A shudder rolled through his big body as his grip tightened and he swallowed hard. “I love you too.”
Hearing those words from his lips set something free inside her. She was tired of living a muted life, tired of being afraid. And she was questioning why on earth she’d been fighting this, been fighting a relationship with Lucas. Feeling like a fool, all she could do was smile up at him.
Crashing into their reality, one of the agents rushed up to them, telling them Chloe was dead and that they needed to come with him. As long as she was with Lucas she’d go anywhere. And hearing that Chloe was dead was all she needed to know.
This nightmare was finally over.
Chapter 40
Four months later
“This was such a great idea,” Serenity said, wiping her soil-covered gardening gloves on her shorts as she stood up, surveying the handiwork in her own front yard.
“They’ll bloom every year around this time. According to my mom, anyway.” He grinned at her, looking handsome and adorable at the same time.
She seriously loved this man and probably told him too many times every day. But after dealing with the aftermath of four months ago—all the media that had descended on their town, the regurgitation of Black’s serial killing spree on crime shows and on social media, and her own personal demons—she finally felt almost normal. Or as normal as she could get.
She looked down at the three small hydrangea bushes they’d just planted. Summer was here and there had been a perfect area in her yard to plant them. She loved the idea of the splash of color here, and the simple act of planting something living made her feel good inside. Every time she looked at them, she would remember doing this with him.
She was still dealing with the loss of her friends, of the horror that had visited Verona Bay, and this was such a simple, freeing act. The whole town was grieving, but they’d held a vigil for Carol and Paisley, and Serenity had started working on setting up a scholarship in their memory. It was a lot more work than she’d imagined, but it was worth it. The guard that Chloe had stabbed at the hospital and whose gun she’d stolen had survived, and the town had rallied around him as well.
Thankfully Bianca and Adeline were both thriving. Serenity had made Adeline an official partner at work and now they ran the business together. It was getting less and less weird to depend on someone. That was mainly thanks to Lucas.
Now she understood that no one ever truly made it on their own. You needed friends, family, a community to help. And there was nothing wrong with that. Hell, there was beauty in it.
Next to them, Daisy was lying in the sun, lazily batting her paws at butterflies who were intently teasing her. She wasn’t eager to get up and chase them like usual—not that she ever caught them. And she loved coming over here with Lucas—which was pretty much daily. He hadn’t technically moved in but it was close enough. She’d worried about how things would work with her and Harper but he’d blended into their little family seamlessly. And the man could cook—better than her, which was icing on the cake.
“How soon until Harper gets back?” Lucas asked.
She frowned, pulling her cell phone out to look at the time. “About—” Serenity stared as Lucas went down on one knee in front of her in a quick, fluid movement.
She shoved her phone back in her pocket and stared as he opened up a pretty little blue box. Blood rushed in her ears as she stared at the solitaire ring glittering in the sunlight. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing would come out.
“Serenity, will you marry me?” Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and she knew they had nothing to do with the temperature outside.
She couldn’t believe he was actually nervous though. Unbidden tears stung her eyes as she shouted, “Yes!” It seemed far too soon but she knew the answer was always going to be yes, whether it was now or two years from now. This man was one in a million. “Oh my God, yes!” She shouted it again, even as he slipped the ring on her finger.
She threw her arms around his neck, practically tackling him as he stood.
Laughing, he held her close, nuzzling her neck and sending tingles of pleasure shooting down her nerve endings.
“I thought of a bunch of different scenarios but all of them seemed wrong,” he said, pulling back but not loosening his grip one bit. “I knew you would hate something showy or public. And I couldn’t wait any longer to come up with the perfect place. I just want to marry you, Serenity.”
Wiping tears of joy away, she cupped his cheek gently. “I love you so much. I’ll get married anytime, anywhere. I don’t need a big wedding. Not unless you want one.”
“We’ve got time to worry about that later.” His possessive grip on her hip tightened, and when his eyes turned all heated she knew what was coming next. “We’ve got an hour before Harper gets back.”
Lucas’s mom had offered to babysit today and now Serenity knew why. “Let’s make it count, then.”
Daisy jumped up, racing in between them as they hurried back inside—though she wouldn’t be following them into the bedroom.
Despite all the horror that had come before this, Serenity felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. She hated everything that had happened because of a monster—two of them—but she was no longer afraid of everything anymore.
No matter what life threw at her and Lucas, they would face it head-on. Together.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading Dark Memento! If you’d like to stay in touch with me and be the first to learn about new releases you can:
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Happy reading,
Katie
Acknowledgments
As always, I’m incredibly grateful to Kaylea Cross for being the best critique partner and sounding board a writer could ask for. I’m also thankful to Julia for such thorough edits, to Sarah for all the behind-the-scenes things she does, and to Jaycee for a stellar cover (I’m so in love with this one!). Of course I’m thankful to my family for their continuing emotional support. And I owe so much gratitude to God for opportunities. Last but not least, thank you readers!
About the Author
Katie Reus is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Deadly Ops series and the Redemption Harbor series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.
However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. If you would like to be notified of future releases, please visit her website: https://katiereus.com and join her newsletter.
Complete Booklist
Darkness Series
Darkness Awakened
Taste of Darkness
Beyond the Darkness
Hunted by Darkness
Into the Darkness
Saved by Darkness
Guardian of Darkness
Sentinel of Darkness
A Very Dragon Christmas
Darkness Rising
Deadly Ops Series
Targeted
Bound to Danger
Chasing Danger (novella)
Shattered Duty
Edge of Danger
A Covert Affair
Endgame Trilogy
Bishop’s Knight
Bish
op’s Queen
Bishop’s Endgame
Moon Shifter Series
Alpha Instinct
Lover’s Instinct
Primal Possession
Mating Instinct
His Untamed Desire
Avenger’s Heat
Hunter Reborn
Protective Instinct
Dark Protector
A Mate for Christmas
O’Connor Family Series
Merry Christmas, Baby
Tease Me, Baby
It’s Me Again, Baby
Mistletoe Me, Baby
Red Stone Security Series
No One to Trust
Danger Next Door
Fatal Deception
Miami, Mistletoe & Murder
His to Protect
Breaking Her Rules
Protecting His Witness
Sinful Seduction
Under His Protection
Deadly Fallout
Sworn to Protect
Secret Obsession
Love Thy Enemy
Dangerous Protector
Lethal Game
Redemption Harbor Series
Resurrection
Savage Rising
Innocent Target
Hunting Danger
Covert Games
Sin City Series (the Serafina)
First Surrender
Sensual Surrender
Sweetest Surrender
Dangerous Surrender
Verona Bay Series
Dark Memento
Linked books
Retribution
Tempting Danger
Non-series Romantic Suspense
Running from the Past
Dangerous Secrets
Killer Secrets
Deadly Obsession
Danger in Paradise
His Secret Past
Paranormal Romance
Destined Mate
Protector’s Mate
A Jaguar’s Kiss
Tempting the Jaguar
Enemy Mine
Heart of the Jaguar