"Dude, what? We were not discussing that. Cass, I swear we weren’t. We were just talking about the move." He bursts out laughing, and Cassie turns bright red. We have reminisced about that night a few times. She’s eager to try more stuff that was in that room. But we haven't discussed her being shared again.
"I can’t wait for you guys to be in California. We are going out to celebrate your birthday once you guys get settled, but I figured you needed a big party here with all your friends and family before you move." He has been ecstatic since Cassie said yes to moving; he was still worried I wouldn’t go if she said no. And I mean I can’t blame him because I’m not sure how keen I would have been with moving almost 3,000 miles away from her permanently.
"Sounds like a plan. Just promise me no guns." She nudges his side, where she knows he always has a gun tucked.
"No promises there, sweetheart. Gotta keep you safe. Plus, your boy still needs more time at the range before he can carry full-time. So, one of us always needs to be carrying." He isn’t wrong. I need a bit more practice with aiming. I can hit the target, but mainly catching the chest or shoulder. Which is fine in an everyday sense, but in this lifestyle, it’s signing your death certificate. If you shoot them anywhere but the head or the heart, they can shoot you right back. I’ve already had one bullet dug out of my body, and I’m not looking to add to that count.
"Hey, can we go for a walk along the water after this?" she asks as she slides her arms around my waist and cuddles close.
"Of course, mi amor. Whatever you want." I kiss her on top of her head.
Around midnight, the last few people say their goodbyes and head out. Cassie hugs the owner and thanks him for allowing usto have the place for the whole night. I know Jayme paid him well, but it was still very nice of him to accommodate us so well. Cassie stops by their bulletin board near the door as we walk out. Her hand goes to her mouth to stifle a small gasp.
"Baby, what’s wrong?" That's when I see the picture—missing Allie Jones, missing since 6/20. There are those blue eyes I remember.
"Are you ok?" I know she isn’t, but I need her to talk through this. It’s going to hurt, but her therapist said she needs to talk more about what happened.
"It’s not fair. Her poor family is never going to get closure. He ruined so many lives." She turns into my chest and cries. "She was so young. She was only 20. I should have told her to stay away the minute he started being violent."
"It’s not your fault, baby. You couldn’t do anything to save her when you were needing to be saved yourself."
"I woke up next to her. I don’t think I told you that part. When I finally came after he kidnapped me, there was someone in the bed next to me, and it was Allie’s dead body. I haven’t been able to get her eyes out of my head. Her beautiful blue eyes were clouded over and gray. So lifeless. He choked the life out of her." She cries harder into my chest.
“Mr. Snider’s men took care of her when Theo sent her to my house, so we might be able to do something.” I try to reassure her.
"Hey, what happened?" Jayme comes walking up, asking softly. I gesture to the board, and he realizes what is going on. I wonder if there is a way to get her body back so that her family can hold a proper burial for her.
"Hey, Jayme. Do you think there’s any way to get her body back to her family? So that they have closure and don’t spend the rest of their lives wondering what happened." I whisper.
"I’ll see what I can do." He says as he walks away, pulling out his phone.
"Come on, Mi Amor. Let's go for that walk, then we will go home.
74. Cassie
We are barely down the street when Jayme comes running up to us.
"Wait, lovebirds. I have good news."
"Ok, so I just got off the phone with Elias and Tim. It turns out that Theo just so happened to randomly have documents on his computer that the state cops now have, and those said documents had info about an unmarked grave in Lincolnville cemetery where a certain blonde girl is buried. They will find her body and get her back to her family. They will have their closure."
I can’t believe it. Her family will still be in pain, but they won't be constantly looking for her, seeing her ghost everywhere they turn. They can hold a proper funeral for her.
"Oh, Jayme, thank you so much. I can never thank you enough for all you have done." I wrap around his middle and hug him, and he returns the embrace.
"No problem, sweetheart. You were right; her family needs it. I’m sorry I didn’t think of it sooner."
The guys may try their best to understand, but they can't. The pain I felt when I saw her photo on the missing person flyer was excruciating. It felt as though my chest was being crushed again. But now I can breathe a bit easier knowing she will get a proper burial, and the bonus is that Theo's name will be forever associated with her death.
"All right, I’ll see you guys in the morning. Breakfast at Nina's? 10 am? Or do we wanna make it noon for lunch? Up to you, Cass."
"Noon, please." Fuck getting up for breakfast.
"Lunch it is. See you guys then." He gives Lucian a quick side hug and me a smooch on the cheek before heading back toward the limo. He truly is a great friend, even if he is a major perv. As he is walking away, I glance past him toward the limo. I could have sworn I had just seen the door shut. Weird.
We walk along the river, recalling our favorite memories together. New York has been fun, but I’m looking forward to leaving it behind. When we get there, I have to figure out what I want to do for work.
"Are you 100% sure about coming with me? This has been your home for over 15 years. I want to make sure you'll be ok, especially with all that you have been through." Lucian stops us as we get to a bridge in the park. I unhook my shoes to carry them. My feet are killing me.
