“Put on one of your happy songs, but make it kid friendly!” I warn her. She squeals and snatches the phone from my hand, making Elizabeth giggle again. Just for fun, I check the rearview another time, and blush when I still see Damien following closely behind.
Somehow, for the first time in a long time, everything feels okay. There haven’t been any new threats against us, Victoria and Elizabeth seem to bemostlysafe, and we can finally breathe. I’m not sure we remember how to live in a world without constantly looking around the corner for danger, but I’m justhappy we get to experience it again. I long for the days where we can go out walking around downtown, hand in hand. He can pull me out onto random bar dance floors and dance like no one else is around. Hell, one day, we might even be able to go to another concert or take more ‘strolls’ through the woods.
This one moment of normalcy is just a glimpse into our forever, and fuck, I’m ready for it.
Chapter 31
Damien
Five Days Later
I rub the towel over my head, feeling the shaved stubble graze the fabric. Surprisingly, I don’t mind the new cut anymore. I mean, come on, my wife did that. Of course it grew on me. She was a little surprised when I had asked her to cut it for me this morning before I headed out to work, but she seemed happy that I asked. I think the undercut is easier for her to cut, too, since she doesn’t really have to worry about the top, and she can do it quickly.
Plus, it helps keep the heat off my neck while we’re training or out patrolling. Our melee session went well, but the shower after felt even better. Now, I’m making my way to the conference room for my meeting with Zeke and Carter, and this place has never felt so familiar.
For a long time, the Basement was home. Sure, this place was an upgrade, but the start of its operations was a little rushed because of Ashia getting hurt. Now, it feels like we could never work anywhere else. How the hell did we maneuver through that small space? The Basement was awesome, but it should’ve always stayed a comic shop.
“Hey, D.” Carter greets me as I walk into the conference room. Zeke dips his head in silent greeting, and then anger washes over me when I see Alex sitting in his usual chair.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I point at him. “You should be recovering.”
“Don’t flip, D. I’m just here for moral support.”
“Bullshit,” Zeke hollers in a sing-song voice, then jerks his thumb in Alex’s direction. “He’s having FOMO.”
“Fuck you. It’s been over a week!” Alex shouts. “Walking prevents blood clots. It’s good to get out and about.”
“But last I checked, you aren’t allowed to walk excessively or do any strenuous activity for a month?” I argue back. He just rolls his eyes.
“Walking from the car to the office isn’t excessive.”
Zeke leans over and puts his hand up to his mouth, pretending to be secretive while continuing to speak at a normal volume.
“You forgot to mention the stairs you took to get up here.”
“Fuck you!” Alex yells back.
“Alright! Enough, fuck.” I roll my eyes and throw my towel over my chair, then point at Alex once again. “We’ll talk after the meeting.” I sit down and face the screen, not waiting for my laptop to boot up before starting. “Okay, what do we have?”
“Well, for standard operations, the system still looks good. There’s no evidence ofanyof Kade’s code remaining. The map is updating like it should, and we’re waiting for the new order of guns and medical supplies to come in. Everyone’s doing well with the patrol routes, and anyone that sided with us fromSahara has been extremely cooperative with our probationary conditions. They’ve all been searched, even their homes. Their devices came back with nothing suspicious, and so did their bank accounts. They’re all clear.”
“Did you ever make a decision about Daisy?” Zeke butts in and asks.
“We’re not a hundred percent sure yet, but we’re leaning more towards starting her retirement. Since we’re taking her for Ashia and the baby, she’ll be with them majority of the time, anyway.” I smile softly at him and turn my attention back to Carter. Daisy does love to work, but she seems to enjoy being at our house, too. The more she stays with Ashia, the more comfortable she gets with not being on duty. So, we’re trying to determine what’s best for her. “Anything environmental? Especially in downtown?”
“There’s been a few drug dens to pop up, and there have been a few criminals we’ve caught that have gang affiliations, but nothing concerning at this point.”
I cross my arms and lean back against the chair.
“Does it have something to do withthem?”
“No, I don’t think so. They were Atlanta affiliates, and a couple actually used to live here. So, we don’t believe they were hired.”
“Okay. Onto the unorthodox operations.” I pull my laptop closer and pull up the files to follow along.
“We haven’t found any traces of Satori, but I’m assuming the account we’ve been using for his direct deposits isn’t legit, because there’s been no activity on it—same for Kade’s accounts. Only a couple of his men escaped with him, and we’re tracking them as well. If he’s getting around, he must’ve bought a cheap car with cash and never registered it, or he’s hitchhiking. His face hasn’t popped up at the local bus stations or on any street cams.”
“The analysis I ran on his laptop didn’t come up with anything linking Avery or where Saconne could’ve gone. Did you find anything on his phone?” I ask.
