Ella“Devon?”My eyes widened as I took in the person who sat in front of me. I couldn’t believe it; Jet, the car racing rival who also happened to be Marina’s hitman, was… the man who I had begun to see as a friend?“This can’t be real,” I said softly as I pulled away.
Logan“Uncuff him.”The officer’s words took both me and the others by surprise. I blinked, wondering if I had just heard correctly.“Sir?” one of the other officers said, shooting him a quizzical look. “Uncuff him?”
EllaThe sight of Logan’s car through the rear window made my heart sing. So he hadn’t wandered into the explosive-filled garage. He was alive, and he was coming for me.But the trouble was far from over.The desert landscape blurred past as Devon continued to speed recklessly through the darkness, his wor
LoganThe scene around us felt like something out of a movie—and a dark one, at that.Devon writhed on the ground, moaning in pain now that my rain of punches had ended. Logan pulled me close, his deep blue eyes filled with worry as he looked over me. In the distance, the blue and red flashing of police lights illuminated the dark desert.
EllaThe courtroom was silent when Logan and I were called up to the stand. It had been two weeks since the night that Logan was arrested; two weeks of paperwork, late nights spent in my office, of what-ifs and trying to track down Marina and Harry, who had dropped off the face of the earth and left no trace of their crimes.But not all was lost. I may not have been able to put them behind bars just yet, but I could keep Logan from that fate.
EllaLogan and I walked out of the cemetery with a newfound resolve in our steps. Leonard’s ashes had been buried, right at the corner of the family plot—a plot which, in Logan’s words, had no more space for others. Leonard had been the last, and I think that was a good thing.We drove in silence to Leonard’s mansion after that. Everything in the will had been left to Marina and Harry, although they only took the money and valuables and ran. But given their sudden
LoganThe little ornate silver box that Ella held in her hands seemed oddly familiar, yet also somehow foreign at the same time. When she opened it, though, recognition slowly began to wash over me.Nights sitting on my mother’s lap at her vanity began to trickle back in. I remembered this little box; she had always kept her keepsakes in there, along with some makeup. Even now, all these years later, I could still recall watching as she would open the box before a night out.
EllaThe weeks following the funeral passed by in a blur. Logan and I settled into a new form of comfortable, whatever ‘comfortable’ even was anymore. I was still living in his mansion for the time being, although it was becoming more out of habit than necessity.After everything, I couldn’t sleep at night. Neither could he. We needed each other if we were going to stay sane.
EllaThe reception was in full swing, the air filled with the soft sound of music, the clinking of cutlery and champagne glasses, and the pleasant murmur of guests. It was the perfect night, too; the sun had set, and the air outside had cooled to a pleasant temperature as the crickets and cicadas sang.Walking hand in hand with Logan, we approached the multi-tiered wedding cake. It was unbelievably tall, adorned with carefully piped flowers and leaves. There were two little figures at th
EllaThe reception hall was filled with the soft, warm glow of hundreds of candles, and the sound of gentle music filled the space. It really was everything that we had wanted. The wedding planner had outdone herself.“What do you think?” Logan asked, holding my hand as we meandered around the room. “Quite the party, huh?”
EllaThe doors to the chapel opened, and the soft sound of orchestral music filled my ears. This was it; this was the moment. Everything felt like it was moving so fast, and yet somehow it felt as though time was standing completely still at the same moment.I watched as the wedding planner gestured from the sidelines for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to pair up and walk through the doors, preceded by the flower girl—a family friend’s daughter, who looked absolutely precious
Ella“Are you nervous, Ella?” the makeup artist, Jenna, asked as she selected a palette of soft, natural colors that complemented my skin tone.Nervous would have been an understatement. It was the morning of my wedding; the day had finally come, after what had somehow felt like both an eternity and no time at all at the same time.
LoganI sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the little silver key in the palm of my hand.“I should just go and do it,” I whispered, more to myself than to my wolf. “Get it over with, right?”“What’s the worst that could happen?” my wolf added. “It’s
EllaAs I walked into the bridal boutique with my entourage, the little bell on the door chimed and I was immediately greeted with the scent of lavender and the smile of a bridal assistant.Daisy, Moana, Clara, and Sarah were with me; it was just a couple of days after the housewarming party, and our new house felt full to the brim with my family and Clara staying for a while. Not that I minded, though. It was fun having them here, and I was glad to have them all by my side as I tried on
LoganI was enjoying the party, watching with a smile on my face as Clara, Ella, and Sarah exchanged stories, when the sound of my phone ringing suddenly cut through the lively atmosphere.Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I felt my heart lurch in my chest. It was Hartman; I hadn’t heard from him in months. After Marina and Harry had taken off and Devon had been caught, I had paid Hartman for his help—even though our plan wound up being foiled—and that was the end of t
EllaThe months following Logan’s and my engagement was a whirlwind of change. We sold Logan’s mansion to a wealthy family from out of the area, and before I knew it, we were moving into our new home.It was a 1920s Spanish-style home, with warm stucco walls and breezy windows. The first floor was open concept, and I could already picture all of the wonderful parties we could have here. I fell in love with it immediately.
Ella“Sit down. Both of you.”Sarah and I exchanged wary glances. Her face was just as pale as mine probably was, and I felt a wrench in my stomach.“But Mr. Henderson, Sarah never—”