Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Does she fucking hear herself?
It’s a living miracle I don’t snap her neck like a stick.
“Bull. Shit.” I yank her back through the alley, pulling until we’re back in the tropical sun. A diversion.
That’s all Arlo was to her. Fully expendable.
With the demon’s confession, I drag her down the street, making sure I have a firm hold as she begs for mercy. The recording app on my phone will do the rest now, plus a little muscle.
It’s hard as hell not to strangle her in broad daylight.
The hardest thing I’ve ever done.
The Nassau detectives I tipped off this morning are waiting by a scenic overlook.
“Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no. Oh, Patton, no!” When she sees them, she starts kicking like a mule, braying loudly enough for people to look up nearby, but I don’t give a shit.
As soon as the detectives spot us, they hurry forward.
“Let me go!” she howls, her voice high and unfamiliar. “I’m innocent. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do any of it.”
One of the detectives nods at me.
I nod back.
The timing couldn’t be better.
As they haul her away in handcuffs with her head hanging miserably, I take a stroll under the sun, staring at the wide turquoise sea.
It glitters, inviting and warm. There’s no denying it’s gorgeous here. There’s plenty to do on this island, if you want to throw your cares to the wind.
Old Patton, he would’ve stayed a few days just for the trouble of getting here. But new Patton just wants to get the hell out of here on the first flight home.
I think about Salem and Arlo, how much I wish I had my family here to take the edge off.
Sure, I’ve been ignoring her messages to stay focused. Mostly so I don’t get distracted, but also because I’m at a loss for words.
She let me know he’s recovering. He’s on the mend, and I let that message go unanswered, too, as much as I hated it.
This isn’t just about Arlo anymore. It’s about them, knowing how much they belong in my life, now more than ever.
I can’t let her go.
And maybe she’ll fling it right back in my face, because what right do I have to keep her with me if she doesn’t want to be there, but I’m not giving up without a fight.
Not this time.
Not with Salem.
Not without Arlo.
I need to reclaim my family.
And if she’ll still have me, I won’t mince words.
I’ll bring them home forever.
Mom’s house looks like it’s hosting the entire family when I get back after a sleepless night of delayed flights and layovers.
Arch parked his vehicle slightly crooked on the driveway. Same for Dexter, who’s parked neatly beside it, almost like he wanted to make a point about Arch’s terrible parking.
The thought makes me grin, though it vanishes a second later.
Before I know what I’m doing, I’m taking the steps to the front door two at a time and barreling inside.
“Daddy!” Arlo comes flying down the hall, his feet slapping the carpet. His face is split by the widest grin and he—
Wait, what?
What the hell did he just call me?
He launches himself into my arms, clearly expecting me to swing him around.
There’s a second where I’m too stunned to move, but after a breathless heartbeat, I grab him and press him to my chest. He smells like laundry and fresh cooking and that little kid smell that’s distinctly his.
Fuck me, for the first time I can remember, I worry about tearing up.
“I told him,” Salem announces quietly over his shoulder. She’s standing back a pace, wringing her hands together, barely holding in tears of her own.
Well, hell, at least we make a great pair today.
Arlo has his hands around my neck. I’ll be damn happy if he never lets go.
“Delly knows, too. I couldn’t wait to tell her, no matter what happens. Even if”—her voice trembles—“even if you never want to see me again.”
“Mommy told me you’re my daddy!” Arlo says cheerfully. “Does that mean I’m gonna be a superhero, too?”
“Sure thing, buddy.” My voice is thick, but I’m past caring. “Sorry I couldn’t be around when your mom gave you the big news.”
“It’s okay. She said you were busy saving the world,” he says smugly.
“Yeah?” I look at Salem, who watches me warily with a slight flush on her cheeks.
It hasn’t been a full week since I saw her, but it feels like twenty years.
There’s nothing I want to do more right now than swing her into my arms and kiss her until she can’t remember her own name.
But a lot needs to happen first.
So I just take my sweet time hugging Arlo until he wiggles, then I set him down.
Behind Salem, Mom gives me a knowing smile and holds her arms out. “Come on, little monster,” she says. “Colt has some old Legos in the library and he’s waiting for you.”