Page 104 of Until You

I lift my chin a little higher despite every part of me trembling inside and my pulse thundering in my ears. I refuse to back down. I refuse to let him know I’m terrified of him and the reach I’m sure he’ll still have.

I did this.

I put a murdering drug lord in prison.

I’m proud that I did, but that doesn’t mean I’m not worried about what my future will hold. It was one thing to agree to cooperate to gain immunity and know I was getting a new life. It’s a whole other thing once it’s about to happen, and you wonder if anyone will remember you when you cease to exist.

“And with that,” the judge states, “I remand you, Kaleo Makani, to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for a term of—”

“Remember what I said, Tess,” Kaleo calls out, cutting the judge off.

The judge bangs her gavel several times. “Mr. Shapiro, please control your client, or I’ll have him removed from the court.”

But even as Kaleo’s defense lawyer leans over and whispers in his ear, Kaleo’s eyes don’t veer from mine. “Remember what I said,” he mouths again.

In that moment, I know the smirk he gives me will forever haunt me.

He knows.

I stand and give him one last look before walking out of the courtroom. If only walking away from him would erase the images burned in my head from that night. If only I could never think of him again.

Each step away from the courthouse doors is a goodbye.

To the life I once dreamt of having.

To the nightmare it then became.

To leaving the one true thing that never let me down. Teaching my students. Feeling like I made a difference.

To my friends.

To all that is familiar.

When I get in the car across the street, I’m going to be handed an all-new identity. Tessa Makani will no longer exist.

He knows.

Tessa is about to die in a fiery crash to prevent Kaleo from coming after her because even through the jailhouse walls, the DEA fears he’ll still be calling the shots.

That’s why this is happening so fast.

That’s why I don’t even get time to get my things.

Someone will be watching.

Someone has since the day he was taken into custody.

I approach the black sedan in the secured, underground parking lot, its windows tinted so dark you can’t see in them. The low hum of the engine is the only sound besides the thunder of my heartbeat.

With a deep breath, I follow the instructions I was given and climb into the back seat as if everything is normal. As if this isn’t goodbye to all I’ve ever known.

“Are you ready?” the driver asks without turning around.

He doesn’t wait for my answer. Instead, he pulls deeper into the underground parking structure instead of heading toward the exit. I look around to see him drive through a set of K-rails complete with armed guards and pull up next to another black SUV with tinted windows.

I’ve been briefed on what will happen next. I’ll climb into the new car while the one I’m currently in will leave with a full security detail ahead and behind it. It’ll be a decoy for those who are most definitely waiting for me.

For someone like Rangi, no doubt.