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“Hey yourself,” I replied and leaned in to kiss my wife. I reached out and rubbed her swollen belly, marveling at the life growing there. She leaned into me and rested her head on my shoulder, smiling over at the horses hanging their heads out of their stalls, waiting for her attention.
I’d given Malavita to her as a wedding present, years ago when we’d gotten married. She loved and cared for it far more tenderly than I ever had.
“Papa, papa!” Havoc moved aside as twin tornadoes blew in through the doors and launched themselves into my arms. I scooped up dark-haired toddlers and hefted them high, making them squeal.
“What is it, Bambinas?”
They leaned forward and whispered into my ears causing me to chuckle.
I watched with a sense of wonder and need as the small family—my family—huddled together in the barn. The picture wavered, like the ripples in a pond, before disappearing.
Looking over, I found Tony watching me. “What was that?”
“Your future,” he said, matter-of-factly.
It stunned me. Why was he here? Why would he show me this?
“Because it’s the last thing I needed to do before I go,” he answered my unasked question.
“Last thing?”
He gave a humorless chuckle. “Did you think, out of all the places in New York City, Lyn ended up in your apartment building by chance? I’ve always been here with her. Watching, in case she needed me.”
“She always needed you.” It killed me to say it. I was a possessive man. To be talking to even the ghost of Havoc’s past love was grating on me.
“No. I was gone. Lost to her. You were what she needed. So, we put you near each other. We knew you’d do the rest.”
My breath caught in my lungs. Maria had helped him. I knew it as surely as I could see him standing before me.
“You’re her path forward and she is yours.”
I glanced back at the spot where we had stood together and everything inside of me demanded that future now.
“You’ll need to be patient,” he said knowingly.
I clenched my jaw, frustrated both that a ghost was ordering me around and that he seemed to be able to read my thoughts.
“You both have a lot of unfinished business to see to.”
He was right. Our list grew by the day. We needed to find and rescue Dante. Kill each of the remaining Guzman brothers. I had to find a way to make Havoc fall in love with me the way she’d been in that vision. Marry her. My heart kicked in my chest. I couldn’t wait for that day. For the birth of my children.
Tony straightened up from the frame. “Take care of her.” His voice was melancholy. Havoc had painted him a saint each time she spoke of him. I was beginning to understand why. I wasn’t sure—if I was in his place—that I could be so giving.
He smiled at me sadly—once again reading my thoughts. “All I ever wanted was her happiness. You’re meant to walk this life with her. What else could I do?”
Both our eyes strayed over to the woman who was cooing over the newly born foal. She glanced over at me and gave me a huge smile. I couldn’t help but return it. I didn’t need to look over to know that Tony was gone. I could feel it, as weird as it sounded.
Moving over to the stall, I pulled Havoc into a hug and everything seemed to click into place when she pressed her body to mine. I breathed in her scent and thought of what Tony had shown me. She was my world, the people in that vision meant everything to me, and I was ready to move forward—to them.
The End… For Now
