by A. Zavarelli
There were no more secrets between us. No more lies. No more bullshit. When we said our vows, we became a family. Neither of us really knew what the hell we were doing, but we figured it out together. Always. And I knew then that Birdie was right. We would figure this out too.
While Gypsy was busy fussing over Ariane, I stole the opportunity to whisper in my wife’s ear the words I never said to anyone else. The same words I told her with unwavering certainty every single day.
“I love you.”
She nuzzled into my neck, dragging her fingers up to stroke my hair. “I love you too, Huck. Always.”
Gypsy offloaded Ariane into Lucian’s arms and looked at her sister with a misty-eyed expression. “I almost forgot, I brought you something, B.”
“What is it?” Birdie eyed the journal Gypsy pulled from her purse.
“It took me a while to look through it,” Gypsy said cautiously. “But when we were in California, I found this at the old house. It was still in our hiding place beneath the porch. Can you believe that?”
The color drained from Birdie’s face as she studied the journal, and I wasn’t quite sure what Gypsy was doing. I was tempted to take it away, but then Birdie smoothed her fingers over the worn leather, shaking her head in disbelief.
“What is that?” I asked.
“It’s our secret messages.” Birdie laughed. “I can’t believe this thing survived all these years.”
“We used to write to each other in code,” Gypsy explained. “Cutting out pages from magazines and newspaper clippings. We’d find words and use a corresponding number to write notes to each other.”
“I can only imagine what must be in here.” Birdie swallowed.
“Open it,” Gypsy encouraged, her eyes sparkling with something I couldn’t quite identify. “I think you’ll be surprised.”
I held my breath as Birdie skimmed through the pages and studied what looked like a bunch of numbers to me. But when she picked it up, something fell out. An old, folded up section of a newspaper that was dry and brittle. Birdie’s eyebrows scrunched together as she began to unfold it, and the room was dead silent while we all waited to see what it was. I wasn’t prepared for the sound that escaped Birdie’s lips before her eyes darted to me.
“What’s wrong?” I reached out to her.
She gingerly set the clipping down on the table beside her, smoothing it out with her fingers before she slid it toward me. “It’s you.”
My eyes drifted over the article, noting the scrawls of hearts and flowers around the margins of the paper. But it was the photograph in the middle that caught my attention. It was, in fact, me. And beside that photo was a small blip in the paper regarding my release from prison. It was almost too difficult to believe, but it was there.
“I felt you before I ever knew you,” Birdie murmured.
“Read the message.” Gypsy offered her sister a watery smile. “You wrote it.”
Birdie glanced at the corresponding numbers in the journal and looked up at me with an expression I would never forget.
“What does it say?”
She took my hand in hers and squeezed. “Someday, everything will be perfect.”
THE END
Thank you so much for reading Convict! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving an honest review.
Boston Underworld Series
CROW: Boston Underworld #1
REAPER: Boston Underworld #2
GHOST: Boston Underworld #3
SAINT: Boston Underworld #4
THIEF: Boston Underworld #5
CONOR: Boston Underworld #6
Bleeding Hearts Series
Echo: A Bleeding Hearts Novel Volume One
Stutter: A Bleeding Hearts Novel Volume Two
Twisted Ever After Series
BEAST: Twisted Ever After #1
Sin City Salvation
Confess
Standalones
Tap Left
Novellas
Unwrapping Mr. King
Defying the Boss
For a complete list of books and audios, visit www.azavarelli.com/books
A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author.
She likes all things chocolate, books that come with warnings, and putting her characters through hell. Her tales have been known to flirt with darkness and sometimes court it unabashedly altogether. Revenge themes and tortured souls are her favorites to write and this gives her an excuse to watch bizarre and twisted documentaries in her spare time.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
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