Page 134 of Stone Coast

With care, he dug into his pocket and handed me his card. It looked official, but that didn't mean shit. "I'll need your decision within a week. Call me.” He started for the steps, then stopped. “It goes without saying that none of this happened. We were never here, and neither were you. We'll take care of the bodies. Me and my men will clear out so you can get out of here in peace. You’ll never see me again unless you call that number. If you don't call that number, you'll no longer be under our purview.”

"I can walk away just like that?”

"Just like that.” Then he added, “Oh, and by the way. The prosecutor will be dropping all charges against you. Somehow, they lost the evidence,” he said with a grin. “You’re welcome.”

And with that, he climbed the steps and told his men to clear out.

Footsteps shuffled across the deck, and before long, the boat felt empty.

"You do not live a boring life,” Olivia said. “And all this time, I thought you needed to get out more.”

70

“Where the hell have you been?” Tyson asked when I called from Olivia’s apartment.

I cringed, knowing I had been a bad girl. “Don’t be mad. Everything’s okay. I got it all sorted out.”

“Sorted out?”

“We have a lot to talk about.” I changed subjects. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel like I want to get out of here.”

“I’ll bring your car back tomorrow.”

“You haven’t been doing illegal shit in Jack’s car, have you?”

“No. Of course not. I just killed a few people, but they totally deserved it.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not joking?”

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” I said. “What time do you get sprung?”

“Whenever the doc comes by and signs the discharge orders.”

“I can drive down tonight.”

“Not necessary.” He paused. “You sure you’re alright?”

“Never better,” I said. “Get some rest. We’ll talk soon.”

I ended the call, leaned back against Olivia’s couch, and exhaled. She brought me a glass of red wine. It was late, but we were both still amped up.

Olivia lifted her glass to toast. “To new beginnings.”

We clinked glasses and sipped the fine wine.

It was a new beginning. For the first time, I felt whole. I knew who I was, warts and all. My life had possibilities. A clean slate, with a few stains here and there.

Ross’s program had turned us all into killers. Cold, calculating, and lethal. Trained to have no fear, no emotion, no remorse, no guilt, no attachments. Now, something had changed. This new me could feel again. Maybe that wasn’t a good thing.

I owed Tyson an explanation for disappearing all those years ago. But I’m not sure things were all that different now. I was heading down a path he couldn’t follow. I’d put him in a terrible position. I swore to myself I would never do that again. He would serve justice his way, and I mine.

I wasn’t sure which direction I would choose—the Company’s project or Xzavier’s squad. Maybe neither. I know what Tyson would say. But my life was for me to live. I just had to decide how to start living it.

“So,” Olivia said, her eyes filling with intrigue. “It seems we have a lot of catching up to do. Tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”