“One of our ships was attacked. It’s thirty minutes from here. We need to make sure everyone is okay. We will be two hours tops,” I say as I kiss Finn and Ellie on the head who don’t care their parents have to step away from their birthday party for a couple of hours. They have cake.
“You two don’t mind watching them while we are gone, do you? It will only be an hour or two. They can have all the cake they want, but don’t let them open any of the gifts until we get back,” I say, not really giving Liesel or Langston a choice as the three of us—Enzo, Beckett, and I, step out the door.
I shut the door, and then we climb into our Escalade. Beckett drives while Enzo rides shotgun, and I sit in the back.
“Tell me the truth, is there really an emergency or is this a setup to get Langston and Liesel to like each other again?” Enzo asks, glaring at me.
“There is a real emergency. But this could be the exact thing they need to bring them back together again,” I say.
“Or drive them further apart,” Enzo says.
I roll my eyes. “Always so negative.”
I reach into my pocket to look at the pictures on my phone again. I’m sad we have to step away from their birthday for even a minute, but I’m happy we have finally found a good balance between keeping our family safe and running a criminal empire that does plenty of good, along with the less than legal parts of the business.
I feel the crumpled envelope in my pocket I put in my pocket after I left the vault earlier but never read.
Beckett pulls up to the docks, and we all get out.
“I’ll go get a boat ready, so we can meet them,” Beckett says.
Enzo and I nod.
Enzo takes my hand while I start opening the envelope. “I think we should get married. Have the fancy big wedding you’ve always wanted. We have our life figured out now; the kids are old enough; we have everyone we love back in our lives. We can do it at the Miami home or in Alaska if you prefer. I don’t care. I just want to celebrate our love every chance we get.”
He grabs my cheeks and kisses me hard and desperately, turning me on in only the way he can.
I slowly break the kiss. “We can’t fuck here; we have a job to do and kids to get back to.”
He shrugs. “Just getting you ready for later tonight. So what do you say? Marry me again, stingray? With our entire family and friends there?”
I pretend to think about it, but I already know I’m going to say yes. In the passionate kiss, I dropped the envelope’s contents on the floor. I pick up the single sheet of paper, and the opening sentence catches my eye.
“Stingray?” Enzo asks, waiting for an answer.
I hold up a hand for him to wait a second so I can read the note.
* * *
Stingray,
* * *
I’m so sorry that I’m gone. I’m sorry about the pain you are in at my loss. I’m sorry I’m not there to protect you. But I know it’s for the best. If I come back, danger will follow me. And I don’t want to ever put you in danger again. I will come back when it’s safe. I hope you have found the love you were always meant to find. And if you are reading this, I was right, and you won the games. You are Mrs. Black. I’ll send this note to Archard to give to you after you win. And if Enzo is reading this, then tell Kai I’m alive, you dipshit. If stingray is reading this, keep it to yourself. For now, I must stay dead.
* * *
Love,
—Z
* * *
My eyes water reading the note—Zeke’s alive. And just like that, my heart finishes healing. My world is whole again.
“Kai, what is it?” Enzo asks.
I consider going against Zeke and telling Enzo Zeke is alive. But I know Zeke will reappear in our lives when the time is right. Because sometimes the people we love come back from the dead. I think about my father. Sometimes they stay dead.