Epilogue
Dani didn’t bother hiding her grin or excitement today.
She bounced on her toes and grabbed Michael’s hand.
He squeezed. They faced the crowd together, windows of the event center spilling dusky, golden light on their friends, their family, and the city dignitaries sitting in the rows before them.
Press at the edges held cameras and microphones while the mayor continued his speech from the podium a few feet to her right.
“Thanks to these fine citizens, hard-working men and women with integrity and courage, several criminals responsible for a worldwide criminal organization are now detained and will face our justice system. The reputation of one of Renegade’s best, the late Captain Martina Martinelli, is restored.
And the people of this city can rest tonight knowing the caliber of defenders we have right here. ”
One by one, he called them up and handed each a city medal.
Finn, Kumar, and even Steve, Ron, and Denny received one.
The mayor called her name, then Michael’s.
The three rows of the extended Martinelli family, plus Lily and Josh, stood and cheered with abandon.
Isaac Carter, a couple rows over, sent a high-pitched whistle across the crowd while holding Eddie.
The whoops and hollers sent vibrations through the temporary stage, detected by Dani’s feet as she walked to the middle.
As the mayor handed her the medal and they posed, shaking hands and facing the audience, Dani caught two familiar faces.
There, in the middle of the back row, sat her mother and father, always unassuming, never wanting to draw attention. But it was the slight tip upward in Alton Kim’s lips that struck her, making it suddenly harder to hold the bright grin on her own face.
Was that…pride in her father’s eyes?
Her mother gave a tiny wave, dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
Dani needed a tissue for the way her own eyes filled. But she held it together until the end of the ceremony. The Martinellis practically stormed the stage once the mayor gave the final remarks. As soon as they released her, she navigated the crowd until she reached her parents.
“You came.” She sounded a little breathless, but so be it.
“Of course we came.” Her mother hugged her tight. “We’re so proud of you.”
Her father gave her a little nod.
And it was everything.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she hugged him too.
Simon burst through the crowd. “Auntie Dani! Michael is looking for you. He said he’s lost.”
“Oh, really?” She laughed.
“Yeah, but why is he lost? He’s right there.” Simon pointed over to the Martinelli crowd, where Michael waved her over.
“Go,” her father said gently. “But maybe you could bring Michael over for dinner this weekend.”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
After saying goodbye to her parents, she allowed Simon to drag her over to Michael.
“I found her! Do I get the su’pise?”
“Sure do, buddy.” Michael gave him a fist bump and a little package of fruit snacks.
Dani accepted all the kisses and hugs from the loud Italian family that had always been like a second home to her.
Eventually, Michael freed her from their grasp, and they walked out of the building and toward the downtown parking garage two blocks away.
The brightness from the skyscrapers and streetlights twinkled in the brisk November night.
It wasn’t Miami or New York City, but she didn’t mind.
She slipped her hand around Michael’s arm.
“So, you finished all the paperwork for SL Trucking?” he asked her.
“Yup. We traced all the funds Owen and Judd had funneled into fake vendor companies and nonprofits. The case should be airtight.”
“You must be glad to be done.”
Dani laughed, her breath floating up in little puffs. “Believe it or not, I’m going to miss it. Not the paperwork so much, but I’ve made my peace with it. I will miss the people though. Silas and Shirley even threw me a going-away party.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“You know me. I’m good at making a spectacle.”
Michael’s rumbly chuckle warmed her through. “Will you be okay staying in Renegade? You know if you wanted to go somewhere else, I would support you. Maybe there’d be a place for me on a police force there.”
Dani stared out at the downtown skyline. “Actually, everything I really want is all here.”
Michael stopped under one of the streetlights and faced her. “It is?”
She nodded, giving him a flirty smile. “Kumar was right. I’m good at what I do. The numbers, the accounting, it’s important even if it’s not glamorous. And, I don’t know. I guess I was happy to do my part. It made a difference.”
“You always find a way to make a difference.”
“Because I bring the chaos?”
“Because you light up the world wherever you are.” He tugged her closer. “If that’s chaos, then I need a lot more of it.”
“I can arrange that.”
“Good.” Then he kissed her under the stars and streetlights, filling her with hope for a lifetime of his rock-solid presence and all the excitement she could ever wish for right at his side.
Thank you for reading Defender.
Keep reading for a sneak peek…