Page 54 of The Hitman’s Final Job

She tilts her head. “Probably. At first.” She hands me the last dish. “And then he’d get over it. Because that’s what good people do.”

“Maybe.”

She opens her mouth to say something else, but Vaughn comes into the kitchen.

“Kai and Atlas just showed up,” he says. “With a cake from Teresa, apparently.” He turns to Tess. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know they were coming.”

“Never apologize in the presence of cake from my friend,” she says. “Go light the firepit outside. We’ll bring coffee and plates for the cake out there.” She’s already moving toward the coffee maker. “Go on.”

Vaughn just looks at her.

“Go,” she says.

He laughs but follows her request.

I watch him leave, then turn to Tess, who’s already working on the coffee.

“That,” she says, “is how you handle a man.” She clicks the coffee maker on. “Be decisive. And if they love you, they’ll follow you anywhere.”

SEVENTEEN

VAUGHN

The firepit is at the far end of the back garden. It’s far enough from the house that you can sit around it and feel like you’re somewhere else entirely. Especially when the valley is dark and the mountains are a black outline against the stars.

I like it out here at night, but I’ll admit I don’t use the fire pit often enough. What’s the point when it’s just me here all the time? Or at least it was just me. Now it’s me and Silas, even if temporarily.

Two more weeks. That’s all I have.

Tonight, within the company of friends, is the perfect time to use it.

“I’m going to get the wood for the fire pit,” I say, as I step out onto the porch. “Clay, do you mind grabbing the cushions for the seats?”

“I’ll help you,” Atlas says, already moving with me.

The wood store is around the side of the shed, stacked under a lean-to roof I built in the second summer here. Atlas follows me around the corner, and we’re out of sight of the back porch and the house.

“I’m sorry about the interruption. We didn’t know you had people over.”

“It’s okay,” I say. “You’re always welcome here.”

“Mom brought the cake this afternoon. When we got news from Jordan, I figured it was the ideal excuse to come over. I’m assuming Silas doesn’t know what’s happening?”

“No,” I say.

He reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a small thumb drive. “He found a connection between the law firm that sent your cease and desist and a subsidiary of a company called Vertex Holdings. Vertex Holdings owns another company called Apex Agricultural Holdings. I think that may be where you’ll find something, but check all the information.”

“Thank you, Atlas. Please thank Jordan for me.”

I take the thumb drive and put it in my jeans pocket.

“He says he’ll keep on digging. He loves a challenge.”

We select the logs and carry them back around the corner to where conversation has turned to cake and who makes the best: Tess, Teresa, or Maria.

The fire catches quickly, and within ten minutes, we’re all arranged around it. Tess and Clayton are on the bench, Kai and Atlas in the two chairs, Silas on the log section I use as a seat when I’m out here alone, and me beside him.

Teresa’s cake turns out to be a walnut-and-coffee loaf that has the magical ability to keep everyone quiet. I guess we know who’s winning the cake wars tonight.