Page 156 of Shades of Grey & Gold

I pulled myself out of the dark for school, for his memory, but I lived in shades of that dark in between and for so many years before he came back into my life last year and taught me how to bring all the color back.

Now nothing is grey.

Nothing is dark.

He is here.

“You’re real,” I whisper, our breath mixing between us.

“I’m so sorry, Max.” One of his hands is wrapped around the hair at the nape of my neck, while the other slowly traces my jaw. “I love you. I’m so sorry. I love you.”

“Cal.”

For the first time in so long, his name brings a smile to my lips that mixes with tears and, even faster, my lips are on his, needy and wanting and everything that I have been missing for seventy-one stupid fucking days.

He’s alive.

And he’s mine.

Epilogue

Max

Theframeofaman is outlined by city lights on the balcony of the penthouse when I walk in after a night out with Becca.

The living room is dark and the shadows are unforgiving, but I’m in the safest place in the world.

I slip my boots from my feet by the wall, dropping my coat, scarf and bag on the couch as I walk towards the balcony doors.

I slip a door open and the winterair stings my skin.

Snow falls around the night-shrouded man, leaning on his elbows on the snow-covered, stone balcony railing in front of me.

“Hey, mystery man,” I whisper, sliding my arm around his waist from behind.

“Hi, beautiful.” The golden-green of his eyes flickers with the city lights, brighter because of the reflection of the lights on the snow. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes, but I ditched the muscle three hours ago.” I let out a giggle.

“You know,” he says, turning to face me, both hands around my shoulders now. “The backup muscle is always there, just hanging a bit farther behind you so when you ditch the A team, they’re there to pick up the slack.”

“Maybe, but it’s more fun to pretend we slipped away from our secret service detail like we are in a president’s daughter movie from 2004.” I smile up into his laughing face.

“Fair enough.” He kisses my forehead and sighs. “Whatever makes you happy.”

“How was your day?” I press my head against his chest within the embrace as we look out on the city.

“Another day of trying to find the good side of it all, nothing exciting.” I feel him shake his head above mine. “Nico made a mess, I cleaned it up; bet we do it all again tomorrow.”

He’s worked so hard to lift the business out of the trenches, find ways of making it legitimate and good.

He set up community service for a bunch of the guys—can you picture that? Like Paulie and Silvio working down at the assistance league center sorting donations?

Except it’s Gio and Rudi.

Okay, fine, it’s more like they donate money and put on fundraisers for families in need, and hand out free breakfasts and lunches during school breaks to help make sure kids aren’t going hungry. But Nico and the rest of the guys are trying really hard to fit into the ‘legit’ side of things.

When Cal came back fully, one of the first things he did was tell them they were no longer on the offensive. He said being on the offensive was what got them caught up in the grey on the morality scale; what got them in the Volkovs' crosshairs to begin with.