Wicked Liar (Dark Syndicate 3)

Chapter Forty-Eight

Dominic

Six months later…

Bright sunlight beams down on the lush green grass.I look around and take it all in, committing it to my memory.

Stormy Creek is exactly the way I remember it.

The four of us planned to come here today for a walk down memory lane.I have something else planned, but the point of today was to reflect.

It’s the anniversary of my father’s death.Normally we wouldn’t do anything on this day, having decided to honor him on his birthday instead.Today felt like one of those days where we should.

I’m glad we did now because I can feel him.

Me, Candace, Tristan, and Massimo stand together gazing across the meadow.

Once upon a time, we would have been the kids running around in this very spot.The boys who lived in the house at the bottom of the hill, and the little girl that played with them.

Stormy Creek was a place that held all sorts of memories for each of us.Good, and mostly bad, but the good memories we have are the magical ones that defined us.

Life has passed since, and we’re all grown up now.We’ve had our hearts broken and repaired and broken some more, and repaired.Despite that, we’re still those people we used to be with hopes and dreams.

I’m glad I made it to see today because I know I almost joined my parents on the other side.

I’ve only just fully recovered after months of physio and that extensive stay in the hospital.I got shot in nearly the exact place as Candace, but my bullet was closer to my heart by one millimeter.

Massimo breaks the silence by pulling that letter from his jacket pocket.It's the anonymous letter that took us on a wild journey none of us will ever forget.

“I thought we’d get to find out who send this,” he says.

“Maybe we were never supposed to know,” I answer.“Maybe the person wanted out and didn’t want to get involved.”

We’ll never know.

“Do you think it’s all truly over?” Tristan asks looking at each of us.

“It feels over,” Massimo replies.

Over the last six months, we’ve made sure we looked for any remnants of danger.So far we haven’t found anything.

I’m still looking through Alfonse’s’ files with Aiden but nothing has stood out to us.

“I feel it’s over too,” I agree.“I think it’s safe to say we can continue with our lives the way we should have.Get our dreams.”

Massimo smiles. “I guess that must be our cue to leave then.”

He looks to me and then at Candace who returns his smile, oblivious to what he means.

“Come on Tristan, let’s go walk by the river,” he adds.

“Just Tristan?” Candace asks.

“Just Tristan,” I answer for him, taking her hand and pulling her closer.

My brothers both smile and leave us.Candace looks back to me with a curious expression on her pretty face.

“What is going on, Mister?” she laughs.