EPILOGUE
HAWK
The adrenaline hasn’t fully burnedoff yet.
Every time I blink, I still see that basement—candles, blood, the sapphire in my hand, Dani’s tear-streaked face whisperingyes.
Now, as we drive back to Raven and Vinnie’s, I can finally breathe again.Dani sits in the passenger seat, her hair wild and streaked with soot and dried blood.
But she’s alive.
That’s all that matters.
My phone buzzes in my pocket as we pull off the highway.It’s an Austin area code.I almost ignore it—I’ve been through enough today—but something in me tells me to answer.
Daniela’s eyes are wide as I bring the phone to my ears.
“Hello?”
“Yes, is this Mr.Bellamy?Hawk Bellamy?”
“Speaking.”
“This is Tricia with Rosen Genetic Labs.How are you today, sir?”
I nearly drop the phone.Dani’s test results can’t possibly be in already, can they?They said it would take a minimum of three days.It’s barely been one.
“Y-Yes?”I stammer into the phone.Why am I more scared now than when I was plunging a knife into the chef’s throat?
“Are you with Ms.Agudelo?We tried calling her phone, but it’s not going through.We’re going straight to voicemail, and she listed your number as a secondary number.”
I look over at Daniela.“Do you have your phone?”
She swallows.“I put it on airplane mode when I was… When I was driving out.I guess I never flipped it back on.”
“It’s the genetic labs.”
She drops her jaw.I squeeze her hand.“Whatever it is, we can handle it.Together.”
She nods.
I return to the phone, push the speaker button.“She’s in the car next to me.I just put you on speakerphone.”
“Wonderful.Ms.Agudelo, how are you today?”
She blinks.“I’m all right, all things considered.You?”
“I’m doing well,” Tricia says.“We have your test results ready.We were able to expedite them.”
“How the hell were you able to do that?”I ask.“I was told point blank that it would take at least three days.That no amount of money could make the process go any faster than normal.”
Tricia pauses.“To be frank, sir, once the head of our lab saw your name as the secondary number on Ms.Agudelo’s case, he insisted we move her tests to the top of our priority.The Bellamys and Rosen go way back.”
I scratch at the side of my head.“They do?”
“Yes, sir.Our supervisor said that we owe your father a lot of favors.I’m sorry to hear that he’s in the hospital.Is he doing fine?”
“He’ll live.”I suppress an eye roll.“But this means you have Daniela’s test results?”
