Page 102 of Master of Chaos
He smiled, and gave me a thumbs up.
So it was over. Shane had swept me up out of that bloody mess like an eagle, and any wonderful thing was free to happen now.
No more limits.
CHAPTER31
Cass
Iwandered for while in a strange, foggy no-time of dreams and nightmares. Finally, I felt the constant, beckoning pressure of light against my eyelids.
The feeling got stronger and stronger. At some point, I heard muffled giggling, and slowly opened my eyes. Holly and Reggie were on either side of my bed.
Reggie leaned to kiss my cheek. Joy expanded in my heart.
“You’re finally awake,” Reggie said. “It’s been, like, days.”
“Really? Wow.” It felt more like years to me. I stared at her. She looked great.
She stroked my wrist, the one where her name was tattooed. “I told them about your tattoo,” she told me proudly. “That’s how they knew the video was a deepfake.”
“Of course you did.” I swatted feebly at Reggie’s arm. “Shouldn’t you still be in bed? You’re recovering too, right?”
“Nah, I’m way better now that they took that thing out of my head,” she said cheerfully. “Better than before, even. It’s awesome. All my dreams came true all at one time. Now Angela is planning this huge party to celebrate, as soon as they send you home. Like Christmas, except with prime rib and leg of lamb. She says she’s going to celebrate our own family’s Independence Day for the rest of her life, and me and Holly are supposed to help! It’ll be a tradition!”
“Wow. Sounds… celebratory.” Overwhelming was more like it.
“It’ll be awesome, and you’re the big heroine!” Holly told me excitedly. “You blew that bastard up like a boss!”
“Holly.” It was Kat’s reproving voice, from the door. “You’re not supposed to say that word.”
“But I have to call him something bad,” Holly complained. “I could use way worse words for him. I’ve heard ‘em all. Want to hear?”
“No, please don’t,” Kat said swiftly. “Not necessary. I’m familiar with them.”
“It wasn’t me,” I kept repeating, but I didn’t have enough breath to be heard.
Kat sat on the chair near the bed, trying not to smile. “What did you say, Cass?”
“I wasn’t the one who did it,” I said. “Jana set the charges. Shane was the one who shot Halliwell and fished me out of the ocean. All I did was run around like a chicken with its head cut off and jump off a cliff.”
“With a bullet wound in your shoulder,” Kat said. “Fleeing a massive bomb, and a homicidal maniac. Right. No biggie.”
“That’s not the point,” I said impatiently.
“Yeah, yeah. Point taken.” She smiled at me. “You’re a woman after my own heart. I’m developing quite a collection of them. Who knew there were so many.”
“Hey,” Shane said, appearing in the doorway. “You’re awake.” He came in and stood at the foot of the bed, holding a bunch of sunflowers in his hand.
My eyes drank him in. He looked good. More color. Already less thin.
“Don’t wear her out,” he said to the girls. “Amos is heading back up to the Mountain House, so catch a ride home with him, okay? I heard from Angela that you two have cookies to bake and decorate.”
Reggie looked down at me, a shadow of doubt in her eyes. “Will you be okay? If I go away?” she asked anxiously. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll be fine, and so will you, with our new friends,” I whispered. “We have nothing to worry about anymore. He’s gone forever, baby. We’re free. For real.”
“It’s just hard to believe,” she said. “I still have nightmares.”