Nausea barreled into me at a speed so fast that I almost didn’t make it to the trash. I heaved until I was left gasping into the can. A firm hand rubbed my back. “You okay?” Buddha asked behind me.
I gave him a thumbs-up before bracing my hands on my thighs. “Yeah, I’m goo-od,” I gasped out.
A water bottle with the cap off came into my line of vision. “Drink.” The sound of Kade’s voice sent a shiver down my spine. One simple command made me feel weak in the knees. I grabbed the bottle with a shaky hand and did as I was told. The cool water soothed the sting of the acid that coated my throat.
I refused to meet Kade’s gaze when I said thank you. Buddha kissed my temple before walking through the entryway of the interrogation room. “Evie, text me when you get home, please. I need to help Z with some final arrangements for Aaron’s funeral.”
I gave him a quick nod.
“I mean it, E,” he barked, pointing at me, “if I don’t hear from you, I will put the Hive and the rest of our team on your ass.”
That made me laugh before I began to cough. I put my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll text you,” I choked out.
Chief dismissed us. “Let the professionals handle the trash.”
There was no celebration of our victory. No sense of closure. Just nothingness. Seven years of work had ended in a blink of an eye. Regardless of my sister being MIA, there was no sign of a further threat. A sense of dread took over. Who was I without my mission? Who was I if I wasn’t trying to take down Satan himself?
FIFTY-FIVE
EVELYN
I kept to myself the next few days, needing some time to decompress. I was sure that if Alfredo could talk, he would be cursing me out for not leaving the apartment.
The team was working together to get everything we needed for Domino’s 2.0 to be built.
Kade and Machine had kept the details about the disposal of Ricci’s body to themselves. The only information they did give us was that he would be found by authorities in his home. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before leaving for Aaron’s funeral and rubbed my hands down the front of my knee-length black dress. My light-brown hair was styled in soft curls. I wasn’t ready for today. I would never be ready. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. When I opened them, my gaze rested on a picture of the team posing for last year’s Christmas card. I focused on Aaron’s smiling face. So much had changed in less than a year. I took one last breath and found the courage to put one of the greatest men I knew to rest.
Even with my black sunglasses on, the sun continued to blind me. It was as if Aaron was letting us see the light atthe end of this miserable time. He was always the light in the room, always making everyone around him feel welcomed and cherished. Now, I watched as hundreds of uniformed law enforcers, accompanied by Aaron’s hometown precinct, gave their respect to Aaron’s sister Beth and our team.
An enlarged portrait of Aaron as a deputy sat on an easel. Next to it, atop a small table was a large silver urn with Aaron’s last name on the front. Flower arrangements cascaded from the table to the ground. The crowd for the service was overwhelming, to say the least. The sounds of sniffles and cries filled the outside area.
Zombie was the quietest of them all. He stood as still as a statue with his hands in his pockets, staring at the urn that contained the remains of his best friend. I was sure some part of him thought I was responsible for Aaron’s death and I couldn’t blame him. I felt responsible. Even though I knew I didn’t make Aaron’s choices, his love for me had influenced them.
The image of Aaron’s last moments alive flashed in my mind. I leaned my forehead on Buddha’s arm before he wrapped me in his embrace. Aaron’s final words lived rent-free in my mind.
“Evie… it’s going to be… okay. Know I will always love… you...”
The first gunshot of the Three-Volley Salute startled me out of my thoughts. The three shots signified three pillars of his service. Duty. Honor. Sacrifice.
I looked up from Buddha’s side and into the crowd. I felt my breath hitch when I saw Kade standing in the back, his face solemn, Machine at his side with a matching expression.
“Gone but not forgotten.” I heard the priest say his last words of encouragement before he closed out the funeral.
The funeral procession extended four blocks. Badger climbed into the passenger seat of Bug and held my hand in silence. As we made our way to the celebration of life, I couldn’t help but give in to the grief I’d been holding onto by a thread. The road ahead blurred as tears filled my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. Badger gave my hand a comforting squeeze.
Familiar faces stood outside the reception hall. Lennie was the first to hug me, followed by Ollie, Gwen, and then Jax.
I gave them a small smile. “Thank you for coming, guys.”
“Of course, that’s what friends do, Evelyn,” Ollie responded with a sad smile.
I couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment that the Hive team became more than just coworkers for me. But I was grateful that I had them to lean on during the hard times.
I looked around the event space for Kade, but came up empty-handed. I fought with myself between wanting to call him and keeping my distance.
Maybe this was the closure we needed. I just wished my heart would get on board.
FIFTY-SIX
