God. That was Jess’s mom.And another—that was Sophie.I started to turn, to run for her, but Ashton caught my hand. “No. No, babe.”I could hear Sophie crying. A guttural scream left me, but Ashton yanked me against him, clamping a hand over my mouth and wrapping an arm around my stomach. He was hurrying backward, carrying me with him, and he had the gun in his hand. “Ssssh. Please, Molly. Please.”I was crying, already knowing I was about to lose someone. I didn’t care if it was me. Just not someone else. Please.I stopped fighting to get free, and Ashton put me back down at
I nodded, letting him know I was fine, but I wasn’t. I was suddenly so tired. And worried.Ashton was still out there. Jess. Trace. It’d been quiet except for an occasional gunshot, and quiet again. I couldn’t handle the silence. I felt like my skin wanted to come off my bones.“Your father knows who killed Kelly? Jess’s friend?” The question came from Nea, who was staring at my gun.I shrugged. “I don’t know.”She lifted her gaze to me, her eyes narrowed, focused. “That’s what he was trying to find out? Who killed them?”I frowned at her. “Yeah. Why?”“Nea.” Nurse Sloane was coming around the desk, fixated on her friend. “Don’t—”Nea shook her head, her eyes looking a little panicked. “He knows. He knows, Sloane.”“Nea, don’t—”Her voice hitched up. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that.”She’d said that before. My body went cold at her words. “What wasn’t?”“Um . . . ,” Pialto said from behind me. “What are these?”“What?” I glanced back. He was staring at the desk, at the picture
ASHTONI was going to murder whoever was doing this, whoever was putting my loved ones at risk, whoever dared to bring this fight here. Here. My compound. My family’s compound. The one I loathed.I raced from building to building, tearing open every door to find everyone.Marco and Remmi were in a back closet.Avery and Elijah found me when we moved to another building. They helped take my primo and Trace’s sister to another safe room.I kept going. I had to keep going.Everyone had to be safe. We couldn’t lose anyone.I swept through the staff building now.Trace was inside, holding a gun up and aimed right at me. He cursed, seeing me. “Thank god.”I grated out, “We need to find the rest.”“Molly?”“They’re safe. They’re in my office.”I turned, my gun in hand, and I kept going. Always keep going. Always.Never stop. Never stop fighting.“Ashton. Jesus.” Trace touched my arm. “You’re shaking.”Avery’s radio sounded. There was another barrage of gunfire before a voice came over, yelli
MOLLYThe rest of the story was pieced together.Sloane filled in the initial blanks.“You killed Kelly. Didn’t you?” Jess said rather than asked.Sloane nodded. She’d been void of emotion by then, sitting in a separate room at the compound. Nicolai’s and Nea’s bodies were both—well, I didn’t know. I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to know, but now it was later, and it took time to learn the truth.Everyone just wanted to know the truth.“I did. I thought I was protecting her, but now I realized that Kelly was trying to protect herself. I came in at the wrong time. I—I’m so sorry, Jess. I’m so sorry.”“Why did Nea kill Justin?” Trace moved to Jess’s side, his hand on her back.Sloane raised her chin up. “She was dating Nicolai. They met a month after.” She looked Ashton’s way and at me. “I think that’s what she was saying earlier. She was hurting after.” She glanced in Ashton’s direction. “Then Nicolai came in asking questions. I don’t know what drew him to her, but she was beautiful. She m
ASHTONWe were at Katya two weeks later.The place was closed down, except for the small group on the dance floor. A DJ was booked, and he was enjoying every time the girls wanted a song changed. I was in our private box, coming up here because Avery told me a certain detective wanted to talk to me.He came in now, stopping to grab a drink that’d been poured for him on the bar. I was standing at the end, overlooking how Molly was dancing with Jess, Sophie, Pialto, Remmi, and half the staff, who Molly had insisted be given the night off. She wanted to extend another “sorry” to them for the night she’d left and put two of them in danger. I didn’t think the boyfriend was in attendance, but Molly had insisted. I wouldn’t be surprised if the boyfriend showed up sooner or later. So far, everyone was having a good time.Her cousin Glen joined as well.“What are you guys celebrating?” Jake joined me at the window, sipping his drink.I gave him a cursory look, noting his badge wasn’t out. “A f
ASHTONThree months later and Elijah was directing Shorty Easter to my new place of business. It was just one of many. I’d moved it farther north of the city, and we owned a good acreage on the Hudson River. This particular new building was a warehouse, one that no body of government was aware of. Yet.It was also the perfect place for me to fulfill my second promise to Molly.Elijah brought him inside. We were both ignoring his protests as he put him in a chair and whisked off the bag from over his head.Shorty quieted, blinking a few times for his gaze to adjust to the change. It was daylight outside, the sun fully shining down, and in here, all dark except for a few lamps in the corner.“Ashton Walden?” Shorty’s hair was greasy, as always. He had his usual homeless-esque attire on. A cargo jacket with holes for the elbows. The pocket was pulled off. The ends of his jacket were shredded and frayed. His jeans were just as bad, and I couldn’t see what kind of shirt he had on under the
MOLLYAshton wanted to take me on a trip, but I hadn’t expected a helicopter ride.I gaped at him when we drove up to the helipad. “Are you serious?”He smiled before nodding. He’d also asked for me to dress up, so I was wearing a dress. V neck. The material was the softest fabric. Sequined. It looked light pink, but in the right light, it could sparkle and give off undertones of lilac as well. And it was wrapped around me like a robe. I tied it in front. Ashton was wearing a black suit and an off-white shirt under. He looked dashing.“What’s the occasion?”He squeezed my hand, nodding to the helicopter. “Just get on. You’ll see.”A guy approached us, wearing a bright-orange vest. We were given these helmet/visor things with radio pieces for our ears. It helped silence the sound, but we could still talk to each other. After we got in and seat belted, the helicopter lifted off.I’d never imagined this was something I would do in my life. Never, ever. Not being the daughter of Shorty Ea
ASHTONI waited until the next morning. I didn’t want to be predictable, but as soon as she started waking up, with her coffee already on the nightstand, she rolled over, and I was there.“Morni—” She stopped because she saw what was in my hand.The ring. I moved so I was half lying on her, nestled between her legs, and I held it up to her. “Will you marry me?”“Ashton.” She sat up slowly, reaching for the ring.She’d start crying. She was a crier, at least lately, but she cried when she was happy. She rarely cried from the other reasons anymore.Those tears were starting. Her bottom lip beginning to tremble. “Is this—are you sure?”I groaned. “God, I’m sure.” I reached forward, brushing her hair back, tucking it behind her ear, and I held her head in the palm of my hand. “I meant it last night. I think I’ve loved you since we were kids. Just took me a long time to figure it out.”She was biting her lip, still crying, but her eyes were beaming at me. She kept looking from me to the ri