When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes, so grateful for everything they’d been through because it had led them to this moment. He stood, then reached up and yanked on the string, releasing the ring from its hold. She eagerly held out her left hand for him, and he slipped it on her ring finger. He loved seeing it there, and the little gasp she let out let him know she felt the same way. “It’s stunning, Tanner. I love it so much.”
“I’m glad, and I love you. There is one more thing I want to ask you though.”
“Anything,” April said, swiping at the tears on her face, as she admired the princess cut stone set in a simple platinum setting.
“So, the renovations on the basement in our home are done. The contractor turned over the keys last night.” Tanner had decided to finish all the renovations on their house while he was laid up at the main house. His parents had insisted that he, April, and Violet stay with them until he recovered. When he started to protest, his mom pointed out that it would likely be too much for April to take care of Violet and him. He’d immediately agreed, and the three of them moved in with his parents.
He’d had his reservations about how it would work out, but he should’ve known everything would be fine. If anything, his family had grown even closer after living together under one roof for the last three months. But it was time for him and April and Violet to move back into their own home, and he wanted to bring one other person with them. “As you know, I turned the basement into a two-bedroom apartment with its own small kitchen, bathroom, and living area.”
April nodded. “For guests.”
Tanner smiled. “I actually had one particular guest in mind. I was thinking it would be the perfect place for your mom. We could move her in there and hire around the clock help for her. I know how much you miss her, and I think it would do her good to be with her daughter and granddaughter. What do you think?”
April’s mouth went slack as she dropped her arms away from Tanner. For a second, he thought she would hate the idea, but then she burst into tears and her arms wrapped around him again. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Tanner Rhodes.”
He hugged her tight and laughed. “Is that a yes?”
April kissed him in a way that made his balls tighten, then pulled back giving him that gorgeous smile. “It’s a heck yes! When can we move her here?”
Tanner smiled. “I might’ve already made a few calls, so how does next weekend sound?”
April gasped and wrapped her arms around him again, burying her face in his neck. “Sounds perfect. Thank you for making our lives so amazing, Tanner.”
Tanner pulled back just enough to look into her beautiful green eyes. “I’m the one who should be thanking you. I love you, April Hornby, soon to be, Rhodes.”
Epilogue
Eleven Years Later
The bars clanged as the gates to all the cells in Block ‘C’ opened. It was time for breakfast. A small window at the top of the thirty-foot wall showed the sun rising, the sky a luminescent grayish blue. It was early morning, but Erik Campo hadn't even slept yet.
Last night was bad. One of the worst nights he’d had in a while. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was that face. Those eyes. And then came the sound of her small, soft voice that lived in his head like a broken record.Thank you. Thank you for saving my life, Echo. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop all the bullets for you. I’ll do better next time.His body tensed just thinking about her. His hands clenched into automatic fists and he had to forcibly release his fingers before his nails left moon-shaped cuts in his palms.
He’d been done. He’d been ready to go. To end it all. That bastard never would’ve let him live. Never let him out of his lifelong contract. It’s something her aunt never understood. He’d tried to warn her. Tried to shield her from the worst ofit. But in the end, he’d been their ultimate downfall. Or so he’d thought.
Then his eyes locked with hers. Sweet. Kind. Determined. He’d never met a soul with more strength, more grace, more kindness than in that little six-year-old. That bastard had many kids. And he used all of them until they were either good enough to sell or useless enough to kill. But that little girl. She’d amazed him with her ability. Floored him with her resilience. And in the end, she’d been willing to die. For them. For him. That was when he decided he was done. He ran out into that courtyard, no protection, no armor, nothing but the clothes on his back. It was what he deserved after forcing her to go through everything she’d been through.
It hadn’t been him forcing her, but it had been him doing the forcing, all the same. He was just as guilty. Just as evil as his boss, if not more so. But if he was going out of this world, he’d use his last breaths to do something right. Maybe the only right thing he’d ever have the chance to do in his life. Because if he died protecting an asset, Charlie would be safe. But if he tried to run, or helped her in any way outside of the strict parameters that had been set forth in front of him when he was first brought on to do that job, he’d be killed and Charlie would be thrown into a state facility where he’d likely be overlooked, forgotten about, and possibly even abused.
As part of his plea deal, the prosecution agreed to let Charlie stay where he was safe and happy. That was all that mattered. He probably didn’t even remember who his dad was anymore. It’s not like that job came with vacation time. He was lucky if he got a day off a month. But he didn’t dare complain. Hell no. Because if he got a day off, it didn’t mean those kids did. It didn’t mean thatshedid. And he wanted to be there for them. Forher.
“Hey, Campo,” one of the guards called out to him. “You’re going to miss out on all the grub.”
He nodded and stood. His body was stiff and ached in various places. He had a slight limp in his right leg where the bullet had hit his femur, and his neck was always bothering him after a night on that cold, hard cot the prison called a bed. But it had been a long time since he thought about life outside this place. He had his first parole hearing in a couple of years, but that felt like a lifetime away.
He sat at his usual table with the same guys he always ate with. But unlike them, he didn’t say much. He ate whatever was put in front of him. He’d long since stopped trying to figure out what it was. Food was just that. Sustenance. Something to keep him breathing and moving. There were days like today, after a night like last night, when he wasn’t sure he wanted to keep existing in this world, but prison wasn’t really about what someone wanted.
After breakfast, he was heading out to the yard for some fresh air before starting his shift in the kitchen, when one of the guards called to him. “Hey, Campo, you’ve got a visitor.”
He could swear he heard the guard wrong. In the eleven years he’d been here, he hadn’t had a single visitor. Ever. Not even a phone call. “Me?” he asked, making sure the guard was talking to the right guy.
“Yeah, come on. She’s cute, too. Finally getting a conjugal visit?” The guard teased with a smirk, or maybe it was a sneer. Not that it mattered. This had to be a mistake. He didn’t know anyone who fit that description, and anyone he knew in his past wouldn’t be caught dead visiting him in prison.
He followed the guard to the visiting area and took a seat. While waiting for whoever it was that he was supposed to be waiting for, he still wasn’t convinced that this wasn’t some big mistake or misunderstanding. Surely whoever this was, wasn’t actually here to see him. And then a woman with long dark hair came into the room and sat across from him.
She kept her head lowered as she set a bag down beside her chair, and he still had no idea who she was. Then she finally raised her gaze to meet his, and it was like his heart stopped. His breathing halted. Hell, the earth itself stopped spinning.
“Dad said I couldn’t come see you until I was eighteen. My birthday was last week.”
