Page 151 of Desecrated Saints
Unable to stay away, Hudson walks straight into her arms. His face buries in her neck to hide his despair from us. Kade and Phoenix circle around them in a huge group hug, leaving me to hang back.
I’m too busy staring at the name Seven has signed in black and white, sealing an eternal promise to the one person who deserved to see this day. His eyes connect with mine before he offers me a tiny, hopeful smile.
Jude Farlow.
CHAPTER 32
BROOKLYN
HURRICANE - DREAM ON DREAMER
This journey ends where it began—on a sandy hill in Northern Scotland, far from the world.
I stare at the blazing rays of the autumn sunset. The light washes over me in a comforting cloud, pink and orange hues painting a perfect picture. I’m standing here on my last night of freedom, doing what Mum would’ve wanted me to.
Deep down, I know she’s here too.
They all are. My dead family.
Next to me, a six-foot hole has been dug deep into the sand. Hudson insisted on doing it for me. I wanted to bury her next to the spot where, months ago, I put Logan’s ghost to rest. I couldn’t let go of the polaroid photos then. They’ve followed me through years of pain, death, and turmoil.
Standing at my mother’s peaceful graveside, I clasp those photos in my hands now. My tears splash against the faded, creased faces staring back at me from the past. Clearview, Blackwood, Sabre, here. They’ve lived through it all with me.
The beautiful, tragic memory captured in permanent ink has haunted me for so long. The beach stretched out in summer sunshine. My small body was being swung between my parents while Logan captured the candid photos. Their smiles were bright and full of love. There were no dark shadows in my eyes.
We were happy. Free.
Untainted by sickness and evil.
Swallowing my grief, I kiss my father’s face first. His soft, grey eyes radiate love back at me. With his family in his arms, he was at his happiest. Even if that was his undoing in the end.
“I forgive you, Daddy. You can rest now.”
With an arm slung around her husband’s neck, the unbroken version of my mother looks vastly different to the person I killed. She was beginning to disintegrate then, but the shell that returned to me was truly broken.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I whisper to her. “Pulling that trigger was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I wanted you to rest, Mummy. You deserve to rest.”
“Brooklyn? You ready?” Hudson prompts.
Nodding through my tears, I kiss her face. “I have to get better for my family now. They need me, Mum. I can’t join you. I have to find a way to live. One day, I’ll see you all again.”
That should be it, but there’s one more person I have to kiss goodbye. I can’t let go of all my pain until one final corpse is laid to rest. The little blonde girl swinging between her parents had no clue what was coming her way. She died, too.
“So many people hurt you,” I admit, studying my childhood self. “Nobody kept us safe. I’ve spent so many years trying to kill myself, I forgot to live. I may not be the same person I used to be, but I promise to live for both of us now.”
With my final goodbye complete, I watch the polaroids flutter in the air. Sinking down into the sandy hole, they hit the wooden coffin that Kade sourced from the local town.
With a fortifying breath, I turn to face the family I found in the darkness. I lost the people I loved. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a second chance to belong, but I am. All five of them gave that to me.
Hudson’s standing next to the grave, a shovel in hand. Behind him, Phoenix and Eli are wrapped up in each other. I drink in the reassurance of their presence. Lastly, Kade and Teegan stand at the back. He’s holding her arm while she offers me an encouraging smile.
They’re all here. Back at the rented cottage we found our temporary peace in, Hunter, Enzo and Theo are waiting for us. I appreciate their respect for my privacy. All my vulnerabilities are on display right now.
“Brooke?”
I feel Seven’s hand slide into mine. He was standing on the cliff’s edge, studying the violent sea. With him by my side, I am complete. Every single person I care about is here. Safe. Healthy. Whole. Fucking free.
“I’m ready,” I say calmly.
