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“Right.” He leans his head back against the trunk. “I’ve been thinking. I have this year and next year left, then I’ll graduate. But maybe I can push graduation back a year or two and stay while you’re still here.”
“How will you manage that?”
“I’ll get a master’s.”
“In what? Mafia Studies? Advanced Smuggling?”
“Sure, if they offer those courses. Otherwise, I’ll just do business.”
“How boring.”
He chuckles and moves closer to me. “There’s nothing boring about being with me and you know it.”
I tilt my chin up and kiss him. “That’s true.”
“We’ll rebuild Calico House. We’ll get the smuggling operation going again. It won’t be what it was, but Dom and Nathan can carry it on. I have more cousins and siblings, you know.”
“Really? How big is your family?”
“Big. We like to reproduce.” He gives me a sharp look, eyes sparkling. “I hope you don’t mind.”
I blush deeply. “I never thought about kids before.”
“Start thinking, my Kaye. Once we’re off this island, I’m going to marry you and introduce you to my world. Can you handle that?”
“If I can handle everything we’ve been through already, I think I can take anything.”
He holds me tighter and I lean against his head. My thoughts drift to Dean Wotherspoon and his last moments, the way he fell over the edge so quietly and disappeared into the waves below. His body was never found, but the suicide note was uncovered the following day. His death was like a rocket under the campus, and everything was crazy for a few weeks, the speculation going wild.
Two people died in the same spot in two years. People thought there must be a serial killer or maybe the island’s cursed and haunted.
But the authorities knew better, because Lesley spelled it out in the dean’s suicide note: he jumped because of his guilt over Lucy’s death and his involvement in what happened.
The truth may never come out. I doubt the dean’s family is interested in spilling even more tea and birthing dozens more rumors about what happened last year. It’s been a month now, and already the discussing is dying down as new drama appears, usurping all the old excitement.
There’s only one loose end left.
Malcolm. He’s standing across the burned-out space with Lesley and the others, talking and laughing. He’s sweating, covered in char, a streak of it along his forehead. Lesley’s smiling at him and batting her eyes. He’s smirking back.
“Is there something going on with those two?”
Emilio shakes his head. “Not that I know of.”
“Seems like there is.”
“Lesley’s just keeping him close for now.”
“You’re not worried about what he knows?”
“Malcolm’s pragmatic and morally flexible. He understands that it’s in his best interest to forget about what happened. Besides, I have recordings of all our conversations.”
I laugh and shake my head. “You really are insane. Do you record everything?”
“Only the good stuff.” He shifts slightly and looks into my eyes. “I love you, Kaye. I want to give you everything you could possibly want. When I rebuild Calico House, I’m going to make sure there’s a room just for you, exactly the way you want it. This is our legacy on this island.”
“I love you too.” I kiss him again and linger there. “But we’ve got a lot more legacy ahead of us if you want children.”
He laughs and stands. He offers me his hand.
