Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“Give me a reason,” the man growls.
Finally, Clint raises his hands and curses. “Goddamn it.”
“We got him, boys! Site secure!”
A cheer rings out among the officers as Clint is slapped in handcuffs and walked over to the back of the truck and thrown roughly inside. I notice one of his guards who was standing at the door is down, clutching a bullet wound in his right shoulder, and the other is on his knees with his hands up, his gun on the ground beside him.
Adrenaline is flowing through me like it’s being pumped into my body with a garden hose.
An agent comes up to me, his rifle not really pointing at me, but not really not pointing at me either. “Blake Torres?” he asks.
“Yes?” I reply, my heart pounding. “How’d you know?”
The agent lowers his rifle and gives me a grin.
“Well, we were warned you’d probably be here.”
“Warned?” I reply, confused as all hell. “Warned by who?”
The agent’s grin grows larger. “This young lady right here.”
He steps to the side as a black sedan pulls in through the gate, which is now no more than ruins. It parks where he was just standing, the door to the back seat opens, and Luna steps out.
My jaw drops. “Luna! What – what the hell are you doing here?”
She doesn’t say anything. She just runs over to me and throws herself into my arms.
I can’t even explain how it feels to have her body against mine again – to feel her softness, to smell her scent, to have her hair brushing up against my face and to be able to have the warmth of her body against mine.
But even as I take that all in, I still do not understand what’s going on or what she’s doing here, and I gently push her away.
“Luna,” I say slowly. “What are you…doing? You said you and I couldn’t be together. You broke up with me.”
“I know,” she replies, a look of shame coming over her face. “And you don’t even know how hard that was for me, Blake. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But that only applies to when my dad is around.”
A mischievous look comes over her face, and she tilts her head back toward the F.B.I. truck. It takes about two seconds, but then it clicks.
“Wait a second,” I say, pointing. “This was you? You did this?” Luna smiles and nods. “But how?”
“How do you think, Blake?” she asks. “I’m his daughter. I lived with him my entire life. You think I didn’t see anything the Feds would like to know about?”
“Holy shit…”
“I’ve never particularly liked my dad,” she says, shuffling her feet. “But I always loved him, you know? The way a daughter always loves her father. But when he confessed to having me followed and threatened us if we had any kind of relationship…well that’s when those feelings died for good.”
I can feel it. That hollowness inside me starting to fill in. That sickness beginning to heal.
It wasn’t a mistake to let myself fall in love with Luna. It was a mistake to think that I could ever ignore it and live my life without her. That cold that was taking me over – spreading like an invading winter – is rapidly falling back as the warmth I get just from looking at her takes me over.
“So…you gave them evidence,” I say, stepping closer, right up on top of her so there’s no space between us. “Evidence that will put him away? For how long?”
Luna looks up and smiles, the hint of tears forming in her eyes. “If he gets out before he’s served several life sentences, it will be a miracle.”
I laugh and pull her into my arms, press my lips against hers, and feel the love between us take over. My heart leaps. I feel like right now I could jump and take off like an airplane and soar through the sky, holding Luna in my arms, and fly across the world like a superhero.
She’s my one. And now we’re free.
Well, almost.
“You’re incredible, you know?” I ask her, causing her to smile up at me. Tears spill from her eyes, and I wipe them away with the back of my hand. “Now we just have to go tell two other people and see how they react to this.”
Epilogue
Blake
Five years later…
* * *
Having a vision is important. Having a goal. Focusing on what you want, seeing it in your mind, and working as hard as you can to reach that goal. That’s the reason why today, Luna and I are celebrating the opening of my own garage.
Today I become my own boss. Today my dream reaches its fruition. Today all those long days and long nights, extra jobs and afterhours pay off. Today I no longer have to answer to anybody. And I couldn’t have done it without Luna.