Paint It All Red (Mindf*ck Series Book 5)

Three years later…

Lana is laughing with Hadley as they read Laurel’s latest letter. Lindy May sends all of Laurel’s letters to Olivia. And Olivia sends them to a home in Greece that Lana owns, but we don’t ever stay there.

Laurel has turned into a fun, witty girl who has managed to put her past behind her and move forward. Lindy has given her all the tools to do that, and she’s finally moved on herself in her quest to save Laurel.

Her ex-husband killed himself a little over two years ago. Lana and Jake broke out the champagne to celebrate, since they’d apparently driven him to that.

Olivia also writes, telling them about Cheyenne and Alyssa, who both still live with her. No one ever suspected Olivia after I put a round of bullets in Christopher Denver.

Diana Barnes went to live closer to her son. He bought her a home, and she’s finally able to enjoy her life without the past hanging over her like a daunting shadow. She thinks Lana died in that explosion, and Lana says it’s best if she believes that.

I check in on my team from time to time, using a burner phone to contact Leonard. He assures me that no one on our team is looking for me. Most everyone thinks I snapped. He’s the only one still there who knows the truth.

He said Craig is just happy that he’s officially the prettiest face in the unit.

But I know what I did still weighs heavily on all of them, because they’re worried it could be them one day. They just don’t understand how unlikely that is. And it’s not like I can tell them.

Jake walks down the stairs in just a towel. It’d be nice to not share a house with him and Hadley, but this home is massive, and I’d never tear Lana away from her best friend after all they’ve been through.

Besides, I sleep peacefully at night, more so than ever. Our house is the most dangerous place in the world to try and break into because of the four of us.

A guy walks down the stairs, also wearing a towel, and Hadley whistles at him as she stands and struts from the dining room, her hair mussed and her clothes disheveled.

“Glad you two finally finished up. I couldn’t go another round,” she tells Jake as he tugs her to him, nipping her lips with his teeth as he grins.

“You still have to go another round with just me tonight,” he says. “And next week, you get to pick who joins us.”

She beams like he just offered her Christmas. Personally, I don’t get it. I’d fucking kill someone if they touched Lana, and there’s no doubt she’d cut someone to pieces if they touched me.

Literally.

But Jake and Hadley are both bisexual, and though they’d never cheat on each other, they do include select individuals in their bedroom on occasion.

Twice a month to be more precise. Trust me, I know more about Hadley’s sex life than I ever wanted to.

“I want a girl,” she says as the guy they spent the night with goes to the fridge, making himself at home.

“Deal,” Jake tells her, and she grins again while I carefully maneuver my way out of the threesome afterglow.

Lana is holding back a laugh when I near her, because she knows I hate hearing all the gritty details Jake and Hadley love to share.

She takes my hand, and I pull her up, my thumb brushing the red ruby on her ring finger.

“You ready, Mrs. White?” I ask her, waggling my eyebrows.

“I’ve just been waiting on you.”

“As of now, I can’t wait to get out of this house and out on the boat.”

She laughs again as I practically drag her away from the house. Her leg is completely healed now. She walks with no limp, and she’s back to taking classes—kickboxing classes to be exact. Though I think it’d be smarter for her to actually teach the classes, since she’s a little too good to still be a student.

Her fingers thread with mine, and I drink my beer as we walk down the beach, heading to where the boat awaits us.

This has been our life for the last three years. I had no idea how much I was missing out on. Life is pretty damn good when you take the time to live it.

Most importantly, we dance every night.

Hadley and I took over the online site for Lana and Jake, since they started another internet business that needed their attention. Lana outsourced the appraisal jobs to some trusted people who needed the extra income.

Five years ago, I never pictured myself leaving the Bureau and spending my days with a semi-retired serial killer, while walking the beaches of Greece. I never pictured me sharing a house with another couple. I never pictured anything at all about my life as it is today.

Which is why I love Lana so much. She still continues to surprise me, and I’m fairly positive I’d be the one burning the world down if anyone ever tried to take her from me.

She calls me a romantic for that.

It’s a life I love.

“What are you thinking about?” Lana asks on a sigh as she leans her head against my arm.

Two months after I showed up in Greece, Lana and I got married. It was just the four of us with one officiate, but it was perfect. Hadley and Jake took two years to follow our lead.

“How crazy life can be, and how good it can turn out,” I tell her, lifting her hand so I can kiss her fingers.

She grins as she snuggles in closer to my side, her white dress blowing in the wind.

Today’s our anniversary, and we’re taking the boat out for a long weekend away from the house.

“Our story is definitely unique,” she says, sliding her arms around my one and hugging it.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say, balking mockingly.

She laughs while rolling her eyes.

“Yeah. We’re just a typical romance,” she deadpans, but her lips lift in a small smile.

“Horror romance. That’s a genre, right?” I ask, smiling when she laughs.

She spins, turning to walk backwards as she faces me.

“You want me to be honest?” she asks, biting her lip.

I grab her waist, loving the way she laughs when I lift her.

“Yes,” I say, nipping her chin before kissing it.

Her legs slide around my waist as she tightens her hold on me, and I continue to carry us in the direction of the boat.

She grins as she says, “It’s my favorite horror story of all time.”

I grin against her lips as we reach the pier, and she slides down to walk beside me, locking our fingers together. She’s getting giddy. I can feel it.

There’s something you need to learn about loving a girl like Lana. She had to open something up inside herself to do what it took to end Delaney Grove’s reign of terror.

And that something can’t just be locked away.

She has special needs. Needs that I tend to once a year, because I love keeping her sane. And she can’t live in denial of who she is.

We load up on the yacht, and she takes care of pouring the champagne, while I get us away from the pier and start driving us out into the ocean. We toast the champagne, and I brush my lips over hers as she stays close.

We’re floating with no land in sight before I anchor us down and check the monitors to make sure we’re completely alone and no one can bother us.

She flashes me a smile, anticipation sparking in her eyes.

“You ready for your present?” I ask her.

She grins.

“Yes.”

I tug her hand in mine and guide her to the lower deck. She follows, practically walking on my heels in her excitement. As soon as we reach the downstairs and her eyes fall on her present, she stops walking, her smile growing bigger.

“Where’d you get this?” she asks.

“It was actually a favor called in from a friend. Apparently, this one has raped numerous girls up and down the coast, but his father’s diplomatic immunity status has prohibited anyone from being able to touch him. They were in the process of getting that status revoked when his father sent him back to Columbia.”

Her eyes flash with excitement, as Juan Alvarez’s eyes widen, and he struggles, cursing us through his gag. Lana tilts her head, watching him as he jerks against the chains.

“And you trust the source?” she asks, looking Juan over, her fingers itching to take action.

“Leonard’s the one who called. The last girl was just fifteen, and he slit her throat. I trust Leonard, and I reviewed the file myself. They have enough physical evidence to prove it, and he hasn’t bothered denying it. They just can’t touch him.”

She gets up on her toes, smiling as she kisses me. Juan continues to struggle in vain.

“Thank you,” she murmurs as I hand her the knife.

She clutches it as her body shudders with the impending high. Too much steals her soul. Too little could cause her to lash out from denying what she had to become.

But once a year? That’s just right. And Leonard uses that to his advantage, because not all monsters can go to prison.

Lana’s unique, and I wouldn’t change anything about her. Because now I see the world the way it really is, and I know my only place is right by her side.

I move in behind her as she cuts on the music, and my arms go around her waist as we sway to the rhythm. She’s eager to get to work, but savoring the moment, taunting him with the hope he hasn’t released just yet.

Her head falls back against my chest as she revels in the moment, drawing it out.

I put my lips against her ear and whisper, “Happy anniversary, baby.”