Page 184 of Burn Like An Angel

“No,” I reply honestly. “It makes it necessary.”

“I’ve justified a lot these past couple years using that line.” Ripley sighs with what appears to be bone-deep exhaustion. “I don’t think I want to be that person anymore.”

“We’re free,” Raine reminds her. “You can be whoever you want to be now.”

“It’s really over?”

I take her other hand, careful not to disturb the IV line feeding into it. “The investigation will rumble on, and we’ll still have to cooperate… but the corporation is being dismantled.”

“The institutes are all closing,” Raine adds with a hopeful smile. “Everyone will be transferred to real facilities. No more experiments.”

The back of my throat burns. Honestly, we haven’t had time to process the news. Not while anxiously waiting for updates. There’s still so much to be uncovered, but this is the first step towards eradicating Incendia’s rule.

I’m not stupid enough to believe we’ll be left in peace. Not after the deals we’ve all signed to act as informants to avoid any prosecution for our actions. Freedom has come at a steep cost.

“What about Elon?” She swallows hard.

“Alive,” I answer. “Not sure he’ll ever see again, though. He’s been remanded into custody along with his men and countless others.”

A relieved breath whooshes out of her. “Good.”

“Did you really gouge his eyes out?” Raine scrunches his nose up.

“Um, a little bit.”

“Damn. I feel like I shouldn’t approve of that, you know?” He gestures to his own honeyed eyes. “But honestly, if anyone deserves to suffer, it’s that son of a bitch.”

“Seconded,” I grumble.

“I half-expected it to be the police when you guys walked in,” Ripley admits, chewing her bottom lip. “What’s going to happen to me?”

Raine shrugs. “Jonathan’s death was self-defence.”

“With no witnesses?” she challenges.

“You’ve got a massive black eye, a concussion and were kidnapped after a hit and run,” I list off. “I don’t think there’s a court in the world that would prosecute after all that.”

“Fair point.”

“Enzo says we’re all free to go as long as we hold up our end of the deal.” Raine caresses her bruised knuckles. “We won’t be transferred with the other patients or taken back into custody.”

“Fuck.” She looks up at me, a glimmer of hope in her one good eye. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. The SCU will honour their word.”

“We really are free.” Ripley shakes her head. “I can’t quite believe it. What now?”

Lifting her hand, Raine presses a kiss on it. “You remember that future we talked about?”

I look between them, eyebrows raised.

“It rings a bell,” Ripley hedges.

“Well… perhaps it can be more than a far-off dream now.”

“Am I allowed to ask about this inside joke?” I nudge Raine’s shoulder playfully.

“Not an inside joke.” Raine tilts his head in my direction. “I told Ripley that when this is all over, we’ll follow her wherever she wants to go.”

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