Epilogue
One Month Later
Noah
“ I can teach you axe-throwing,” Adele told Vic. “It’s excellent for stress relief. Come over. I set up a shipping container for training.”
Vic grinned. “I’ve always wanted to try.”
“It’s easier than it looks. You just need a good coach.”
Finn dropped a kiss to the top of his wife’s head. “She’s dangerously good with an axe.”
Vic shot me a wink. I was still getting used to family dinners and spending so much time with my brothers. Waking up next to Vic every morning had been the easiest adjustment.
We were still staying at the cabin. It had turned into a fun escape for us. Most nights I strapped Tess into the carrier and walked the trails around the property until she conked out. We were considering what to do from here, but one thing was certain: the three of us would be together, as a family.
Tonight we were at Jude’s for pizza night. Denis Huxley had finally been arrested this week, so we were celebrating. During an extensive investigation, two sets of video footage and one eyewitness connecting him to the fire were discovered.
The wait had felt endless, but he was finally behind bars. He’d been denied bail, and according to Parker, he’d likely face several other charges. Vic and I could finally breathe, knowing that he would be brought to justice.
Jude had insisted on hosting our celebration. He’d fired up his fancy oven and was wowing everyone with his handmade dough. With glasses of wine in hand, we sat out on his patio, watching the sunset over the mountains while stuffing ourselves silly.
Thor and Tess toddled around the yard with Ripley the wolf-dog anxiously following them, on guard at all times. My daughter and my nephew were becoming best friends. Next week, Tess would join Thor at daycare while I began training for my new position with the Department of Emergency Management.
I’d been out of the game a long time, so I was apprehensive. My skills were rusty and I wasn’t in the shape I’d been in before I took custody of Tess. These days it felt like the only thing I was good at was cutting blueberries into tiny pieces and singing the Baby Shark song. But I was excited to try something new and to feel useful again.
Normally, I’d spend my days spiraling and stressed about the process, but with Vic by my side, cheering for me every step of the way, I felt more at ease than I ever had. We’d been through a lot in the short time we’d been together. That alone filled me with hope for the future.
I had plenty more work to do on myself, but knowing that Tess and I belonged here, in Lovewell, eased many of my fears. We’d build a future right here, close to our family. I’d always live with guilt relating to Jack’s and Emily’s deaths, but I could give Tess a beautiful, loving childhood.
Cole was helping me negotiate with Mr. Winters, my former landlord. Since the building had been destroyed, my hope was that he’d be willing to sell the property. Vic loved living in the middle of town. From our old place, we could walk just about anywhere, and if we sat out front for an hour, we’d see half the citizens of Lovewell pass by. Once Mr. Winters had finalized things with his insurance company, I was hoping to buy it and surprise her. We could build our dream house there beside the post office and across from the coffee shop.
Vic stood and scooped Tess into her arms. With a kiss to my cheek, she sauntered inside to change our little girl into her jammies.
“You’re so gone.” Finn chuckled.
My chest expanded. “Yup.” There was no denying it. Every day I spent with her was better than the last.
He tapped his beer bottle against mine. “Welcome to the club, brother.”
We moved inside, chatting and sipping drinks. The noise was cut off when Ripley darted for the door and barked. A moment later, a knock sounded from the other side.
It was only eight p.m., but in Lovewell, it might as well have been midnight. People didn’t show up unannounced this late around here.
“Got it,” I said as I headed to the entryway.
On the porch, I found a tall, lanky woman I’d never seen before. Her chin-length hair looked almost black in the dim glow of the porch light and her face was heavily bruised.
My stomach knotted at the sight. But before I could formulate a greeting, Jude pushed me aside.
“Amy? What are you doing here?” he asked. “Is that even your real name?”
“Hi Jude,” she said, giving him a tiny wave. Her clothes were torn, and there was blood streaked down one arm. The move was far too nonchalant for someone who looked as if she’d just fought off a bear. “My real name’s Mila.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Neither acknowledged the question. Instead, they stood, frozen, her on the porch and him inside the door, staring at one another.
“I’m here because I can help you,” she said. “And I’m hoping you can help me too. Can I come in?”
Jude threw an arm out and pushed me out of the way, then he ushered her inside. The house had gone silent, and every eye in the room was locked on the stranger.
“Are you okay?” Willa stood and hurried over.
Mila glanced down at her tattered and filthy clothes and brushed her hands down her shirt. “Oh. This is nothing. I’m fine.”
“I’m a doctor,” Willa said, keeping her tone soft. “Can I at least examine you?”
Mila lifted a shoulder, the move making her wince. “I guess that wouldn’t be a bad idea. I think I may have dislocated my shoulder. Can you pop it back in for me?”
Willa gave Cole a look, and without hesitation, he strode out the front door, probably to fetch her med kit from their car.
“It’s no big deal,” Mila said. “It’s happened before.”
Fuck. Why was she so unbothered by her injuries? We were all gaping. Jude was still frozen in the doorway, his mouth ajar.
“Weren’t you reported missing?” Adele asked.
Mila pushed her hair out of her face. “I dunno. I’ve been in Canada for a few months. What I learned in AP French in high school really came in handy.” She looked back at Jude. “Sorry I crashed your party. I wasn’t sure where else to go.”
“Can someone explain what’s going on?” Finn asked. He’d picked Thor up and was holding him tightly. “A strange woman who’s speaking in riddles and looks like she just escaped from a Mad Max movie appeared out of nowhere.”
“Nah,” Adele disagreed. “She looks like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction .”
I looked back at Jude, who hadn’t moved. Huh. Mia Wallace had been his dream girl when he was a teenager.
“My name is Mila Barrett. Last year my brother was violently attacked outside Hebert Timber. He’s still in a coma and I’ve been chasing the people who did this to him.” Head lowered, she blinked rapidly. “I’ve been tracking down the Deimos Cartel. One of the largest drug trafficking operations between Maine and Quebec. I believe someone affiliated with the cartel attacked my brother.”
A hush fell over the room.
“Your father was working for them when he was arrested, and the organization has been terrorizing your business and your town for years.”
A pit formed in my stomach. Holy shit. For years, my brothers, Parker, and the Gagnons have been piecing things together, but I had no idea it was this dangerous. Fuck. My family really had been living under the constant threat of crime and violence.
Mila scanned the room, taking in her captive audience. “And I need your help taking them down.”