Cataclysm (Four Horsemen #4)(94)

My fight left me when I saw the mess I’d made of the walls and floor. I stood there in the middle of the cell, panting, with concrete dust settling all over me. There was a certain sort of catharsis that came from such destruction. At least now, the place was unrecognisable.

My head turned to find Scarlett standing in the doorway. Her eyes darted around the ruined room before they came to a standstill when they met mine. Her hands fisted in her clothes at her sides, her lips parting, but no sound came out. We stared at each other across the small expanse for a long minute. I thought she might turn away at that point, but she didn’t.

Scarlett licked her bottom lip, released her clothes and put her hand on her heart.

“I love you.”

Her statement slammed into me, almost knocking me off my fucking feet. And without thinking about it, my mouth formed the words I’d struggled with for so long.

“I love you too.”

I let go of the handle of the hammer and stalked across the room. The next thing Scarlett knew, she was whisked off her feet, and I was kissing her like my life depended on it. I held my woman against my chest, devouring her mouth with each stroke of my tongue against hers, proving to her once and for all she was mine and I was hers. That our love had never disappeared. It had been waiting for us to grab hold of it all along.

She wrapped her legs around my waist as I moved out of the cell. I pressed her up against the wall outside, continuing to kiss the life out of her. Her hands were in my hair, disturbing the dust and debris. One of mine circled her throat, laying across her skin where it belonged. The only necklace she should ever wear was mine.

“I love you, West,” she choked out as I kissed her jaw. “I’ve loved you my whole life. I never stopped. My heart has always and will always belong to you. I don’t know why it took me so long to tell you, but I love you.”

I captured her mouth again, tasting her words from her tongue and the desperation in her voice. The feeling was entirely mutual. Telling her I loved her felt like a fucking impossibility until she said it. Until she set me free with her declaration.

Words had never felt quite adequate to describe the way I loved Scarlett, but I had to try to explain it to her. Pulling back, I stared into her hazel-green eyes. The ones that had captured me from the day I set my own eyes to hers.

“From the moment I saw you, I knew you were the one, little Scar. I knew you were the only person in this world I belonged next to. You are the other half of me. You’re my strength, my ambition, my joy and my light. You are my heart.”

Her hand slid from my hair to my neck.

“I will never love another. I can’t when you’re buried so deep inside me, tearing you out would kill me. I refuse to let you go, no matter what happens. No matter how much life continues to throw at us because you are mine. My love. My only love. Fuck, little Scar, I’m so in love with you, it hurts my fucking heart. It hurts so bad and yet I will endure the pain to be by your side. I will endure anything for you because I love you with every inch of me.”

She swallowed then pressed her forehead to mine, staring at me with such love and affection, it fucking killed me. As if on instinct, the two of us touched the places where we’d scarred each other. A reminder we belonged together. You couldn’t have me without her.

“We’re each other’s forever.”

I nodded and smiled at her. My beautiful, perfect girl who ruled my world. There was nothing and no one better or more important to me than her.

Neither of us moved. Both savouring this moment. Allowing our declarations to settle into our bones. It was a fucking miracle we’d found our way back to each other. That we’d put the hurt, pain, and strife behind us. Sharing it with each other so we no longer felt so alone. Now we were one again. We were together with nothing holding us back.

“We should get back to the others,” she whispered. “We still have to finish this.”

I reluctantly set Scarlett back on her feet. She gave me another lingering kiss before she picked up the jerry can and unscrewed the cap. I went back to get my hammer and took it out of the cell, allowing her to throw petrol into it. Then we coated the rest of the building. Scarlett stopped me outside, brushing off the concrete and debris from my clothes and hair. I did the same to her, as I’d got it on her when I’d kissed the living shit out of my girl. Then we walked back towards the main house together, trailing a line of petrol behind us.

We found the other three outside the house waiting for us. Scarlett poured the petrol right up to the front door, then down towards where the boys were standing.

“You took your time,” Prescott said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We had something we needed to do,” Scarlett said with a shy smile in my direction.

She handed me the can when I approached her. I put the hammer and final jerry can in the back of the car, closing it and walking over to them. The five of us stood staring at the house for a long minute.

“Are we ready?” Drake asked, taking a box of matches out of his pocket. “You get to do the honours, little wisp. This is your fight, not ours.”

He handed them to Scarlett, who took them, staring down at the box. She stroked her fingers along it.

“I’m ready.”





Forty Two


Scarlett





The box shook as I opened it and slid a match out. My hands were trembling, but I ignored them. This was how it had to happen. I stared at the house. The one to cause me so much hurt and pain. Then I remembered only a few minutes ago West and I had told each other about our feelings. He’d destroyed the cell for me. My heart swelled, and I took a deep breath.