Page 149 of Secret Mission

I swing my gaze toward him, wondering if he’s playing some kind of joke on me, but the red envelope he passes me does indeed have my fiancée’s neat handwriting on it.

An immediate pressure in my throat makes me fight to catch my breath.

God, I love the woman.

“I’ll leave you to that,” Axle says as he pops open the passenger door on the truck.

Blurry eyed, I pull the note free. Crazy how love can make the hardest, most broken man whole again.

All the hard days were worth it to find you. My protector, my lover, my future. I can’t wait to be in your bed tonight, the first night as your wife. It seems impossible to love you more than I do now, but I know if anyone can prove how foolish that is, it will be you. My love. My best friend. My everything.

Love always, Ally

PS, You better not be late.

Axle pecks on the window. “My second job was to make sure you get here on time.”

Dashing away the water leaking from my eyes, I swing open the door. “I’m always on time, what are you two talking about?”

“Maybe she’s a little anxious to be your wifey.”

“Miracle of miracles.”

He punches my arm. “So, are you going to name your first kid after me?”

“Fuck, no.”

He chuckles but grabs my arm to stop me. “I want to say something.”

There’s a twist in the pit of my stomach. “Yeah?”

“I’m glad we’re talking again. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

He grabs me in a bear hug. “Little brother.”

“I’m one minute younger.”

“You’re just… smaller.”

“Fuck off.”

He slings an arm around my neck as we head toward the beach. The rightness of that feeling—of having him at my side—takes me back to years of hell-raising as kids.

“Glad you’re here.” My voice is froggy. “Even if you’re a giant pain in the ass.”

“Let’s get you hitched.”

He shoves me in front of him as we step onto the warm black sand. The instant my bare feet touch the beach my soul takes a deep breath.

We made it. Survived the gauntlet. Allison’s safe now. All we have to do is be happy.

A man beckons us forward, his smile bright and genuine as he holds a small book in his hands.

The beach is wide open, only a few houses and a little beach hotel off to the right, nested in a grove of palms.

It’s a quiet Monday evening. No one else on the wide expanse. But I can feel her.