Page 89 of Fatal Fantasy

Bang.

FORTY-NINE

TYSON

ONE MONTH LATER

For the first time in my life, I’m free.

No fathers to take orders from, no hospitals telling me what my own body is capable of, and most importantly, no ruthless murderers attempting to steal something from me.

Now, I spend my days soaking in the sunshine, but with all the down time, I’ve found myself accepting side jobs from old acquaintances, even against Massi’s pleas to stay out of the business.

Fortunately, I’m one of the best hackers in the game, and with Emory still in complete disarray, every Family on the East Coast is wrestling for power, attempting to rule the quadrant of the Hudson with the best resources.

My tech skills are in high demand, even through the overseas channels I’ve hidden my business through, and while we came to this tiny island with enough money to live comfortably for the rest of our lives, I’ve pulled six figures just by retrieving info for any Family who asks.

Of course, while I still have one foot in the door, Massi is totally out of the Family life, but more often than not, I catch him checking our weapons stock, or aggressively working out at the local gym, trying to distract himself from the violence he’s been lacking.

It’s been quite the change, but we’re adjusting as well as you’d expect for kids who grew up in the mafia, and have never been away from the nonstop action and chaos.

“Ty, what do you think?” Massi asks, ripping me from my thoughts, but I shake my head at his offering, knowing it’s not right.

“Carter would absolutely smack you upside the head if she were here,” I say, and he sighs, moving onto the next option, but I’d stay in this spot for days, our devotion to this mission the most important thing on our plates.

We’re honoring our girl, and we’re doing it fucking right, even if it kills us.

Three hours later, Massi and I have finally come to an agreement, but thankfully, we’ve blocked off the entire day for this, and there’s only one stop left before we finally put this to rest.

“Are you ready for this?” I ask him, glancing over at him in the passenger seat, his hands unable to stay still as he inspects everything we’ve brought, even though our drive is only five minutes long.

“There’s nothing I want to do more. We’re closing this chapter, for good,” he answers robotically, but meticulously picks at his suit, ensuring his collar is unbuttoned just right, and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows.

Rolling my eyes, I let him work through whatever emotions he’s hiding from me, confident in what I’m feeling, and how I’m going about this.

Massi is as informal as they come, always in a rush to get the big thing out of the way, but I’m approaching this hurdle head on, knowing that when it’s all over, I’ll finally be able to move forward with my life.

Within minutes, the beach comes into view, the sun just beginning to set over the horizon, and the people I hired to decorate the beach absolutely nailed the vision I had in my head.

Tonight, we’re proposing to Carter Cassini.

In true fashion, I spared no expense, bringing out the sappy romantic in me that has always been desperate to spoil Carter exactly as she deserves.

“Now you’re the one who’s getting smacked,” Massi laughs, shooting me a playful grin as he finally sees the lengths I’ve gone to, ensuring this evening is perfect.

“She’ll be here in ten minutes, the pilates class is just finishing,” I remind him, checking my watch one last time before gathering my bouquet, and stepping into place.

We landed on this island the night after our ambush with Carter’s father, going as far away as a private jet would take us, but she hasn’t been the same since that fateful day.

Murdering her father, and facing off with her abuser, took a toll on her mental health, but Massi and I vowed to help her through the manic periods that followed, and after she spent a week in bed, we took matters into our own hands.

It was a tall task, finding a therapist Carter could be open and honest with, but even with our aliases airtight, I scoured the dark web for someone who could help her, and finally, we found a former mob wife who helps women escape their husbands.

This week, she suggested Carter take on a new hobby, something to point her pent up aggression toward, and she settled on a pilates class, which has really helped with her depressive moods.

Of course, it’s not a magic cure, more like a bandaid, but Carter was put through a lot mentally, and physically, and tonight, we’re celebrating not only her small wins, but our love, too.

Massi stands beside me, matching bouquet of black roses in hand, as we wait for her to take her nightly stroll down the coast line, but without a clue that we’re here.