Maybe Always (Maybe Series Book 3) (24 page)

I kick it.
 

I watch as Seth forces Kinsley into a standing position, and he walks her over to where Lee and Nacio are standing.
 

“Give her the test,” Nacio says. “Let her prove that she is telling the truth.”
 

Lee looks over at Nacio. “And if she doesn’t do it?”
 

“Then, we’ll have our answer,” Nacio answers.
 

I look from Nacio to Lee to a broken Kinsley. I know what they want her to do. They want her to shoot me. I want her to shoot me. If she shoots me, she guarantees her life. They will think she is on their side, and they will keep her alive until the FBI moves in. I just don’t know how to remind Kinsley of her promise to me.
 

Nacio pulls a gun from his waistband and hands it to Kinsley. “Shoot Killian. Avenge your father. Prove that you choose us, not him.”
 

Seth continues to aim his gun at Kinsley as she studies Nacio’s gun for a second. Her eyes go to mine, and I tell her what I want. I tell her to shoot me. Her eyes tell me she loves me.
 

And then she lifts the gun and pulls the trigger.

I watch Killian fall to the ground, and it is the worst thing I have ever watched. I tried not to aim for any vital organs, but watching him fall like he did has me worried. I know it’s what he wanted. I know I promised to shoot him. I just never thought I would have to do it.
 

I feel like I betrayed my heart by shooting him. I feel empty, like I was the one on the other end of the gun.
 

Nacio grabs the gun from my hand and then tightly hugs me.
 

“I knew you would choose correctly,” Nacio says in my ear before releasing me.
 

Seth lowers his gun, accepting that I am on their side. I smile. This is now my chance to ask about the other locations. This is my chance to become a true Felton. And then I can do anything to keep Killian alive.
 

But Granddad’s laughing distracts me. Nacio lets me go as I turn to face him.
 

“Is it funny now to watch a man die?” I ask, cocking my head to one side, as I look at my grandfather.
 

“No, watching you shoot someone because you thought he killed your father—that is what’s funny.”
 

“Killian didn’t kill my father?”
 

“No.” He laughs again.
 

“Then, how did he die?”

“I killed him. I had him poisoned.”

“Why?” I ask, my voice shaky.
 

“Because he was soft. He grew tired of the business. He grew a heart. He didn’t want to traffic people anymore. He didn’t want to smuggle drugs. He didn’t want to kill people anymore.
 

“From the second you were born, I noticed when he began to change. His heart simply wasn’t in it anymore. Once we found a man to pass the company on to, I thought that would change, and for a while, having Killian there did give him new hope, new energy. Until he found out that Killian was FBI. I think he took it as a sign that we weren’t supposed to be doing this anymore.
 

“He wanted out. But you don’t get out. Not once you start. He had to go, or he was going to ruin everything. He risked everything for you. I had to kill him.”
 

Tears fall from my eyes. “You killed your own son?”
 

“Yes.”

More tears fall. They fall for my father who didn’t deserve what he got. They fall for me for losing a father too soon. And they fall for Killian who is barely breathing on the floor all because he sacrificed himself, just like my father did to save me.
 

“I hate you! I fucking hate you!”
 

I begin to move toward him, but he pulls a gun and aims it at my head. I freeze. If I die, shooting Killian would have been for nothing.
 

“You are just like him. And, now, I get the pleasure of killing you, too,” Granddad says.
 

I glance to Killian, who is lying on the floor. Blood pools around his body, but I can’t tell where the bullet went. He’s still breathing, just barely. He won’t make it much longer.
 

“I love you always,” I say under my breath as I close my eyes.
 

The last thing I hear is the bang of a gun being fired before the pain in my lungs overtakes me.
 

I open my eyes, and all I see is white. White walls. White lights. White sheets.
 

I’m in a hospital room. I survived.
 

I test my arms and legs, trying to see what has been damaged, but the only thing that hurts are my lungs.
 

“Oh my God!” Scarlett squeals next to me before she tackles me with her body. “I was afraid you would never wake up. I flew
 
to Paris as soon as I heard.”
 

I smile, happy to see someone I love. Happy to feel safe. I just wish I saw another face in the room as well.
 

“Is Killian…”
 

“He’s alive.”
 

I exhale the breath I was holding while waiting for Scarlett to answer.
 

“Where is he?”
 

“He’s here, at the hospital. They won’t let him see you until they have questioned you first. And they couldn’t question you until you were awake. He’s been going crazy out there.”
 

I smile. He’s alive.
 

“Where was he shot?”

“The shoulder. Evidently, your grandfather didn’t have very good aim.”
 

I raise my eyebrows, realizing that Killian must have said Granddad shot him instead of me. I’ll have to remember that when I’m questioned.
 

“Did Granddad…”

“He’s dead.”
 

“How?”
 

“Nacio shot him. Nacio is in the hospital room next door. The FBI shot Nacio after they heard him fire at your grandfather.
 
He’s a rather good-looking…”
 

“He’s a horrible person, Scarlett. I watched him shoot a woman.”
 

“Nacio also saved your life.”
 

“It still doesn’t make up for what he did. He will still spend the rest of his life in jail.”
 

Scarlett nods.
 

“Did they get everyone else who was there?”
 

Scarlett shakes her head. “No. I guess Nacio’s brother escaped. And they haven’t found their father or their other location yet. They are hoping Nacio will tell them in exchange for a deal when he wakes up.”
 

I nod. I hope the FBI finds them, but for now, I’m glad the Feltons are no longer involved.
 

I’m safe. Killian is safe. That is all that matters.
 

“My mother?”
 

“She’s in jail.”
 

I nod, not really caring.
 

I hear a knock on the door, and I sit up, hoping it is Killian, but I see two men in suits standing at the doorway.
 

“We have a lot of questions for you. Are you up for it?” one of the men asks.

I nod. “I bet you do.”

The FBI questioning went well. I told them Killian’s lie about who shot him even though I’m not sure it mattered. We did whatever we needed to survive. They aren’t going to arrest me or Killian. Although Killian will never be able to work for the FBI again. I’m not sure if it matters anymore though.
 

The doctor came in afterward and said I was in the clear and could fly home. I was suffering from pneumonia after almost drowning, but the worst is over. They will keep me on antibiotics and have me check in later in the week to make sure I’m still healing well, but they don’t expect any further complications. I just need to take it easy and not do anything too strenuous for a while.
 

Scarlett bought me some clothes. I asked for sweats and a T-shirt, but instead, she bought me a dress and underwear. It’s a nice, simple black dress. Something like I used to wear all the time but not something that I want to wear on a long flight home from the hospital. I put it on anyway though because it is the only thing I have to wear. I pull a brush through my hair but don’t bother with putting on the makeup that Scarlett brought me.
 

A knock sounds at the door, and I perk my head up. Killian still hasn’t come in to see me, so I assume it’s him.
 

“Come in!” I shout.
 

I look up, and my heart stops as I wait for the door to open. When I see it’s just Scarlett, I sigh.
 

“Ready to go?”
 

“Yes.”
 

She walks over to me. “You look beautiful.” She reaches into the overnight bag she brought me and pulls out the makeup bag.
 

“I really don’t think I need makeup to walk out of the hospital.”

“I want you to feel your best,” Scarlett says. She applies some blush, lipstick, and mascara to my face, despite my protests.
 

Another knock sounds, and I perk my head up, but when I see it’s just my nurse, my head drops.
 

She pushes a wheelchair into my room. “Your chariot,” my nurse says.
 

I sigh and climb in. I’m too tired to protest that I can walk.
 

Scarlett gathers my things and then follows us out of the room. The nurse walks slowly down the hospital hallways while I really want her to hurry. I don’t know where Killian is, but I need to find him. I need to see that he is still alive. And I need her to hurry up, so I can do that.
 

We finally reach the front door to the hospital when Scarlett says, “I can get her from here.”
 

I’m shocked when the nurse nods and lets her push me.
 

“Thanks. I don’t think I could stand her to push me at that pace much longer.”
 

Scarlett smiles and keeps pushing me. I expect her to push me toward the parking lot, but she doesn’t. Instead, she pushes me around to the side of the hospital.
 

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”
 

My heart flutters at the unknown but not in a good way. I don’t know if I will ever be spontaneous again. Not after what I went through. I never want to have my heart racing that fast again.
 

Scarlett suddenly stops the wheelchair. “Do you think you can walk?”
 

“Yes. But where to?”
 

She shakes her head and holds out her hand to me. I take it, and she helps me stand in the small heels she brought me.
 

“Lean on me if you need to,” she says.
 

I hold on to her arm as I get used to walking again. It’s not too bad. It just hurts when I breathe.
 

We turn the corner of the building when I see him.
 

Killian is standing in a beautiful garden with candles everywhere. He’s dressed in dark jeans and a button-down shirt. One arm is in a sling. The beard that started growing is now gone, and his hair is trimmed a little. I don’t care what he looks like though. I’m just happy to see him.
 

Killian runs over to me. When he reaches me, he throws his free arm around me, and I wrap my arms around his neck after letting go of Scarlett. His lips sizzle against mine. His tongue finds mine, and then my world stops.
 

For the first time in forever, I don’t have to think about anything else. Not family obligations. Not my future. Not my past. Not surviving. Or right or wrong. Or saving him.
 

For the first time in forever, I can just get lost in a kiss.
 

I don’t know how long the kiss lasts, but when it stops, Killian reaches down to hold my hand. He leads me into the garden that looks so similar to my favorite place at the casino where he proposed earlier.
 

He stops when we are in the center of the garden.

“Princess, I know this isn’t going to be perfect. We are in a fucking hospital garden. We both have a lot of healing to do, but after the last few weeks we have had, I don’t think I can wait for perfect. I don’t know if I will ever get perfect, so I have to do this now.”
 

I watch as he kneels in front of me, and tears spring to my eyes.
 

“You are everything I ever wanted. I knew it from the first time I saw your picture, from the first time I saw you in person. When I promised your father that I would protect you forever, I knew that you were mine.
 

“You are a beautiful princess, but I’ve realized now, after really getting to know you, that you are so much more. You are my warrior princess. My survivor. You have more strength in you than I ever thought possible. You even had the strength to shoot me even though you didn’t want to. You’re everything I ever thought I wanted and more.
 

“I know I’m not worthy. I made a terrible FBI agent. I couldn’t even figure out the trafficking and smuggling ring that was right under my nose. I’m unemployed. I don’t have any money. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even have enough money to buy you a proper ring. But I can’t wait until I do to ask you to spend forever with me. I can’t wait because we aren’t promised a tomorrow, and I want to start living tomorrow with you now.
 

“Kinsley, will you marry me?”
 

Killian opens a box, and in it is a pink plastic ring with a fake diamond on top. Most likely, he got it from a machine in the lobby.

I smile. “Maybe.”
 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he says, grinning widely.