Page 246 of Boys Who Hunt
I clutch my chest as the same tightness I felt before takes hold.
She smiles at Cora like everything will be okay.
Just one fucking smile…
And it finally all clicks into place.
Ivy
Heath helpsMrs. Schwartz up from the floor. She groans but abruptly stops the second she spots all his muscles. “Oooh. Now, who are you, Mr. Handsome?”
Heath laughs. “Maybe we need to get that head wound checked out.”
“Oh no, I’m fine. Perfectly fine,” Mrs. Schwartz replies. “But if you want to check me out, I have a bathroom to the left and plenty of fun stuff in there.”
“I take it back. No amen for you,” Max mutters, making us all laugh.
Cora hugs me tight, and the tears roll down our cheeks, not from fear but from happiness of finally being free.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter to her.
“Is it over?” she asks.
I nod. “Your dad … he’s …”
I can’t bring myself to say the words out loud.
“I don’t want him to be my daddy. He hurt Mom,” she says, hiccupping. “And he hurt you.”
I hug her tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Cora. I wish I could make it all disappear from your memories.”
We cry a little more, and after a while, she breathes out a sigh and says, “I love you. You’re my big sister.”
“I love you too, sweetie. And I promise I will never,everlet anyone hurt you again. No matter what happens, I will always be there for you.” She hugs me so tightly that it hurts, but the pain is worth it.
“This is too beautiful,” Max mutters, coughing before wiping away a tear.
“Are you getting all emotional on us now?” Heath snorts before he slaps Max on the thigh. “Enough crying for today.”
“I got shot. Twice. I think I deserve a few tears,” Max retorts.
“No, Heath’s right,” I say, standing up. “Stefano’s drained enough happiness from our lives as is. We’ve given him enough.”
“True,” Max says, eyeing the body. “Is he even dead?”
While we’re all still staring at Stefano’s body, waiting for him to spring back to life to try to attack us again, Bagel casually prances out of the cluttered bedroom and hops onto the couch to sniff at him.
Then he sprays him …
Literally sprays him with piss.
And Stefano still doesn’t react.
“Guess he’s as dead as a Dodo,” Max says.
Heath checks his pulse. “Yup. Dead.”
Mr. Squiggles, her wiener dog, prances out of the bedroom like it’s no one’s business but stops when he sees the cat. Mrs. Schwartz picks him up and hugs him tight. “Ivy, why the fuck did you bring this stinky cat into my house?!” Mrs. Schwartz says, wafting her hand in front of her wrinkly nose. “Even Mr. Squiggles is scared of him.”