I’ll never forget the moment life was wiped from him.

I’ll never forget it for as long as I live.

The way that bullet ripped through the window.

The way the second one hit him right between the eyes.

The way his body fell off mine. Dead.

The way I felt, the moment I realized he was gone.

Gone. Forever. Gone.

I’ll never forget laying there, crying, out of relief and fear, or a buildup of emotion from ten years. Or all of them combined.

I’ll never forget Slater busting into the cabin, hauling me into his arms, and hanging onto me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.

I’ll never forget the day he became my hero.

He saved my life.

He took it all away.

It’s like he reached in, and just scooped up all the bad, and disposed of it.

Now here we are, at his house, me bundled up in a warm blanket, Erin by my side.

It still hasn’t fully clicked that it’s all over.

But deep down, I know it is.

They did it. Just like they said they would.

Slater saved me. Just like he promised. He made it all go away.

“Are you okay?” Erin asks, her arm still firmly around my shoulders, like she’s too afraid to let me go.

“He’s gone,” I whisper.

“He’s gone, honey. And you’re safe.”

I’m safe.

Oh my. I’m safe.

“I’m safe,” I murmur.

“I couldn’t breathe. Every single second you were gone. I couldn’t breathe. I was so afraid of something happening to you.”

“Never goin’ to let that happen, Erin,” Slater says, walking into the room with a cup of tea in his hand.

He’s followed by Lincoln, Damon, Finn and Malakai. Everyone else went home after making sure we were okay here.

“Thank you,” Erin says to him, and she means it. “All of you. Thank you.”

Malakai nods, and looks to Slater. He’s angry at him. I can see it written all over his face. Slater told me he took the shot against Malakai’s orders. I know why Malakai is angry, but I’m not going to be on his side for this. Slater taking that shot saved my life, and my sanity.

Because if that monster had continued his path...I wouldn’t be sitting here so calmly.

Slater made sure he didn’t give me anymore horror.

Slater made sure no more of my mind was damaged.

I owe him everything for that.

“I’m headin’ off,” Malakai murmurs. “Hope you’re feelin’ okay, Ellie.”

“Thank you,” I tell him. “With all my heart, Malakai. Thank you.”

He smiles, but he looks exhausted. “We die for family, darlin’. You know that.”

Then, he leaves.

I look to Slater, who hands me the cup of tea. I want to wrap myself in his arms. I want everyone else to just disappear so I can hang onto him. I need him. More than I’ve ever needed anything in my life.

“If you all don’t mind,” I murmur, still holding his eyes. “I’d like to be alone with Slater.”

“Just because he shot and killed a man, through a window, and saved your life, doesn’t mean he should get the top treatment, you know,” Damon says.

I turn and smile at him. “I think it does, Damon.”

He grins, and walks over, leaning down and kissing my head. “Glad you’re okay, Ellie.”

I beam up at him.

“Yeah,” Lincoln says. “Fuckin’ glad, sweetheart.”

“What they said,” Finn nods. “Only I’m not going to call you squishy names or kiss you. But, I am glad, Ellie. So fuckin’ glad.”

My heart expands.

“Well,” Erin says, letting me go. “I guess that means I have to leave, too.”

I turn and let the blanket fall so I can hug her. “I’ll call you later. And come into the bakery tomorrow.”

She leans back, and cups my cheeks. “You’re free, honey.”

“I’m free.”

She beams, and then stands. “Gentlemen, as always, it was a pleasure.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Finn says, and my brows go up.

Erin looks to me, wiggles her brows, and then grins.

I laugh.

They all leave, and I turn to Slater.

“Kickin’ everyone out...” he murmurs, voice low. “Must mean good things for me.”

He walks over and sits down on the sofa beside me, and I move quickly, turning and climbing onto his lap so I’m straddling him. I lean down, tucking my arms under his, and slide them around his back, and then I press my cheek over his chest, and just hang onto him.

“Fuck,” he rasps, clutching me so tightly I feel like I could just stop breathing.

But I’d be completely okay with it.

“You saved my life, Slater.”

“Owed it to you, darlin’.”

“No, you didn’t,” I pull back and look up at him. “You don’t owe me anything. What happened, it all needs to remain in the past. There is no reason for it to ever come back. It’s finished now. We have a chance to move forward, and leave our darkness behind us. Please, don’t hang onto it anymore. We’ve both lived with enough. We both deserve this freedom.”

“You sayin’ you want to move forward with me?” he murmurs, staring at my lips.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“You don’t remember anything...”

“I don’t have to remember anything to know how I feel,” I say, reaching up and cupping his firm jaw. “All I need to know, is that I want to be here. That everything inside me tells me I want to be here. The rest, it’ll come if it wants, or it won’t. I hope it does, but if it doesn’t, I’m okay with it. All I need right now, and probably forever, is you.”

“Fuck. You have any idea how long I’ve waited for those words?”

I lean up, kissing his lips softly for a moment. “Probably ten years.”

He snorts, and then kisses me, long and deep. My whole body comes alive, and I shuffle closer, kissing him until I can’t breathe.

I pull back, and look into his eyes. “If there is ever a single person out there who has gone above and beyond to prove themselves, it’s you...”

“Told you once I’d turn the world upside down for you, Ellie. I fuckin’ meant it.”

I grin at him. “Anyone would think you like me, Slater Knight.”

He smiles.

Big. Beautiful. Real.

And my heart melts. Right then and there. It just melts.

That smile is everything.

It. Is. Everything.

“I think you might be right.”

Oh.

I’m right.

Yeah. So damned right.

~*~*~*~