A Debt Repaid (The Debt Duet 2)

“I promised you I’d protect them,” Easton says, nodding. “I keep my word. Always.”

I rub my lips together, but nothing I do can stop these tears from rolling down my cheeks.

I was wrong, so, so wrong about him.

He’s not a devil. He’s an angel with clipped wings.

I run into his arms and hug him tight even though he’s still on the floor on his knees. I don’t care what anyone says. I know how my heart aches for him, and that’s all that matters. And I want him—body, mind, and soul.

“Why are you hugging me?” he murmurs.

“Because I want to and need to,” I answer.

“But I’m—”

I place a finger over his lips. “Now it’s your turn to be quiet.”

He snorts and shakes his head before wrapping his hands around me too. And we sit there on the floor, melding into each other while time fades away.

Deion clears his throat. “I think we’ll wait outside while you two … sort this thing out.”

They walk past us while I’m stuck in Easton’s arms as though literal concrete keeps us glued together. I don’t mind. I want to take in his love like oxygen. To know that what he did was with good reason and a purpose beyond his own ego.

He did it not only for me but for them too.

“You saved them,” I whisper.

“It was the only thing I could do,” he replies.

I grab his face and make him look at me. “No, you made a choice. The right one. For once.”

He smiles. “I did it for you.” He takes a strand of my hair and curls it around his finger. “Because I hate nothing more than seeing your tears, especially when they’re caused by me.”

With his thumb, he picks up one of the tears rolling down my cheeks and swipes it away. “And I did it anyway.”

I swallow away the lump in my throat and smash my lips on his.

He isn’t a demon or a devil in disguise. He’s a saint who knew his actions would end my love for him, yet he did it to save them and keep me from drowning in misery.

He gave me his soul and let me crush it with my bare hands. He knew I probably wouldn’t forgive him for his choice.

But how can I not? Knowing they’re alive and that he did this for me because they mean so much to me? That’s true love. And this is my true love’s first kiss.

“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips.

“Why would you ever thank me for this?” he murmurs.

“They live because of you. My father would’ve killed them if it meant saving his own ass,” I say. “You saved them even when you knew I’d hate you for it.”

He closes his eyes as if the word hate physically hurts him. But I don’t hate him; even if I should, I couldn’t. Not when he went through all this just to protect my friends … to protect my heart from shattering.

“It was a choice between one evil or the other,” Easton says.

I look him in the eyes as a smile spreads on my face. “And you chose the right one.” Now more than ever do I know for sure. “I love you.”

“What?” he mutters, his brows furrowing. “What did you just say?”

“I love you too,” I repeat.

“Do you mean that, or are you only saying that to make me feel better?” he asks.

“No. Why would I say it if I didn’t mean it?” I raise a brow. “Have I ever lied to you?”

He smirks. “Don’t manipulate me into believing you’re some kind of angel, princess, because you’re not.”

“Oh, there’s that asshole again. I was wondering what he’d done to my husband,” I joke.

Easton grabs me and pulls me down with him, and I squeal as he places my head over his lap, and growls, “C’mere.”

And he kisses me on my mouth so hard and so good I forget everything that happened. I forget what I was doing and anything else that doesn’t matter right now.

Because all I want is for him to be this man who I admire.

This is a man I could love and hold dear.

Until death do us part.

Chapter 26

Easton

Her father didn’t pursue Charlotte’s escape any further, so it seems he was satisfied with Deion and Ashanti’s fake death. Charlotte’s reaction made him believe it so well that he retreated from the country altogether and took his staff with him. Which means Deion and Ashanti are free to live their lives without the fear of anyone following them. They seemed to catch on quickly, understanding the gravity of the situation, which I appreciated very much.

But Charlotte still wasn’t happy with how it ended. She wanted her father to pay. It wasn’t even my idea; I would’ve let him live out his life. But I had to think of her too. If she needed closure, who was I to stop her?