The Payback (Team Zulu 2)

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Epilogue - Sage

6 months later

Aftershakingthedean’shand and accepting my degree, I waved to where my two favorite people in the world sat in the stands.

My chest squeezed when a familiar tall, dark-haired form stood and clapped. Brandon’s smile was so huge I could see the white of his teeth all the way from the stage. Beside him, pint-sized Lettie pumped her fist in the air before putting her fingers to her lips and unleashing a loud whistle.

I walked down the stairs, heart pounding and grinning so wide my cheeks hurt.

After the last name had been called and all the caps tossed in the air, Brandon was the first to greet me on the manicured lawn outside the grand archways of the Palestra arena. He lifted me clear off the ground and spun.

“I’m so damn proud of you. Congratulations.” His lips were on mine before my feet touched the ground again. “Have I told you lately how much I love you and how incredible you are?”

My heart swelled at his words. “It might’ve been a few hours.” I smiled and pulled him in for another kiss. “I love you, too.”

Beside us, Lettie slapped Brandon’s bicep. “Muscles, you need to learn to share. Hand her over.”

Reluctantly, Brandon released me.

“Bring it in, sister.” Lettie smiled and threw her arms around me in a bone-crushing embrace. “It’s official. You’re my idol, and I want to be you when I grow up.”

I laughed because Lettie was achieving her own goals. Since graduating last week with her dual math and business degree, she’d landed a job with one of New York’s top financial institutions. I had no doubt she’d climb the corporate ladder and make a name for herself as a mover and shaker. I was going to miss the heck out of her, but we’d promised to visit each other as often as we could.

As Lettie stepped back, someone nearby cleared their throat.

Oh.

Oh, shit.

“Special Agent Williams,” I said as the FBI agent approached. “Hi.”

Wearing a dark-gray pantsuit, she held a gift-wrapped box in her hands and took a step toward me. “Ms. Allen. Congratulations. It’s good to see you.”

“You, too.” I glanced around, hoping she was here for someone else and this meeting was a coincidence. “Were you here for the ceremony?”

“Actually, I’m here to see you.”

My mouth dried at the implication of her words. Six months had passed since the masquerade without so much as a sniff from the Feds. Brandon had monitored the investigation and intervened when required. We’d thought we were in the clear.

Brandon’s body heat warmed my side as he stood near and rested a reassuring arm around my waist.

A nervous smile formed on my lips. “Agent Williams, this is my boyfriend, Brandon.”

She nodded, her expression unreadable. “Mr. Lewis.”

Mr. Lewis? Double shit.

A flicker of surprise crossed Brandon’s features before he replaced it with a wry grin. “Pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on your promotion.” The one we were responsible for. Did Agent Williams suspect it, too?

After Dante’s arrest, she’d returned to organized crime and been put in charge of leading a new task force. In the last six months, Agent Williams had expanded upon our work by arresting many more.

The simultaneous takedown of over three hundred criminals the night of the masquerade had been one of the FBI’s biggest victories in the war against organized crime in recorded history. Precisely how they’d managed that feat had never been broadcast, but Agent Williams had made sure all those arrested had been prosecuted. And due to the irrefutable evidence we’d collected, the court cases were fast-tracked without offering reduced sentences.

The last ship to sink had been Dante Moretti. After a week in the hospital, he was transferred to a maximum security prison where he’d spend the rest of his life. The Wolf Street Mafia was officially extinct.

Agent Williams gave a knowing smile and handed me the box. “I brought you a graduation gift.”