Page 50 of Stolen By the Hit Man

“Yeah,” I say, my voice cracking.

Jasmyn slips her arm around mine and warms my hand between hers. “Are you doing okay, baby?”

I turn to her and smile. Though the sadness remains that Grady is gone, it helps that Jasmyn is here. Has remained by my side for the last fifteen years.

We’ve been through a lot, and we’ve made it out alive, as promised.

We’re going to be okay. All of us.

“Today, I’m less than okay. But tomorrow will be better,” I say.

And the day after that, I’ll be a little bit better.

She leans forward and places a soft kiss on the back of my hand. My family heals me.

I look around at everyone sitting at my fire and wonder where the hell I’d be if Grady hadn’t picked Jefferson and me up off the street. Bailed us out of jail and set us on the right path.

Where would I be without Wylie and Olivia, Ellis and Louisa, Barrett and Goldie, Nelly and Jake, and all the rest?

If I hadn’t stolen Jasmyn from her kidnapper that day, how different life would be for all of us. But maybe we would have found our way to each other, somehow.

I genuinely believe it was meant to turn out exactly as it did.

With a happy ending. For all of us.

THE END