Page 116 of End It All

My anxiety settled a little at his words. I knew Danny from my short stint at Rikers. I'd saved his life, and since then, he'd owed me. After this, I wouldn’t have any aces up my sleeve, but I didn’t care. Blake would be safe. And free.

"When will it be done?"

"In a hurry?"

“Yes.”

I wasn't going to let this hang over Blake's head any longer. He deserved to breathe easier like the rest of us.

"Give me a few hours. By the time you make it back to New York tonight, you should be able to print off the report. I'll have my guy on the inside process everything."

Thank fuck for Danny's connections. If he didn't work out, I had a few more options, but none as securely and sure as him. I checked my phone. I still had plenty of time to spare.

"Do I need to stick around?" I asked.

Danny waved me off as if I was more in the way then not. I left him to it as he got behind his computer. I headed out with one goal in mind. Blake's mom.

In and out. I just hoped his mom was nothing like mine. Although from Blake's stories about her, and how often he showed he missed her, I doubted they were anything alike.

Finding the apartment Blake grew up in was a lot harder than I'd originally thought. I had eight hours before, and now I was reduced to half that time before my flight took off. I knocked and waited for the door to open. When no one came to answer, I knocked again. On the third try, I gave up and picked the cheap lock. As good of a thief Blake was, I was surprised he hadn't added a multitude of locks on the door. I let myself in, making sure not to make too much noise.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Unsurprisingly, there was no response. The place was small, but clean. I could picture a little Blake sitting on the small couch and watching TV much like how he did now at home. There was no wonder he didn't mind staying with me if his childhood home was anything to go by. We’d both gotten by with the bare minimum.

I checked my phone. My flight back was in four hours, and I needed to make sure I made it in time. I wouldn't hear the end of it if I didn't get back to him tonight. Blake was bound to light the whole place up. I joked, but he was crazy enough to do it. I founda final notice bill with Blake’s name on it, and turned it over to write a quick note.

Dear Blake's mom,

I know you've been in the dark about a lot, but I wanted to inform you, Blake is safe. He is no longer in any danger and if you do not believe me feel free to check for yourself. I'm leaving enough money for a business plane ticket and some extra for anything you need. Give it about a month and everything will be clear. Your son misses you, and I hope to meet you on a more personal level.

-Your son-in-law, Quincy.

It wasn't technically a lie. I made sure to lock up before heading out. I just hoped she read it and came to New York. Maybe I should have added more to the note but short and to the point was the best method from my experience.

Jet-lagged and hungry,I stepped through my front door.

"Baby girl—" The punch to the abdomen knocked the air out of my lungs and I bent forward. "Okay, I deserved that one."

Blake raised his knee and I blocked him from breaking my nose. I twisted him around and shoved him up against a wall. I plastered my body against his.

"I missed you too, peaches." I kissed him and was rewarded with a bite. Pain flared over my lips and dragged a grin on my face. I ran my tongue over the small tear he’d caused. "Fuck, you needed to taste me that bad, baby? All you had to do was ask. I'd cut myself open for you."

"Quincy, I'm pissed off."

I pressed him more firmly against the wall. "Sorry."

"That's not enough. You didn't tell me shit before leaving."

I wanted it to be a surprise, but I could tell Blake wasn't going to appreciate that. "You're right, moving forward I'll try to be more forthcoming. I'm used to moving on my own."

"You're not alone anymore." He held his hand up with the gold ring on it. "We're married, so, yeah."

I intertwined our fingers. "Yes, we are."

The silence that wrapped around us wasn't the least bit strained as if we both couldn't help but look at our clasped hands. It hadn't even been that long since we officially tied the knot.

"Sorry, I wanted to surprise you."