PERFECTLY WICKED: Deleted Extra Epilogue

If you’ve read Just a Little Wicked or you’re a Lovise Letter subscriber, then you’ve already had access to this. But in case you haven’t done either of those things, I wanted to share this here. Originally this was a small, “part 2” sort of epilogue to the first book, but I was asked to take it out (rightfully) in case there wasn’t a second book.

Well, there wasn’t a second book, so it was the right move. Or there wasn’t supposed to be a second book. But then you lovely readers kept messaging me and asking me for Winter and Erikson’s story and well . . . how could I say no to you?

If you enjoy this, you might want to check out Why WERE Erikson and Winter so Muddy?

Bonus Epilogue to Perfectly Wicked

Connor Sends Erikson to Hunt Down Winter

Holly

Holly was in the back of the barn digging around for the box of Christmas cookie cutters for their little apple store, when she spotted Winter sitting on the floor in the dark, her knees drawn to her chin and her expression so vacant that Holly dropped the box and sprinted over. Holly sank down beside her and shook Winter’s shoulder, but her sister didn’t respond.

            “Winter, Winter!” she shouted. Her sister sat as if frozen in time. Holly felt for her pulse, and once she was assured that she was breathing and had a heartbeat, she jumped to her feet to fetch the aunts before she remembered they weren’t there. They’d left the week before to travel across New England and connect with other Wickeds. They’d promised to be back for Holly’s wedding, and she’d wished them a joyful vacation. They deserved a break and a chance to rediscover their roots. But without the aunts, Holly was at a loss at what to do for Winter. For the first time in their lives, she and her sisters were going to have to figure things out without the guidance of their aunts.

            The phrase trouble trouble on the double whispered through Holly’s mind.

            Holly shivered and sat beside Winter, wrapping her arm around her rigid shoulders and tugging her close. Winter’s visions typically lasted for a few seconds, sometimes up to a minute. Holly had never seen one grip her sister so powerfully and for so long. “I’m here, Win,” she said quietly. “I’ll be here until you come back. And when you do, we’ll take care of everything together. It will be all right.”

            But when Winter returned from the vision three hours later, everything wasn’t all right. She brushed off the scary experience as meaningless before she retreated to her room for a nap, and whenever Holly or Missy brought it up again after that, she quickly changed the topic. She seemed determined not to share what she’d seen, determined not to spread the horror to alleviate her own burden.

            Winter put on her best face, but Holly saw the difference in her eyes. There was a new sadness in her soul, as if she’d seen something horrendous and was powerless to stop it.

            For the rest of the apple season, Winter worked harder than ever, boxing and picking and organizing apples until late into the night. She left the house for long periods of time, and when she was home, she played the violin until her fingers bled and she was walking around with bandaged fingers.

            Then one day, at the end of October when the apple season was winding down, Winter appeared in the living room with a packed canvas bag and her violin carrying case slung over her shoulder.

            Holly and Connor were snuggled on the couch looking at caterers on the phone, and Missy was wearing a big pair of sweatpants and curled up on the rug in front of the wood stove, texting. They all looked up when Winter entered the room.

            “I’m leaving,” Winter said without preamble

            Missy lowered her phone. “Say what?”

            “Not forever. For a while.”

            Holly stood. “What do you mean you’re leaving? Where are you going? Why are you going?”

            Winter avoided her gaze, which was unlike her. “I’m going to Lobster Cove. It’s a small coastal town Down East.”

            “My wedding—”

            “I’ll be back by then.”

            “But why?” Missy wailed. “What is the matter with you, Winter? Why won’t you talk to me? I’m your twin, for frig’s sake.”

            Winter pulled her keys from her pocket and fidgeted with them. “I’ll be back in a while.” She paused at the door, and without turning around, said, “I love you.”

            Holly pushed aside the lace curtains to watch her sister climb into her beaten-up truck. “I don’t like this. Something is really wrong with her.”

            Connor came up behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “What do you think it is?”

            “I’m not sure, but I think it has to do with that long vision she had. We’re supposed to be getting married in six weeks, Connor.” She glanced at Missy, who was nervously chewing on her thumbnail. “She’ll be back by then. She said she would.”

4 Weeks Later

Connor

            Connor tapped beer bottles with Erikson and they both drank.

            “To my brother, who’s getting married in two weeks!” Erikson cried. Grimm Reality was on a short hiatus, so Erikson had flown in a couple weeks early to help Connor and Holly with the wedding.

            Connor glanced across the kitchen table at Holly, who was working on a model frost crown with Missy. From what he could see, it involved a lot of leaves and hot glue. Holly caught his eye and smiled, and as always, a sense of unreality hit him like a brick. He could hardly believe he’d lucked into this life, where he got to be with the woman he loved and do a job he loved.

            Next chapters rocked.

            He refocused on Erikson, who was leaning back in his chair and studying the label on the beer. “Is this a Belgium white?”

            “So, you’re my best man,” Connor began.

            “We’ve established that.”

            “And best men have certain duties.”

            Erikson grinned. “I know where this is going. Don’t worry, I’m already planning the bachelor party.”

            Connor blinked. “Um, no, that’s not where this is going.”

            “Oh?”

            “You might have heard that Holly’s sister, Winter, up and left a month ago.”

            Erikson took a swig of beer, possibly to conceal his expression. Connor knew Erikson and Winter hadn’t exactly taken a liking to one another, but what he was about to ask Erikson to do was about the bigger picture. It was about making his future wife happy. “Yeah, I heard.”

            “Our wedding is in a little less than two weeks.”

            Erikson stared at him. “I know. That’s why I’m here.”

            “But you see, Winter is not here, and Holly is afraid she’s going to miss the wedding after all. Let me be blunt.” Connor rested his forearm on the table and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I need you to go get her.”

            Erikson groaned. “No. God no, can’t you ask me for something else? Anything else? Maybe a kidney?”

            “Holly isn’t going to enjoy the wedding if her sister isn’t here. Hell, she might even postpone it. I can’t have my fiancée unhappy before we even get married. It’s bad luck or something.”

            “Shit.” Erikson scrubbed a hand over his face. “Why doesn’t Holly just call her? Text her? Drive to her new apartment or whatever?”

            “Winter left her cell phone behind.” Connor drummed his fingertips on the table, his investigator instincts screaming to solve the mystery, but for once he was setting them aside, mostly because he didn’t think Holly would appreciate him hounding her sister when Winter had made it clear she needed time in solitude—but that didn’t mean his brother couldn’t nose around a bit, especially since the cause was noble. “She never gave us an address. All she said was that she was moving to Lobster Cove.”

            “Great. This gets better and better. So now I have to find her in a whole town of people and remind her not to be a shitty sister.”

            Connor beamed at him. “Exactly!”

            Erikson scowled. “She’s not going to be happy to see me.”

            “As long as you get her here in time for the ceremony, I don’t care if she throws daggers at you.”

            Erikson peeled part of the label off his bottle. “Easy for you to say, safe and snug at home with your new fiancée while I deal with the warrior sister.”

            Connor slapped him on the back and said with cheerleader gusto, “You’ve got this!”

            “Is it too late to renounce being best man?”

            “Yes.”

            Erikson heaved a sigh. “Fine, I’ll find Winter.” He pointed a warning finger at Connor. “But if that Wicked gives me a hard time, you’re going to owe me.”

            Connor took out a twenty and pushed it across the table. Erikson eyed it warily. “What’s that for?”

            “Advance payment. She’s definitely going to give you a hard time.”