Page 49 of Wick
This man.
My man.
I deepen the kiss.
"Only you two would find the need to suck face in the middle of the battlefield," Riggs announces, letting us know of his presence. Pulling away from each other, Malik and I wait for him to make his way over to where we are standing. "Nice job," Riggs nods as he looks down. "One less piece of trash the world has to deal with."
"What do you want to be done with the body?" Malik asks Riggs.
"I'll make a few calls and make damn sure no one knows The Kings were ever here," Riggs mentions.
"Sydney?" my heart sinks with worry, and Riggs gives me his attention.
"She's safe. Nova used Wick's truck to get her the hell out of here. They should be at the clubhouse before we get there." Riggs peers down at Cortez once more. "And I suggest we do the same. The sun will be up in a couple of hours." Riggs turns and walks off.
Before Malik and I follow, I look up at him one more time. "I need a vacation."
Throwing his head back, Malik laughs. "I'll take you and Sydney wherever you want to go, baby." Tucking me into his side, we head in the direction Riggs is going.
"As long as we're with you, that's all that matters to me. I don't need anything more," I confess.
Fender and Kiwiare mounting their bikes when we make it to the other side of the train yard. Placing his rifle into the carrying case strapped to his motorcycle, Riggs locks it shut. After getting on his bike, he pulls his phone from the inside of his cut. I don't make out everything he says other than giving the orders to clean the shit up, and make it look good, which I'm assuming has something to do with the dead bodies we are leaving behind.
Mounting his bike, Malik holds out his hand. "Ready?"
Placing my hand in his, I keep hold, swinging my leg over the back seat, then wrap both arms around his midsection. "Tighter, baby. Don't let go." Those five words hit me harder than anything he has ever said to me before. There is a deeper meaning to them.
Pressing my body closer to his, I grip him tighter than I ever have before, as his Harley comes to life. Bringing my mouth to his ear so he can hear my voice over the rumble of the engine, I let him know, "I'm never letting go."
* * *
Two months have passedsince Sydney came into our lives, and honestly, it feels like it has always been this way. It took a few weeks for things to settle down after Cortez and the Demonios bodies were found, and the media storm that followed his death afterward. The headlines read 'Notorious human and drug traffickers gunned down in the crescent city.' The official report stating a power struggle between Los Demonios and Cortez ended in bloodshed. I received an email from Scott the other day. He is still working on finding out who leaked valuable intel about my mission, which lead to the capture of my team. All that matters to me is Cortez is dead. Also, Zara and her son are now free of that monster. She and her son are thriving. The Kings kept their word and protected them both. A few weeks ago the guys got Zara set up in her own little apartment here in New Orleans where she plans on staying.
Sydney is adjusting well. For a couple of weeks following her kidnapping, she had a hard time sleeping. Piper proved to be a massive help with getting her to overcome the fears by camping out at our place for a while.
Sydney finally got the call she'd been waiting for from her mom. After weeks of no contact with her, her mom informed us she could have visitors. As promised, Malik drove us to Nevada. The visit was only three hours long, but it was three hours Sydney needed. Georgia was looking like her old self again. She'd put on a few pounds, and you could see more than sadness in her eyes. I saw hope. Depression is a silent killer. I'm glad she's getting the help she needs. Not only for herself but her daughter as well. While they were visiting with one another, I sat back and watched, then the realization of Sydney not always being with Malik and I started to sink in. Her mom will get better, and Sydney will go back home. As happy as I will be for both of them when that happens it also saddens me.
I'm deep in thought when my dad pulls a chair up beside me and sits. "What's troubling you, Pumpkin?"
I continue to stare across his backyard, watching Sydney throw the ball to my dad's new companion, a German Shepherd puppy. I should have known something was up when I called him the day before we left for Nevada. I told him we would be staying for a night before heading home. While he was talking to his granddaughter over the phone, she told him she always wanted a dog. A German Shepard, to be exact. My guess is he got the dog for Sydney
"I was thinking about the other day. The visit with Sydney's mom went well. She looks better than she did before."
"That's good to hear. But?" he waits for me to give him more.
"I don’t like the idea of Sydney leaving," I confess, then smile watching Sydney chase the dog around the yard, trying to get her flannel shirt out of his mouth.
"She'll still be apart of our lives, Pumpkin."
"I know, Daddy. It's just; I don’t know. I like having her around. I like the routine we've fallen into."
"You mean you like having your own little family," my dad says.
I don't say anything. He's right. I have Sydney and Malik now, and even though I never thought something was missing in my life. They both make me extremely happy. I mean, the itch is still there to get back in the field again; to go out into the world doing what I do best. At the same time, I'm content with the simplicity of the way things have been since Malik and I came together. We've been not only taking care of my niece but each other.
"It's okay to want more than a career, Vayda. You can have it all." My dad pats the top of my hand. "Besides, I'm looking forward to having another grandchild one day," he adds, and I laugh.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Malik and I haven't been together long enough to start thinking about having a baby. Besides, I'd like to have a ring on my finger before that happens. Isn't that what you always told me, Daddy. Marriage before babies?" I cut my eyes at him and smile.
