Splendid Shadows (Book 2) The Beautiful Darkness Series

Chapter Twenty-Five-Macon

Hello, Lovelies, 

This is the last chapter but there will be an epilogue!  Thank you so much for coming with me on this journey.  I truly appreciate all of you.  I can not say how much you all mean to me enough!  I hope you've enjoyed Macon and Jade's story.  

I hope you enjoy this chapter and the epilogue.  If you do, please consider voting and commenting.  

-XXXX Amanda

**********

I shot the first man and the second, letting them drop to the ground without stopping to make sure they were dead. A bullet sped by my head so close to hitting home that my hair moved. I narrowed my eyes at the man in front of me, blocking the door.

I leveled my gun and pulled the trigger before he could shoot me again, hitting him in the chest.

"Macon!" Gaige's scream caused me to turn and shoot, taking out another of Calvin's men. Gaige made it to my side as I stomped up the steps and kicked the door to the school in.

"I guess we're not doing this quietly, are we?" Gaige asked, narrowing his eyes. I could feel his disapproval of the way I had charged in, but I didn't care. I had to find Jade. I had to know if she was okay.

"Jade!" I screamed out as Ky came around the corner with his hands splayed when Gaige and I leveled the gun at him.

"I've taken care of a few of the guys on this floor." Ky swallowed as he glanced over his shoulder. "I heard a gunshot from the room where Jade is. All hell broke loose before I could check on her."

"Take me to her." I demanded, my soul shaking with the thought she could be hurt or dead.

Ky didn't speak, he turned and led me down the long hallway to a room at the end of the hallway.

I didn't wait to see if it was locked. Instead, I kicked the door open. My heart lurched as I found Jade on the floor with her arms over her head. Blood stained her skin and her clothes.

"Jade," I said as all the breath left me as fear unlike any I had ever known shook through me.

Slowly, she raised her head, peering at me with tears streaking her face. "Macon," she said, her body trembling.

The gunshots outside had stopped as I moved toward her, stopping myself from pulling her into my arms, afraid she had been shot.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, holding my breath as she stared up at me.

Slowly, she shook her head. I lowered to the floor and pulled her into my arms as she cried. I kissed the top of her head before pulling away to grip her cheeks, staring into her eyes.

"You scared the hell out of me." My voice was trembling.

"But he's dead...Calvin's dead." She sniffled, her eyes moving from me to a space beyond me. "I-I killed him."

My eyes moved from her to the space where she was staring, finding Calvin laying on the floor, every bit of life drained from his eyes. I sighed as relief moved through me. Calvin wouldn't be trying to hurt us anymore and from the silence that had landed outside, there would be no one who would take over his acts of revenge.

"We need to get out of here," Gaige said from the door.

I nodded as I helped Jade to her feet and pulled her against my side. We walked outside, finding bodies littering the ground.

I sent Gaige a look that silently asked if any of the men who had died were ours. Slowly, he nodded, causing my heart to clench. Calvin had fallen but he had taken a few more of my brothers with him.

Ari moved in front of me with Tony leaning heavily upon him. Blood stained his pants.

"Don't look so concerned," he said, through his teeth, "It's just a scratch."

Jade's eyes moved to his leg and winced. Tony managed a smile. "It will need some stitches. Don't worry about me, Jade. I've had worse."

She nodded as we got into the van. She turned to me, worry darkening her eyes. "Is Urban okay?"

I gave her a small smile. "He'll be fine."

"Yeah. He'll probably use this new injury as a way to get his way for the next century," Gaige said, starting the van. "Though a knock to the head isn't going to kill him. His skull is too thick for that."

I pulled Jade close as we raced away from the schoolhouse. A plume of smoke drifted from it, causing me to frown.

"I thought it would be best to get rid of any evidence Jade was there." Gaige shrugged. "I ordered the schoolhouse burned to the ground. By the time the cops get here, it should be gone."

I nodded as Jade shrugged against me. "As long as it's over and we can live our lives free from Calvin."

I kissed her forehead, as relief washed through me again but in the back of my head, a thought came back to haunt me. Even with Calvin gone, there would always be danger.

**********

I watched Jade swaying with Noah as she stared out the window. My heart ached as I glanced at the phone, relieved I could give her more good news.

"Your grandfather and your friends are on their way back to the reservation." I swallowed as I studied her afraid she would change her mind and run back to North Carolina with Noah.

She raised her eyes to mine and narrowed them. "Quit looking at me like that, Macon. I'm not going anywhere."

My heart leapt but still, I had to lay it out for her before she committed to her decision to stay. "You know, it will never be easy or completely safe. There will always be a danger to you...to Noah."

She frowned. "Are you trying to talk me out of staying with you?"

I shook my head. "No...But I want you to know what can happen."

She took a deep breath. "I've known for a while and I still stayed."

"Well, I kind of kidnapped you." I chuckled.

She wrinkled her nose. "Twice. You kidnapped me twice." She took a step toward me as a smile moved over her face. "Both times, you realized I was safer with you than I was anywhere else."

"But I-"

She placed her hand over my mouth. "I'm staying with you. You aren't pushing me away again. This is my home."

I reached up and grabbed her hand, kissing it before giving her a smile. "I love you, Jade."

"I love you too, Macon." Jade said as Noah cried in her arms.

I rubbed my hand over his head. "I love you too, little man."

Immediately, he calmed. I stared into Jade's eyes, seeing a future with her that seemed destined from the moment I met her. At that moment, I realized what true happiness was and I knew I would never give it up no matter what life threw at us.