With Love

Chapter Forty-Five

Last Chapters before the Epilogue are always the hardest to write for me. Everything is over, there's no more major twist or moment that's going to happen. It's just wrapping everything up in a bow.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story, I appreciate it more than you know.

Enjoy.

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The gates to the manor were shut when the car arrived to drop me off. No one exited the little guard station to the side and it was so dark out that I couldn't see any movement across the long dark driveway.

The FBI Agent that drove me here looks over his shoulder uncomfortably. He's scared to go through. "I'll walk from here," I informed him and waited for the back doors to unlock before climbing out. I tossed him a look over my shoulder. "Thank you."

He dipped his head but didn't put the car in reverse. The summer air stuck to my skin, causing sweat to form without me even moving.

I stared up at the ten-foot wrought-iron gates. My lips pinched together at the side and I thanked myself for still being in athletic clothes. With one hand on a bar, I pulled my body up, lifting my foot until I could grapple onto the middle bar that went across the bars.

Pulling my body up, I reached again for the second half, holding onto the base of a spiked bar, and hauled my body up, my shoes working double to grip onto the sleek vertical bars.

Releasing a short breath I stared at the spikes, carefully thinking about how to navigate over them without impaling myself. Using my foot, I slid it between two spikes, rested it on the bar there, grabbed the two spiked bars on either side, and vaulted myself over the gate.

Keeping my grip on the bars, I felt the metal bite into my skin, no doubt drawing blood. I hissed, and jumped to the ground, careful not to roll my ankles.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the FBI car reverse into the street and pull off into the night taking the light with him, leaving me in darkness.

With a disgruntled groan, I started my walk toward the mansion. I wondered what happened in the moments I was taken away from here hours ago. Did Elijah attempt to start a breakout mission? Did Jasper shut him down hard? Did Finn think he would never see me again?

A shadowy figure stepped onto the driveway gravel, their footsteps making themselves known. I tilted my head to the side trying to decipher the figure. They were tall and bulky, short strands of hair could be made out from their silhouette.

"Lorenzo?" I called out.

The figure paused. "Love?"

My footsteps crushed the gravel beneath me as I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his bulky shoulders. He stiffened for a second, unused to the physical touch but soon he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing tightly.

We stood in silence, our arms wrapped around each other. The emotion built up in my throat, so I pushed out of the embrace, clearing my throat. "I'm glad you're okay," I stated, my voice gravelly.

I couldn't see his face clearly from the darkness. "I'm sorry, about Harvey, I should have been there," his voice gave nothing away about the guilt and sadness he must be feeling. Harvey was his work partner for twenty years.

Gripping his bicep tightly, I shook my head. "No, you shouldn't have, otherwise you may not be here."

"If I did, he may be here."

I tugged on his arm, twisting him so we could walk in the direction of the manor. "Let's not dwell on the 'what ifs', it'll only depress me," I joked, offering a smile I knew how couldn't see. "How has everyone gotten on since this morning?" I asked in an attempt to switch topics.