The Degradation of Shelby Ann by Emma Cole

Epilogue

Carter

"Are you going to explain what all this cryptic bullshit means, or are you going to leave me in the dark as usual until you need to use me?"

I could only look at Gavin with sadness and regret, unable to tell him much of anything else. "You know those blocks of color you can spin around? The ones with the colored squares?"

"A Rubix Cube?" he retorted, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Yes, it's like that. You have all the pieces, but unless you line them up in the correct order, you can't solve the puzzle. When you sort it all out, you'll get the full picture, and I hope you'll understand."

"Fuck you, Carter. Run back to your master while I piece your girl back together. Just don't expect me to leave her defenseless like you did. And don't count on her being yours when it's done."

His words stung, but there wasn't anything I could do about the truth. I was everything he said I was—all of that and more, and so was Shelby, though neither he, nor she, knew it yet..

“She was never mine, as much I wished it otherwise," I informed the man I was trusting her life to. And then I gave him a bit more. "She’ll be Rafe’s now regardless, but at least I can protect her."

Gavin paled as the parts clicked into place. At least somewhat. "The old fuck can't be that sick in the head! Do they know?"

"I'm sure Rafe suspects something, but Shelby… She's been kept in the dark about a lot of things.” I winced as I thought of her mother. “If she makes it, things are going to be quite a shock. And I need you to let me tell her when it's time. Just be there for her until I have to come and collect her."

I hoped that Gavin could keep his word to wait, and also hoped like hell that she made it.

I couldn't imagine life without knowing she lived somewhere in the world even if she wasn't mine.

"You're a bastard, Rittenhouse."

Yeah, yeah, I was.

* * *

The story continues in The Redemption of Shelby Ann