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Belfast - 8 Weeks Later

JAMIE

I set a small handful of pinched wedding flowers on Jude’s headstone. “Morning, mate.” Running a hand through my bedhead, which the light rain is trying to tame for me, I smile slowly.

“I don’t know if you can hear me now. I’ve taken a notion that you’ve moved on to somewhere better. But I’ll say this one bit before I leave off with the chat.” My eyes cast around and spot a ray of light breaking through the clouds.

“After I cracked the bastard’s computer, I gave the information—anonymously, of course—to an American task force that’s full of bulldogs. They followed the leads straightaway and tore into a child trafficking ring. Thirty-four arrests and counting. Even more importantly, four kids—ages three to seven—rescued.” I nod. “There are some people on the dark web whose days are numbered, too. With their names, locations, and pertinent evidence passed on, they’re basically gift-wrapped.”

Tipping my head back, I let the mist fall on my face. After a hard night of drinking with the lads to celebrate my upcoming wedding, I need coffee and a shave.

“I’m after getting married. Wish you could be here, but in some ways it’s down to you that I found this girl. Between that and the badness I’ve helped to destroy in your name, I reckon we’ve made the best of the terrible hand we were dealt.” Blowing a breath, I shake my head. “From here on, I’ll be trying to focus less on the past.”

Calm washes over me, and I nod. “Thanks, Jude.”

My fingers slide over the stone in a quiet goodbye. Moving on feels stranger than I expected, but it’s necessary. My old promise is fulfilled, and I’m about to make some new ones.

It’s time.