by D. N. Hoxa
“She is alive and well and I see her every morning. She is one hell of a woman, by the way. She told me to give you this in case I saw you, so this has been a happy coincidence,” I said, grinning and waving in between us.
He took the letter with shaking fingers and held it in his hands like it was a treasure.
“And, before I go, I already know that that letter will not be enough for you. So I have another proposition. Show up at the time and place written on this letter,” I said and handed over Ned’s piece of paper, “with the promise that you will be opened to hear me out without ever telling the Council or Samayan, and I promise you, you will get to see Marie in person.”
Like I’d offered him a string of life, he took the letter before the last words had even left my lips. I smiled.
“It was good seeing you, Everett. I hope we meet again soon,” I said but he didn’t look up at me. He kept staring at Marie’s letter.
I couldn’t wait to tell Marie, but for now, I turned around and I walked back towards the trucks, half expecting them to stop me, or even shoot me.
But they did neither. Apparently, Everett was a man of his word, or he just wanted to see Marie as badly as I’d suspected. Either way was fine with me. One of the soldiers walked behind me silently. I fastened my pace until I reached the wall of soldiers that hadn’t moved an inch from their place.
“Get the hell out of my way,” I said, impatient because I couldn’t wait to see Aaron. “And let go of my friends, now.”
“It’s cool, guys. Let them go,” the soldier behind me said.
A big bright smile stretched my lips when I saw Aaron jump out of the car, together with the others. Even Arturo was there and I hadn’t even seen him. They had probably gotten him the second I threw him out the conference room.
The solders unlocked the handcuffs from everybody’s wrists as I watched, grinning.
“It was a pleasure knowing you guys,” I said to the soldiers, and I waved them off so we could get the hell out of there already. I couldn’t wait to get to the Base, even though it was underground.
When we began to walk in the middle of the road, Jack produced a phone from God knew where. I had no idea how he’d managed to hide it when Everett’s soldiers had searched us, but I was glad he had. He was probably already arranging out transportation.
“You okay?” Aaron asked me as he out his arm around my shoulders.
“I’m pretty great. You?” I leaned into his arm and I felt a thousand times lighter already.
“I’m good,” he said and then Mike beat him with the question I knew he wanted to ask.
“What the hell happened back there? Who did you meet?”
“A Council member, if you can believe it.”
They all stopped moving.
“Then how the hell are we still alive?” Jack asked, looking back at the soldiers we had left behind.
“Because he is Marie’s long lost love.”
I hugged Aaron tighter to me. I couldn’t imagine losing him for so long, even less so when I could finally, freely tell him that I loved him, and I could touch him whenever I wanted to. I could call him mine. He tightened his grip around my shoulders, too, and kissed the top of my head again.
“Marie? Marie the chef?” Jack asked, incredulous.
I gave them the short version of Marie’s story. I didn’t think Marie would mind because I was counting on things working out for her and Everett, if he decided not to be the prick I knew him to be any longer.
And I had her to thank for the rest of my life. We all did. She was the reason all of us were going to live and fight another day.
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Also by D.N. Hoxa
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Morta Fox Trilogy
Heartbeat
Reclaimed
Unchanged
Chronicles of the Demon Hunter Trilogy
A Soul's Worth
Book Two (Coming Soon)
Book Three (Coming Soon)