Page 37 (1/2)

Servario nodded, "At this one Jack downloaded all their hard drives though, and wiped everything He’ll call the police fro the ground level by now"

I looked at the kids, "What do we do about them?"

He looked pained, "I have a special place I put them" I couldn’t lie to myself I didn’t trust his special place or him

We rode the elevator to the top floor and ran for the helicopter When ere inside and far enough away, Jack pressed a button and flew off I frowned, "What was that?"

He muttered, "One of the EMP-style weapons that was used on your house in Boston In case any part of the building is getting information froirls huddled toas far from the men as they could I wrapped around the three of thes to protect the I hadn’t been prepared for…a church

Servario got out of the helicopter, "Evie, bring the girls" They never ot out and let therounds where a nun came out She smiled at Servario, "Gustavo, how are you?" She was an older lady with a gentle se scar on her cheek

He nodded, "I am well, Sister How are you?"

She looked at the three little girls, "Worried about the world we live in"

He nodded again, "As am I" My heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces as I watched the nuns greet him armth and kindness They knew his and kisses and proed each one, wishing we had tortured the er I had killed too quickly

Servario tookHe leaned against the wall, "Did he hurt you?"

I shookhed bitterly, "If only he had known you better He ht still be with us for me to let yourus, the whole time?"

His eyes darkened, "I will forever be in the shadows, Evie Just as I pronore his words "I likehirinned at myself in the mirror, "Stabbed him in the taint and cut his voice box out"

He wrestled with a look of horror, "So who she used to be, quite quickly"

I laughed, "I never was this evil" I looked at hily He knew he had done that to ave ht?"

I shook et this one out of ave me a sober look, "Me either, Evie"

We all washed up, tended to Coop’s bullet wound, and got back in the helicopter

When we landed on the roof of the yacht again, Servario looked back athard to drink Like bleach water"

Coop chuckled, "How bad was it with hi, but I could see the hurt in his eyes for h worse" It was true, nothing would ever top watching the guard get backdoored by randmother

Servario looked at us all, "I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership between the four of us"

Jack nodded, "And Luce, don’t forget Luce"

We made our way off the helicopter and down to the party Coop shouted, "We’re part of the avenod We went to the bar where Servario ordered four shots of tequila

He held the our trespasses today"

We all clinked and drank He ordered four ain Eventually, we toasted everything under the sun and drank the bottle dry But even then, we all had the same haunted look in our eyes I knew the initial horror would fade away, but that night when I laid down to sleep in the arms of Coop, I could feel the stain of it would always be left on my soul

As I drifted off to sleep, I tried not to think about the way the nun had known Servario so well It was an odd thing, a drug dealer with a conscience

Epilogue

My e back deck I snuggled into the blanket and rocked my chair

"It’s nice here, isn’t it?"

I nodded, "I’ht Canada was snow and rain This is just like Montana, very desert and country-like"