“What’s the next step, then?” Jett asked.
From the very beginning, this hadn’t only been my journey. It had been his as well, and it was about time we ended it together.
“Time to bid the fucker goodbye,” I answered and walked toward the cemetery, Jett falling in beside me.
I knew where the grave was. The image of Linda standing over it with Madeline was burned in my mind. Now that I thought about it, she’d looked pale and rigid that day, covered from head to toe in clothing that probably hid her bruises. She must have been wearing a heavy amount of makeup to hide her husband’s brutality because I didn’t remember seeing any kind of abuse on her face.
Passing gravestones and old flowers, we finally made it to Marshall’s grave. The urge to take a sledgehammer to the stone itched as I stared down at the inscription.
Beloved husband and father.
“The man got off too easy,” I said while staring down at the grave. If I had known who he really was, what he used to do to Linda, I would have taken my time on him in that bar, making him feel every last blow instead of ending his life so quickly. I would have tortured him, I would have ripped him to shreds and then ended it.” Malice was heavy in my voice. “I’ve never despised someone so much in my life, Jett.”
“Me too,” Jett seethed.
“He took years from my life. He took Madeline’s innocence, Linda’s freedom.”
“And now he’s paying for it,” Jett countered.
Nodding, I crouched and spoke to Marshall directly, letting him know that the inscription on his grave was a lie.
“You spent your years on this earth intimidating Linda, taking advantage of your role as a father and interrogating complete strangers. You dismissed a life you should have been proud of. You threw away a chance to watch Madeline grow up into the beautiful, spicy little girl she is today, and you abused a vibrant woman who cowered under her marriage to you. You’re a coward. You’re the monster, not me, and I will never regret my decision of taking you down ever again. I owe you nothing besides a thank-you for bringing Madeline and Linda into my life. I will be the man they need, the man you never were, and will protect them from men like you, instead of men like me.” Standing up, I patted his grave. “Have a fun time rotting in hell, you sick fuck.”
I stepped back and looked at Jett. He was happy. Bending down to the level of the grave, Jett said, “Thank you for being a beast of a man because you not only strengthened my bond with my brother, but you also proved that justice will always prevail.”
An orange light started to brighten the sky as the sun rose. Jett clasped my shoulder. “Ready?”
“Ready,” I replied. “I have one more stop. Would you mind coming with me?”
“You know I would go anywhere with you, bud.”
We walked away, leaving my demons behind. For once in my fucking life, I was leaving them behind. With each step, I felt lighter, freer, like I was finally starting a new chapter in my life rather than reading the same one over and over again. It was time to turn the page, to move on.
It was time for me to live.
Chapter Thirty One
My present…
“I think the beignets were smart,” Jett said as I parked the car.
“Yeah, thanks for picking up the bill.” I smirked.
“And why did I do that again?” he asked. “After that little bank statement I saw, I would say you’re set for a bit. At least a nice down payment on a house.”
“I can’t take that money,” I responded. “I wouldn’t feel right.”
“Linda isn’t going to take it. It’s yours, Kace. You’ve suffered enough. You lost everything that night, you gave up everything. You deserve to put your life back in order. You deserve that money.”
“I just don’t feel right about it. I want to at least help pay for Madeline’s college.”
“An admirable thought,” Jett said. He looked down at the pastry box and then back up at me. “You ready for this?”
I nodded, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and said, “Let’s do it.”
We got out of the car and surveyed the little home that belonged to Linda and Madeline. It was still early in the morning, so condensation kissed the grass and a light fog was in the air, which would soon be burned off by the Louisiana heat. The street was quiet, neighbors only starting to wake.
To someone else, it might be too early in the morning, it might look like a dreary day with the fog still blocking the view of the neighbor’s houses, but to me, it was a new dawn, a new day, a new beginning. I felt invigorated for the first time in a while.
Nodding at each other, we walked to the front of the house and gently knocked on the door for the first time. I’d been on this stoop before. I’d wondered what kind of life the residents led, if they hated me, if they despised me, but this time, I was confident I would be accepted with open arms into this quaint little home.
After a few moments of silence, the click of locks opening echoed in the silent morning and then Linda opened the door wearing a long terrycloth robe, her hair in a ponytail. Bunny slippers covered her feet and a pair of polka-dot pajama pants peeked out from under her robe. When she saw me, she flew into my arms and hugged me.
She was warm, friendly. She allowed me to relax. I wrapped my arms around her and returned the gesture. She cried into my shoulder as her hold on me grew stronger. Jett stood to the side, observing like he always did.
I’d never once believed I would be standing on Linda’s doorstep with her arms wrapped around my waist, happy to see me. It was hard to believe because I’d spent the last few years instilling in my head that this woman hated me, that she would celebrate the day I died for what I had taken away from her. Instead, I was celebrated as a hero, as a protector, as a savior. Words I never would have used to describe myself.
I was on a fucking high. Take my boxing career, take the last few years away from me, I didn’t give a fuck, as long as in the end, I was the man who came out on top, the man these ladies looked up to, the man who was a blessing in disguise.
Linda pulled away and wiped her tears. “I’m so glad you came by.” She laughed. “As you can see.”
“Linda, this is my friend, Jett Colby.”
“Why yes, you own Justice. Madeline and I are so grateful for your kindness to the community, opening such a center for this city. It was a pure act of selflessness.”
“Pleasure is mine,” Jett responded while shaking Linda’s hand. “Glad you were able to find peace within Justice.”
The meaning of Jett’s words were heavy. We all felt the weight of them and what he was conveying.
“May we come in?” I asked, feeling the tears she’d shed on my shirt. They were happy tears, tears I didn’t mind seeing shed.
“Of course. Please excuse the mess. Madeline and I had a slumber party in the living room, so sleeping bags are on the floor.”
As I entered the little house, I instantly felt at ease. The walls were a beautiful yellow color, the same yellow that was in Goldie’s room at the Lafayette Club. All the furniture was white, and there were little touches of orange and teal all around the house. I felt calm, my pulse wasn’t racing, and my skin didn’t crawl. Instead, I felt like I’d found another home, a piece of me that had been missing.
To the right was the living room where there were pillows and sleeping bags on the floor. DVD cases were strewn across the coffee table, Frozen being the one that was open. Two cans of soda with straws coming out of them were sitting next to a giant bowl of only kernels left on the bottom. The scene made my heart ache in a good way.