“For a mafia guy, he was pretty lame.”
“Son of a bitch trusted too many people, that was his downfall in the end.”
His face when I told him what we’d done, what we’d keep doing. Before I killed him, he drained his bank accounts — I mean I could’ve done it myself, but it was easy with a gun held to his head. I distributed it accordingly to all of the charities I know to be legit, including several humane societies and a tech company who need funding for better security systems to catch predators.
He didn’t know I knew about the offshore account. That money will come in handy to help hundreds, if not thousands ofother people when I set up a refuge for trafficking victims. Regi’s funds won’t go to waste, of that he can be certain.
“Wish we could’ve taken our time,” Pipes grumbles. “Son of a bitch had it comin’.”
“I agree, but suicide is easier, and less explainable on our part. The bodyguards will be fish food, but nobody’s gonna miss them. Tag’s gonna disassemble the van and use it for parts.” It kinda sucks we have to leave his luxury cars in the garage to not arouse suspicions, but we did take his Lamborghini for safe keeping, as well as several expensive pieces of jewelry and ten thousand dollars in cash from his safe. Everything was made to look like he’d cleared his schedule before diving off the balcony.
“But you, are you okay?”
I grip his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I have my family, all of you, so I’m always gonna be okay.”
He nods. “Let’s go home.”
“Home,” I say, and for the first time in a long time, I actually feel it’s true.
Nova
When I woke up and Sawyer wasn’t there, I panicked. Then I saw the note on the side table.
It read:I’ll be coming home soon, wait for me. I’ll be okay. Yours, Sawyer x
I know that means something happened because he’d never get up in the middle of the night and just leave me.
I dampen down the panic as I check the clock. It’s almost four am. I get up to go pee and splash water on my face. It’s hot inhere, and I don’t want to go anywhere until Sawyer gets back. I need him to be okay.
He’ll be back. He said so. Sawyer wouldn’t say that if it weren’t true.
I also know life is full of risks, and sometimes things happen. Bad things. If anything happens to him, I will personally see to it that whoever hurt him will suffer. I’m not against vigilante justice. I stood by him willingly when he told me this may not be over, and I understand. Sawyer does need closure. He needs to finally put the past behind him, and I don’t see how he can do that when his captors and the people who hurt him are still at large. His heart is so heavy, so bruised, and I love him all the more for it. I wish I could take the demons away, make them all suffer.
My phone pings with a message and I run back to the bed, grabbing my cell off the side table.
My heart races in my chest when I see that it’s Sawyer.
Sawyer
It’s done
I close my eyes, letting the sudden rush of peace wash over me. I know how disappointed he was last night, but I also knew how determined he was. If anyone can find this asshole, it’s him.
Me
I’m waiting for you. Like a good ol’ lady
I smile to myself, sitting back on the bed as I pull the comforter over me. My panic subsiding as I take in what this means. I hope that it’ll give him some closure, and at best, put his mind at ease. I know it can never take away what happened, but the burden of all of it had to have been heavy all these years.
Sawyer
I love you
Me
Not as much as I love you. Hurry back because I need to cuddle
I snuggle back under the covers knowing nothing can come between us. Not after this. Even if he’d have taken weeks, months, years, I would’ve supported him no matter what.