Page 61 of Redeeming Violet

To Jaxon.

I no longer wanted to erase my mistakes. I owned them. They are part of my journey, a part of Jaxon’s.

“Can we build a patio like this at your house?” I asked.

“Our house,” he answered.

“Huh?”

“It’s our house, Vi. And yes, you can have a patio, and the four seasons room, and the waterfall, you can have it all.”

“I already do.”

Epilogue

A hero’s death.

Jaxon

Zane and I had just returned from the mortuary with the rest of the team after seeing Eric for the last time on this earth. He’d left very specific instructions should this day ever come, and unfortunately it had come. He’d answered the ultimate call and sacrificed himself so the rest of us could live. Violet opened her arms and without thought I stepped closer, pulling her to my chest and drawing the strength I needed from her. I breathed in her scent and had never been more grateful to have her by my side.

Just like in the poem by an old Indian Chief Eric loved so much, he’d lived his life to the fullest with no regrets. He hadn’t begged for more time, he hadn’t run from, but instead he ran to his death. It was hard for Violet to understand why, while we felt the loss of Eric deeply, we weren’t more emotional as she called it. We were, she simply didn’t understand the emotion. We would all miss Eric, the friendship and comradery, his presence in our daily lives. But there was also a sense of peace and understanding that came with our grief. And only those closest to Eric could fully understand what that meant. He used to say he’d prepared a noble death song, and when his time came he’d shout it at the top of his voice so the fuckers would hear him coming.

He’d done just that.

***

The service had been carried out according to Eric’s specifications – only the employees of Z Corps had been present, and Zane had eulogized him. It was a short and to the point speech. The casket had been closed, as Eric didn’t want anyone “gawking at his carcass”. Zane, Linc, Colin, Leo, Declan, and I carried his casket from the door of the church to the waiting hearse. After we secured him, all of us piled into one of the company SUV’s and pulled out behind the car that would take Eric to his final resting place. Violet, Jasmin, and Olivia followed behind us.

We pulled on the main road leading to the cemetery and my composure faltered.

“Did you do this?” I asked Zane.

With a slow shake of his head, I knew he was just as affected as I was. Two motorcycles pulled in front of us, each with a large American Flag that proudly waved in the wind as they rode between us and the hearse. I checked the side mirror at the unmistakable rumble of more bikes. Eric had been clear he did not want a large funeral. He understood the need for closure but didn’t want anyone to dwell on the details. He also didn’t want fanfare. I think a solid mile of the Patriot Guard following us to the cemetery would be considered fanfare to him.

“He’d be pissed,” I laughed.

“Probably. What’s he gonna do, kick my ass? He rode with them. I couldn’t not tell them.”

Whenever we were stateside, Eric would ride his Harley as part of the Patriot Guard to honor the fallen vets. It was something he never talked about. He didn’t want praise for the time he spent riding or the hours I knew he spent with the families after the service. He also spent time with his fellow guardsmen and paid special attention to the men that had come home with PTSD. These men that were surrounding us were almost as close to Eric as we were.

“So, you did do this?”

“Fuck, no I didn’t. I told his buddy in the guard when the funeral was so they could attend. What they did after that was up to them. Why are you trying to throw me under the bus? I believe in ghosts you know. I don’t need Eric rattling around my house at night.”

“You’re joking? Big bad Navy SEAL afraid of a ghost,” Leo laughed from the backseat.

“Fuck you. I hope he haunts your ass.” Zane flipped him the bird and made a left into the long driveway.

The joking in the car ended as Eric’s freshly dug grave came into view. The hearse veered left and took the long way around the cemetery while the motorcycles cut off to the right going directly to the burial site.

“Was that…”

“I saw them,” Zane cut me off.

Wolf, Abe, Cookie, Dude, and Benny stood at attention in their dress uniforms next to the Navy guard.

When the hearse stopped, we exited the car and Jasmin, Olivia, and Violet joined us. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. I was trying my hardest to be the man Eric would expect me to be, but I fucking hated this. I hated he was gone. I wanted to roar at the injustice, but I wouldn’t. I would never dishonor his sacrifice.