Back to Paradise

Epilogue

Paradise Ranch

Sky

There was an eerie silence outside as the gunfire stopped and while everything had been dark moments ago, there was a tiny bullet hole that shed just a hint of light into the small interior of her metal box. Sky swallowed nervously as she watched the light dance and she wasn’t sure if it was from flashlight’s or headlights or fire. She wasn’t sure if she should be thankful that tiny bullet hadn’t hit her either.
She didn’t know anything in here. She didn’t know who the True Survivor’s were fighting, she didn’t know where she was, or how many people were outside. She didn’t know who’d won.
At this moment, her faith was running a little thin.
They’d been ambushed on the bridge, outnumbered six to twenty. They’d overpowered them all and while she was skilled at hand to hand combat, Dean had given her a choice. “We shoot everyone, or you come with us right now.” His words still hung heavy in her mind. What was she supposed to do, let everyone die? No…so she’d gone with the True Survivors, knowing Garret was still alive.
When they’d brought her to the bar, she’d hoped maybe Neon would find the courage to do something, but his people had been well subdued and disarmed before she and Dean entered the bar. He’d been keeping her close, but after she tried to slam a glass cup into his face, several True Survivors had tackled her, beat her, and drug her outside, tossing her in the toolbox on the back of one of their trucks.
Then she’d heard the gunfight. To the best of her knowledge, they hadn’t left Neon’s Gate, but she’d been semi-conscious after her beating so she wasn’t sure. Now there was only silence outside and flickers of light dancing through the hole in the box.
She heard the grind of the metal and a sharp scraping sound as the lid lifted and she blinked at the blinding light in her face before it was lowered, “Sky, sweetheart,”
“Dad.” She smiled up at him as he reached inside for her. He sat her up and she put her arms around him.
“Sky’s not in here! Where is she?! Sky!”
“It’s okay, Garret, she’s right here!”
She smiled against her father as he called out to him and finally stood up and clambered out of the toolbox. Her body ached, but not bad, and that didn’t matter. She was alive and with her family.
“Sky!” Garret clumsily cleared the edge of the truck, stumbled and hit the bottom before he wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” She sighed as she held him.
“Yeah, you do.” She murmured and spotted Abel looking up at her.
“You okay?”
“I am now.” She nodded.
“Dean’s dead. Garret shot him.”
“Jay, too,” Jackson announced. “Neon took him out. Lucky shot. Might’ve blown his own ear drum out though.”
“Matteo’s hunting down any True Survivors that managed to get past us.” Sky pulled out of Garret’s arms as she saw Lucia, someone she considered a friend.
“Lucia!”
She smiled genuinely, “Glad to have you back with us, Sky.”
“Thank you.”
“Come on, I’m going to get you home.” Garret told her. “Abel, you’re riding shotgun.”
Abel lifted his eyes up to Garret questioningly and Sky had the sense that something had happened between them, some sort of understanding passed through the air. She had the feeling that, for the first time, Garret had finally forgiven Abel for past mistakes.
“Be careful, babe.” Shakasta walked right up to Abel and planted her lips on his. “I’m gonna stay behind and help Neon’s Gate. They’ll need protection while they get back on their feet and I’m sure the gunfight will draw a big crowd.”
“I’ll see you back at Paradise.” Abel grinned, biting his lip.
Sky smiled and looked up at Garret, putting her arm around his waist. “Take me home.” Garret sighed and her father leaned into her other side. The threat was gone and all of their people were safe. It was time to go home.