Violent Ends (The Denton Family Legacy 5)

He paused and turned to look at her. “What?”

“I love you so much. There are times I don’t even know if I can stand it. I love you more than anything else in this world. You’re the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. It scares me how much I love you. I think I knew from the moment I attacked Gabriel. To stop him from hurting you. I couldn’t let anyone hurt you.” She cupped his cheek. “I have no doubt that we’re about to face trying times. Possibly uncertain, and it’s going to get dangerous. So incredibly dangerous, but I love you. I will always love you.”

He slammed his lips down on hers, silencing her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him so close. She had no idea love could be like this. It was the kind she used to dream about as a young girl when she didn’t think love could be bad.

“I’m never letting you go. Never.”

“Good. I don’t want you to. I love you more than anything in the world, Gideon. I belong to you.”

He took her hand, and together they walked down the beach heading toward their villa. Their honeymoon took some time to get there, but it didn’t matter. They were together, which was how it was supposed to be.

****

Landon smiled as he watched Tamsin. She wore a plain white dress, her hair pulled back with a single flower in it. For the first time in so long, she looked happy.

The moment she saw him, she tensed. He stayed leaning against the car though. She didn’t try to run from him.

She walked toward him. “Hey,” she said.

“Hey.”

“Are you here to take me back?”

“Not a chance. I wouldn’t do that to you. I got your details here. I figured I’d see you one more time before I hit the road.” He held out the envelope he’d gotten from his guy.

She took it.

“How are you finding life, Tanya? You happy?”

“I am. I’m living with a woman who owns the diner. I’ve enrolled in school here. No one knows who I am, and I get to walk home every single day. I work at the diner to help pay my keep. It’s … amazing.”

“I see the real happiness in your eyes. You’ve got to learn to be careful though, Tam. The Savonas will keep looking. They’ll breeze through this town, and if they find you before our brothers, it’ll be bad news.”

“I’m not going to be stupid. You don’t have to worry about that.” She glanced around them. They were off the beaten track, so no one could see them. “What’s going on?”

“I killed Dad.”

“You did?”

“I had no choice.”

“Why didn’t you have any choice?”

“He killed Sarah. He organized it all. Selling you was also part of his power shift, Tam. Don’t be sad for him.”

“I’m not. He changed. He wasn’t the same person we knew.”

“The only problem is, there’s a possible bounty on my head.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not planning on ending my life. Not even close. I’m heading out. See where life takes me.” She didn’t need to know that he intended to steal the Castillo daughter. To take her, to hurt her, and to make them all pay for Sarah being taken from him.

For now, he just wanted his little baby sister to look at him with that smile that soothed him. The one that told him he wasn’t an animal.

She rushed toward him, throwing her arms around him. “Thank you so much, Landon. I’m so happy here.” She stepped away, cupping his cheek. “I hope you can in some way find the same happiness that I have.”