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“When I crossed, I was angry,” she admitted. “I kept insisting there had been a mistake. I had a husband waiting for me, children who needed me, and a granddaughter I hadn’t even met yet. I wanted somebody to send me back.”

That sounded familiar as hell.

“Could they?”

“No.” She gave me a sad smile. “But someone stayed with me long enough for me to stop demanding the impossible and start understanding what had happened. Years later, when I was given the opportunity to do the same for spirits who had trouble separating from the lives they left behind, I accepted.”

“So that’s why you put up with my ass.”

A faint smile finally returned. “Partly.”

“And here I thought you just liked me.”

“Do not ruin the moment.”

I chuckled softly, but the weight in my chest stayed. “Nah, for real, though. I’m sorry to hear that.”

She nodded.

“And Miss Veda?”

“Yes?”

“I get it now.”

I didn’t have to explain what I meant… she knew.

She had left people behind too.

Her attention shifted toward the suit. “Go get dressed, Caspian. I’ll see you soon.” She started toward the window, then stopped and turned back. “And Caspian?”

“Yeah?”

“Try not to scare the entire damn party before it’s time for the actual reveal.”

I laughed. “Miss Veda, I ain’t promising shit.”

She shook her head before disappearing.

I turned toward the suit and ran my hand over the black fabric before looking at the photograph of Lakelyn sitting on the dresser.

My woman.

My beautiful fucking woman.

Lakelyn had wanted us to go as Gomez and Morticia Addams the night everything went wrong… six years later, she was finally going to get her wish. Only that time, I wasn’t just showing up as Gomez; I was showing up as Caspian Black too, in the fucking flesh.

I picked up the suit. “Let’s get this shit started.”

Because tonight wasn’t just about finally giving my woman the reunion she deserved; tonight was also about the mothafucka who had made a reunion necessary in the first place, the one who had stolen six years from us and left Lakelyn believing I had simply disappeared from her life.

Chalis had taken away every choice I should’ve had as a man, a father, and the nigga who had planned on making her my wife that very night… now I was about to take something from him.

I had told Chalis that if he pulled that gun, he’d better kill me. He did, but the dumb mothafucka forgot one very important thing: dead or alive, I always kept my promises.

I smiled. “It’s showtime, bitch-ass, nigga.”

Chapter twenty-six