Page 86 of Her Nightshade

I followed his line of sight. “You’re sure you can cover this up?” I asked hesitantly.

Callan shot me a sidelong glance, a small, almost amused smile breaking through. “Yeah, Charlie. I’m sure. You’re gonna have to trust me now. And I guess I’m gonna have to trust you.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah. Fuck.”

The tension between us seemed to dissolve in that moment. Turns out killing someone and dumping their body together hada way of forging a connection that defied logic. Or maybe it was just that we both knew we were stuck with each other now.

He wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was I.

After a few moments of silence, Callan spoke again, his voice casual. “You know, Leo’s still rotting in jail.” He slowed the engine slightly, glancing at me. “What are the chances of him getting away with the shit he pulled?”

A slow grin spread across my face. “I don’t know, mate. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Callan nodded. “You’re gonna have to help me rack up more cash for Bart,” he said with a laugh.

I grinned back at him, shaking my head. “See? I told you we’re alike, my friend.”

* * *

Ana and I were backstage in my dressing room before the first show of the tour. I had just finished rehearsing, and Ana was sitting in front of the vanity, applying her red lipstick. She was so fucking stunning, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much my life had changed since she showed up.

She had filled the void in my life that I was desperately seeking for years. She showed me that it was okay to be vulnerable, that even if I was too much, I still deserved love. And she loved me despite my flaws, despite my growing need for her; in fact, she reveled in it.

She could see the darkness in me and match it, as if she wasn’t afraid to step into the shadows I tried so hard to hide for years. She didn’t flinch from the parts of me that felt too broken. She embraced them, made them her own. It was as though she understood the storm raging inside me because she carried one of her own.

She could take everything from me—my fears, my doubts, my control—and strip me bare, leaving me vulnerable in a way I never dreamed of letting anyone see. Yet in the very next moment, she’d give it all back. With just one kiss, she’d rebuild me, stronger, steadier, more whole than I ever thought I could be.

Her lips held power, not just over my body but over my entire being. In her kiss, there was fire and tenderness, chaos and calm. It was the perfect contradiction, just like us.

She didn’t just meet my darkness; she challenged it, tamed it, turned it into something beautiful. And in doing so, she showed me that even the deepest shadows could hold light.

Ana wasn’t afraid of me, of the unfiltered, unhinged version of who I was. She matched me step for step, holding her own while letting me fall apart in her hands.

She could see me in a way no one else ever had. She could shatter me and put me back together in a way that made me feel whole.

And she was mine. My salvation. My obsession.Mi diosa.

And no matter what it took, I would make sure she stayed that way.

Forever.

As I walked to the stage, her red lips on my cheek, claiming me for the world to see, the crowd’s deafening cheers filled the air. But all I could think about was her. The fire we had created was eternal—and it burned brighter than ever.

31

Epilogue

The tour bus rolled down the highway, the faint vibration running beneath my feet. The soft glow of the TV screen flickered above me, and nearby, a handful of bandmates lounged, chatting and laughing.

I sat in the corner, my knees tucked up against my chest, scrolling through my phone, my attention focusing between that and the TV. That’s when a sudden news report filled the screen, the anchor’s urgent voice coming through.

Breaking News: Former President Jacob Martin Reported Missing.

My chest tightened as the anchor continued.

“Authorities confirm that Jacob Martin, the 48th President of the United States, has been reported missing. Martin was last seen at his lake house in Maryland earlier this week. While investigators have not released further details, sources suggest foul play has not been ruled out.”

The image on the screen shifted to a photo of Jake, smiling in that polished, practiced way that once captivated a nation. My stomach twisted, but not with fear. It was something far more thrilling.

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