Her Destiny (25 page)

The paramedic leads me out of Krista’s bedroom and I see the police are talking to Hal in the living room. He looks terrible, his expression full of remorse, his shoulders slumped. I wonder if the police will arrest him.

If David’s dead, would they have to?

“Is the other boy okay?” I ask the paramedic once I’m seated in the back of the ambulance. “Is he going to live?”

The paramedic doesn’t answer me for a while, just goes about her business of checking my vitals, her fingers probing the delicate skin of my wrist where I was bound before she checks the knife wound on my neck. “You’re lucky that blade didn’t penetrate your skin further,” she murmurs as she applies antiseptic to the cut.

I meet her gaze and try to compose myself. “Please,” I whisper. “Tell me what’s going on.”

She sighs and slowly shakes her head. “Your boyfriend is fine. The bullet seemed to go clean through his arm. They’re bringing him into the ambulance right now. The other one…his injuries are more severe but I think he’s going to make it.”

“You do?” The relief that floods me is overwhelming. I know I shouldn’t care if David lives or dies after everything he’s done but I don’t wish death on anyone. Even a boy who holds a knife to my throat and threatens to kill me.

“Yes,” she says with a firm nod. “Now let’s get you situated before they bring your boyfriend in. You can talk to him then, okay?”

“Is he conscious?”

“He’s lucid, yes.”

I wait for the stretcher to come into the ambulance and within minutes it appears, Nick lying on it, his eyes closed, his arm bandaged. I lean over him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, and he smiles.

The sight of that smile sends my heart racing to the sky.

“I look bad, huh?” he asks, his voice faint, that smile still curling his lips.

“You look tough.” He looks beautiful. A little pale but alive, the bandage wrapped tight around his bare arm, his chest and stomach on display, his shoeless feet covered with mud. “I’ve never seen you look better.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re glad I survived.” He cracks open his eyes. “That scared the shit out of me.”

“Me too,” I admit.

“When he had that knife to your throat, I thought…” He shudders and closes his eyes. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

I take the hand of his uninjured arm and lace our fingers together tight. I don’t ever want to let him go. “I’m still here.”

“Yeah.” He swallows and winces. “Me too. My arm hurts like a son of a bitch.”

“You’re going to be fine. It’ll be an awesome scar.” I bring our linked hands up to my mouth and press a kiss to his knuckles.

“Hell yeah, it will.” His eyes open again and he groans. “Your brother is going to kick my ass.”

I laugh, the sound watery, and I realize I’m crying as well, the tears flowing down my cheeks and dropping onto his chest. “No, he won’t. You saved my life.”

“I did, didn’t I?” His mouth curves into this little lopsided smile and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “You saved my life too, Rev. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

His words break down the walls I’ve held up for so long as I tried my best to be strong. I bend over Nick and cry, my face pressed against his chest, my tears dampening his skin. I can feel his heartbeat, his body solid and strong, and I cry harder at the thought of losing him.

But I didn’t lose him. I won’t ever let go of him again.

He squeezes my hand, his fingers so strong and sure that I know he’ll be all right.

And so will we.

Six months later

“O
h my God, you look gorgeous.” I clasp my hands together to keep from reaching for him, my heart racing with pure pleasure at the sight of my boyfriend. “All the girls will be jealous of my prom date.”

Nick glances down at himself, his mouth scrunched as he tugs at his bow tie, appearing uncomfortable and completely out of his element. “I’m doing this for you, I hope you realize this.”

“I do. Trust me.” I go to him and wrap my arms around his waist, kissing his smooth cheek. He smells delicious. “You look good in a tux.”

“Yeah? Well, let me look at you.” He reaches for my hands and pulls me away from him, his gaze drinking me in slowly, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, his eyes getting wider and wider. “Hell, Rev. What are you wearing?”

“A question I need to ask as well,” Evan says from behind me.

I turn to find my big brother scowling at me. I do a twirl, the skirt of my turquoise dress swirling around my legs. “You don’t like it?”

“Too much skin showing. You should wear a sweater,” he says, sounding like an old man. My brother, my protector. With the lawsuits and the possible jail time our parents are facing after what they did to The Flock of the Lambs, they haven’t called us in weeks. Maybe even a month. And when they do call, the conversations are all about them and how everyone has turned against them when they did no wrong.

They’re completely delusional.

We’re done with them, Evan and I. We’re making it on our own. It wasn’t our fault they stole. All sorts of reporters have tried to contact us to talk about what happened but we refuse to speak to them. Maybe someday, when it’s not so painful to think about the way our parents first manipulated us, tricked us and then completely abandoned us.

For now, it’s best we leave it alone and get on with our lives.

“A sweater?” I laugh and shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

“I love her dress. I think she looks beautiful,” Nick says, his arm going around my waist, his hand splayed across the exposed skin of my back.

“I’m sure you do. Exactly for the reason I hate it.” Evan shakes his head. “You two kids have fun at prom, okay?”

“Okay, Grandpa.” I go to my brother and kiss his cheek, giving him a hug before I pull away from him. My lipstick left a smudge on his skin and I wipe it off with my fingertips, which makes him slap my hand away.

“Get out of here. Be back by midnight,” he grumbles.

“Are you serious?” Nick and I got a hotel room for the night because you know…it’s prom. And you’re supposed to do that with your boyfriend on prom night.

“Nah, no curfew tonight.” Evan points his finger at Nick. “But you keep her safe, you got that?”

“Always.” Nick stands straighter, his back stiff. “I promise.”

We drive to the auditorium where my senior prom is being held in the old truck, Nick griping about it almost the entire way there. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. He wanted to spend money to rent a limo but I told him that was a waste. I didn’t need anything else to make this prom night perfect.

Just him.

Normalcy. That’s all I wanted since I first learned what my parents did and how their actions changed my life. I felt completely out of control. Lost. Deceived. But I finally have my life back, thanks to Evan and Nick and my friends—and it’s even better than it was before. I was sheltered and silly and naïve. Now I feel strong. Smart. Like I can deal with anything.

After David abducted me and shoved me into Krista’s room and the fight that ensued, things have changed dramatically. David is being held in jail without bail after recovering from his injuries at the hospital while under constant police and suicide watch. He’s been charged with the murder of Krista Benson and the assault and kidnapping of me.

Hal Benson was never charged with the shooting of David or Nick. It was ruled as an act of self-defense in the case of David and accidental with Nick. Last we heard, Hal is in rehab, working hard toward his recovery.

Nick healed from his gunshot injury quick, thanks to the loving care of…me. Evan insisted he move in with us so we could take care of him while he was recovering and he’s lived there ever since. Once I graduate school in less than three weeks, we’re going to look into finding an apartment together in Santa Cruz, where I’ll be going to college in the fall on a scholarship.

My future plans—which at one point seemed hopeless—all came together. How, I’m not quite sure, but I’m not going to question it.

I’m just so incredibly thankful I have Nick by my side.

We pull into the lot of my high school a few short minutes later, Nick parking the truck and turning off the engine. I watch some couples run past us, laughing and giggling, the boys wearing tuxedos, the girls in sparkly dresses. One of the girls waves at me and I smile and wave back, recognizing her from my English class. Once they’re gone, I glance in Nick’s direction to find him watching me.

“You look happy,” he says, his low, warm voice sending a shiver down my spine.

My smile grows. “Because I am.”

“Because you’re going to prom?”

I swat him on the shoulder. “Because I’m with you.”

He pulls me into him, kissing me until I can’t breathe before he breaks away from me. “You look sexy as hell in that dress,” he murmurs, his gaze roaming all over me, as if he can’t figure out what to stare at first.

I raise my brows at him, every bit of my bare skin warming from the smoldering intensity in his eyes. “You like it?”

“I’ll like it even more when I can take it off of you in our hotel room.” My cheeks are instantly on fire and he laughs, shaking his head. “That I can still embarrass you is the cutest thing ever.”

“Shut up,” I say, feeling silly. Feeling happy. Content.

Loved.

“I have a gift for you.” His voice and expression have gone solemn and I back away from him, surprised by this announcement.

“A gift?” I didn’t get anything for him. Did we promise each other gifts?

“Yeah.” He reaches into the front pocket of his tuxedo jacket and pulls out a tiny velvet jewelry box. “Open it.”

I take it from him with trembling fingers, popping open the box. Inside is a thin white gold band, a tiny diamond in the center. I stare at it for a breathless second, shock and pleasure coursing through my veins, making my head swim. “What is this?” I ask, looking up at him.

He looks nervous. And cute. So cute. “A promise ring. I know it’s not much but I wanted to let you know that I’m…I’m serious about this, Reverie. About us. When Evan tells me I have to protect you, I take that very seriously. And I want to protect you for as long as I can. Hopefully forever.”

I can’t take it when he says perfect things like that. Clutching the box in my hand, I throw myself at him, hugging him tight, a shiver moving through me when he circles his arms around my waist. “I love you,” I whisper into his ear, my arms around his neck.

“I love you too.” His arms tighten around me for a brief moment before he’s pushing me away and reaching for the box still clutched in my hand. “Let me put it on your finger.”

I hold out my trembling hand, giggling when he has trouble pulling the ring from its velvety confines. His hand is shaking too as he makes a few failed attempts before he finally slips the band on my ring finger.

It’s a perfect fit.

“I love it,” I breathe as I stare down at the ring on my finger. It’s so dainty. So beautiful.

“It’s too small.”

Lifting my head, I glare at him. “It’s perfect. I love it, almost as much as I love you.”

“Good.” He sounds relieved. How could he think I’d not love the ring and this special night? Everything about him and us together and the promise that he’s made me? I’ve never been so happy. “Because I’m afraid you’re stuck with me forever.”