I sensed the silent expectation from behind us. Edging forward I whispered, “For saving him. For giving him a family… for saving him so that someday he could save me.”

AK’s eyes widened and he swallowed. “He told you?” he asked, clearly taken aback.

I nodded my head. “He told me everything.”

AK ran his hand through his hair. “Fuck,” he exclaimed.

“He is… he is fortunate to have you in his life,” I added, then quickly turned away.

Suddenly, AK’s hand grabbed my arm. When my eyes shot to his, he pushed, “Is he good now, Madds? Is he fucking out of whatever hell he was in?”

Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw Flame watching AK’s hand on my arm. His fists were at his side, but he had not moved.

Stepping back, AK’s hand dropped away. “Almost, I believe,” I assured.  Just as I gave my reply, the image of Flame sitting, staring at that hatch, with that particular blade wandered idly across my mind.

“Shit. That brother deserves to be rid of his past. Once and for fucking all.” AK smirked and remarked, “At least he’s got you now, Madds. At least he’s finally fucking got you.”

With that, AK joined his brothers. I saw Flame stepping forward to come to me, but I held out my hand and shook my head. “I am okay,” I mouthed. Flame stopped dead.

“Maddie?”  I followed the sound of the voice, and approaching were Mae and Lilah. Mae gestured to a patch of grass away from everyone else and I sat down, Mae and Lilah joining me.

Mae glanced over her shoulder to Flame, then faced me again, smiling. “You are not returning to my home, are you?”

Blushing, I shook my head.

Lilah’s hand found mine. “I am really happy for you, Maddie. You deserve to be this happy.”

Tears pricked my eyes and I said, “I am.” And I looked up, my bottom lip quivering. “I am so very happy. And so is Flame.” Mae and Lilah shared my tears. Laughing with joy, I leaned over and gently placed my hand on Mae’s stomach. “Especially now that I am to become an aunt.”

“Aunt Maddie,” Mae whispered and she lifted my hand to her mouth, which she proceeded to kiss.

Then Mae asked, “Was he gentle with you, Maddie? I know it is not my business, but I do know you. I know you will not talk about it. But I just… I just have to know that he was kind.”

My heart stuttered at her question, but lifting my eyes I nodded, and whispered, “Yes. He was perfect.”

Mae’s tears hit the leather of her pants and she replied, “That is good, sister. That is so very good.”

I looked to Mae, then Lilah, and my heart felt so happy that I now knew love.  I lifted my head to the sky and closed my eyes, sending a wish to God that my Bella was happy too. Finally, happy that the sisters she had fought so hard to save, had all found true love.

Love, of the perfect kind.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Flame

Three days later…

Waking, I found it was still dark outside. I reached for Maddie. Panicked at finding that she wasn’t by my side, I jumped out of our bed. My cold feet hit the floor and I immediately ran into the living room. Then my heart dropped. Maddie was sitting over the hatch in the floor, that fucking hatch, holding that fucking blade.

“No!” I boomed out and rushed over. Maddie looked up at the sound of my voice. Instantly, she scurried off the door, her back hitting the wall. Then, for the first time in three days, I felt the flames awaken under my skin. The flames that hadn’t stirred once began to move.

And I began to pace, the need to get my blade taking hold. Then—

“Flame?” Maddie’s soft voice stopped me in my tracks. I fought to breathe, to calm down. I looked down to where she sat. Instead she was on her feet. And she was holding that fucking blade in her hand.

And for some reason, the thought of her holding that fucking blade in her hand inflamed my blood. Because it was his. And all it did was hurt. It was my fucking curse.

“Give me the knife,” I snapped, but Maddie stepped back, taking the knife with her. “Maddie—”

“Have you ever been back?” Maddie questioned, shutting me down.

I frowned. Maddie drew in a deep breath and stepped closer. “Have you ever been back to the house where you grew up?”

The air left my lungs at the mention of that fucking house. My hands fisted at my sides and I shook my head.

Maddie stepped even closer. “Do you know where your father went to? Do you know what happened to him?”

I flinched as the thought of my poppa pierced my mind. I shook my head. “No. I have no fucking idea what happened to that cunt,” I snarled. Then Maddie lifted the blade and held it out for me to take.

Maddie walked back into the bedroom and I watched her go. I looked down at the rusted old blade in my hand. All the feelings, about being trapped in that fucking hellhole, rushed back. I looked across at the hatch. The hatch installed when the cabin was built. The door that reminded me I was evil. A place to leach away the flames.

A place where he could continue to take me…

I suddenly felt sick.

Dropping the knife to the floor, I staggered back into the bedroom, to find Maddie on the bed. She was sitting down, naked, with her arms wrapped around bent legs.  She was crying.

“Maddie,” I whispered as I inched forward.

She lifted her head and spoke. “In my life I had two things that I used to pray for. Two things that I imagined, if I could just obtain, I would be set free.” Maddie wiped at her cheeks. “I wanted Moses to die. I wanted to stand above him and know he was dead. And I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to feel safe in my heart. I wanted to know that I would never again be hurt.” She sniffed. Looking me dead in the eye, she emphasized, “And you gave me both. In fact, you gave me more than I wished for. Because you also gave me you. I fell in love with you. And I can touch you. I can make love to you, and I know completely, that I will not be hurt.”