He frowns down at the small foil-covered container, then looks at me. “Don’t tell me you bought me a ring. You know my hands were deep in the guts of an engine half an hour ago.”
“It isn’t a ring. And trust me, I know. I’m going to have to enjoy this beauty while I can, because I won’t be able to wear it at work, which makes me so unhappy.” I ogle my ring a moment longer and sigh.
“You think I didn’t think of that? Check the box again, babe.”
He picks the ring box up off the dashboard where I absently dropped it in my excitement and hands it to me. I don’t see anything more at first, but when I extract the velvet-covered foam from inside, I find something just as touching. I pluck the steel ball-chain out and hold it up, dangling it between us. Mason’s dog tags hang from the chain. Except they read Julian Santos, Jr., rather than the name he uses now.
“It’s who I was when I met you three years ago. Who I was when I fell for you, even though we only had a few moments together that day. I don’t want to forget that man, even though he’s dead now. I want you to have them, and you can use the chain to hold your ring when you can’t wear it.”
I’m speechless and simply nod, slipping the chain over my head so the tags come to rest between my breasts. Then I tilt my chin at the unopened box he still holds. “Open it.”
He works the lid off the top and peers inside, then frowns as he fishes out the tiny object within. It’s also on a chain, though it took me a while to decide how to present it.
“It’s the bullet that . . . well, I guess that killed J.J. Santos. If you don’t want to wear it, that’s okay . . .”
Before I can finish the thought, he grips the back of my head and kisses me hard. As we kiss, I taste salt and feel warm wetness seep between our locked lips.
When we part, I curl my fingers through the hair at the back of his head and look deep into his tear-filled eyes. “Are you okay?”
He smiles through his tears and wipes his eyes. “Callie, you are one amazing woman, you know that? This bullet . . . God, if I could have put one into Delgado when he took you, I would have returned the favor. Part of me is glad I didn’t have to, what with Zoe being there. The man deserves to die, there’s no question in my mind, but I guess revenge isn’t really my style anymore. I plan to get back at him by living my life, something that he would’ve taken away from me if I’d let him. He’ll get what’s coming to him eventually.”
He loops the chain over the rearview mirror and lets it hang, and it occurs to me that there’s really no better place for it to live. This car was something he shared with a friend who Gustavo Delgado murdered, someone who failed to survive a similar bullet.
“Won’t your keeping back that intel from Flores protect Delgado?” I ask.
“For a while, sure. But those kinds of secrets have a habit of coming out, one way or the other. It’ll come back to bite him in time. And if it doesn’t, at least the Feds have enough on Amador now to start making their move. Not to mention Zavala still has all the files. He promised not to leak certain pieces to Amador, the pieces that would hurt our operation. That didn’t include the dirt he has on Delgado.”
I bite my lip and stare at the bullet. The biggest question on my mind has yet to be answered. Mason seems to sense it and grasps my hand, thumb teasing across the top of the diamond he just put on it.
“Baby, we know Chris is alive now. Your mom’s on the job, and my brother Marco will be soon too. We’ll get him back. I have faith.”
It’s not a small consolation, and I accept it for now. Staring down at the ring, I say, “Mason, I think I want to wait to get married until after it’s over. After he’s home.”
He cups my cheek and gazes into my eyes. “Of course. You want him at our wedding if he’s alive. All I care about is that you will be my wife one day. I’ve waited three years for this moment. Hopefully it won’t take three more years to seal the deal, but I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you need me to.”
“All I need is right here in this car.”
He smirks and gives me a suggestive once-over. “What I need is to drop Zoey off with Elena so I can take you home and make you scream my name.”
Epilogue Mason
The two brushed aluminum thumb drives rest in the center of the kitchen table, untouched. Elle and Sam both stare at them like they’re live wires. Maddox sits across the table from me, arms crossed while we wait for our baby brother and sister to respond.
“I don’t understand. Why are you giving these to us?” Elle asks, the first to reach out and pick one up. “Isn’t this stuff the government needs?”
“They have it already. No one knows these copies exist but our family. We’re so tangled up with Flores and his vendetta, Mad and I decided it would be a bigger risk if we didn’t make sure we all have enough ammo to protect our family in case things go south. Consider this insurance.”
Maddox, who knew about my plans already, looks at our two siblings. “Just hear us out. This affects you two as much as anyone.”
“First, we are the only ones who know these copies exist,” I continue. “I already gave one to Marco. Maddox has one too. I’ll
