Hope.
She kept me alive for years with her sass, her kindness, and her burgers, without asking for anything in return besides a place to breathe for a few minutes.
The unexpected savior of my lost soul.
I look around once more at the faces of the people sitting here. They are her people now. I know she finally found a placefor herself—more than just those few moments a day she spent with me.
Wake up, Lina. You deserve to have this home you made for yourself.
The one you made for us.
Chiara leans her head against my shoulder, a tear rolling down her cheek, and I squeeze her hand.
“Everything will be all right,” I whisper to her, hoping like hell that the universe doesn’t make a liar out of me.
“Kitten,” Clay breathes, making us all look at Lina, who seems to open her eyes and blink heavily.
“Fuck,” Xander grunts out, his voice sounding watery while Joshua releases something between a laugh and a sob.
“That girl is so fucking tough.” Sophia sobs from my other side, tears streaming down her face, and she strokes them away with the back of her hand.
“A vacation doesn’t sound so bad anymore,” I remark, making her laugh.
EPILOGUE
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Four bottlesof water and a Coke, please,” I order from the guy behind the pool bar.
He smiles at me and places a tray on the counter, setting the water bottles on it and filling a glass with ice and Coke. “Radio” by Lana Del Rey is playing, and I smile to myself.
There are some cute little umbrellas in a tray behind the bar. I point to them and ask, “Could I please have one of the pink ones for the Coke?” The guy smiles at me again as he grabs one and opens it, placing it in the Coke. “Thank you.” I give him a smile before pulling the tray toward me.
This resort is all-inclusive, so I simply walk away with the tray in my hands. I wobble slightly and halt my steps, adjusting the Coke glass to sit more securely in the center of the tray. As I look down, my gaze lingers on my new tattoo.
I’ve had it for six months now, but it still surprises me every time I see it.
We did it the way Xander suggested. I designed my sleeve, and he tattooed it for me, replicating it exactly as I had drawn it. The sleeve covers my entire forearm, and the scars aren’t visible anymore. You can feel them if you run your finger over my skin,but it’s a good thing they aren’t completely gone. I don’t want to see them every day, but I appreciate the reminder.
Whenever I have a tough day, doubts, or feel insecure, I look at the tattoo and trace the scars.
I survived him, and what remains is pure beauty.
The most prominent part of the tattoo is a black cat with golden eyes. Behind her is an orange pumpkin, twenty-two flowers surround her, and three blue butterflies ascend my arm. It took me years to perfect this piece, to translate my ideas into a cohesive tattoo, but I finally made it, and I fucking love it.
Xander teases me about how often I’ve applied sunscreen to it already while we’ve been here. Here, as in a vacation resort in the Bahamas.
It’s been five years since everything happened, and we’ve been on a few little getaways since then, but we saved a long time for this vacation. Fortunately, the NYPD really does pay its full-time workers very well.
After that horrific night, it took me a few weeks to recover. The bullet hit an artery, and I lost way too much blood. It’s safe to say Donny had had enough, replacing me immediately when Clay informed him I would miss a few weeks of work. Honestly, I really didn’t care.
I smirk as I think about Donny. I haven’t in a long time. I saw a picture of him and Cindy on social media two years ago after they eloped in Vegas. I really hope for Cindy’s sake that he is a better husband than a fling.
The guys had Chiara and me covered, providing everything we needed until I graduated from college cum laude. After that, I wanted to repay them in installments with my newly earned money, but they suggested I put it into their shared savings account instead. That way, we could use it for fun stuff, like the vacation we’re on now.
My bikini strap slips off my shoulder as I walk, brushing against my ugly bullet scar, which brings back memories of that night. The Del Moros are still in jail. After their arrest, the police investigated further and discovered evidence that Detective Del Moro was the leader of the Metro Milanesi, with Martin as his right-hand man. All the crimes the gang had boasted about were pinned on them, resulting in lengthy prison sentences. Anderson also got a sentence, while Taylor was released on probation and now works as a security guard at a supermarket.
This meant Swanson had openings for detective positions, leading to promotions for Clay and Joshua. But they weren’t the only ones who did awesomely. Xander and I began drawing together in the evenings, and he rediscovered his passion for oil painting. Last year, he held his first exhibition at a prestigious art museum in Manhattan.
