Page 232 of Never Die for a Sinner

Ava laughs and lets me lead her to the party while Mila talks our ears off.

“She just won’t stop. Do you know she brought my daughtersixbags of new clothes?Six. No eleven-year-old needs that many pairs of shoes.”

“By the way,” Ava says, grinning. “I’ve got Lily some new shoes I saw at the shop the other day.”

Mila looks like she might lose it.

“I swear,” she chuckles. “You’re all going to spoil her.”

“Let them,” I smirk. “Kid’s had a hard life. It’s time she felt some love.”

Mila stares at me like I’ve grown an extra head.

“Who are you and what have you done with my brother-in-law?”

“Okay, brat.”

“About time you showed up,” Donovan greets, sliding out of nowhere. He hugs his sister, but gives me a handshake. “I’ve been waiting on you two.”

“We got tied up,” Ava rushes, totally not ratting us out.

Donovan smirks as Cherise joins us. He knows what tied up means.

“Got some news.”

She holds up her hand, and Ava gasps, taking it to look at her ring. I’m glad the two of them have made amends. I think a large part of that is because of Donovan, but the fucker’s head is big enough, so I’d never tell him that.

Over the last year, Ava and Donovan have been steadily working towards building a relationship. I suppose when you learn you have a sibling in your twenty’s it’s hard to adjust, but I’m proud that she’s trying.

As for Marks? The Burelli’s have since been disbanded. We see him every now and then, but he mostly keeps to himself. I think almost losing both his kids was the wake-up call he needed to figure some shit out. I know it bothers Ava that he’s not around much, but it’s for the best.

He did hold up his end of the bargain, though. I was offered my job back at the DEA, but I declined. I’d rather work here with Ava and my brother. Sure, it’s not exciting like it was when I was an agent, but I’d become a fucking accountant if I could just come home to my wife every night.

We’ve taken the lodge and turned it into something we can be proud of. It’s no longer the upscale, wealthy retreat it was and is now a place where everyone can bring their families. Our guest list has increased, and I actually enjoy showing up every day, as opposed to avoiding it like the plague.

Ava became the event planner, and she’s been doing a damn good job of it. I’m so fucking proud of everything she’s accomplished, and everything we’re doing as a team. This place has become something I’m actually proud to call mine. A legacy I can leave behind for my kids one day.

We all take our seats at one of the many tables set up, just as Lily and Christian emerge from the forest. I know for a fact, she was hiding out in her treehouse. Christian built it for her so she’d have a place to go when the world was just a little too much. The kid’s a miracle, and the fact that she’s so happy and carefree after everything she’s lived through astounds me.

I have to admit, when he first told me they were thinking about adopting her, I was on the fence, but watching the three of them blend into the perfect family? Well, it gives me hope for the life growing under my hand.

My fingers flex over Ava’s stomach when Christian takes the seat across from us, nodding once. It’s subtle. No one else would notice it but me, but the meaning behind it is clear.

We’ve come a long way.

From a family in pieces to one that can withstand anything. And looking around at everyone gathered for our late Septemberfamily reunion—the first of many, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ava glances at me, eyes shining, and I can feel her gratitude even without words. Her hand finds mine under the table, fingers threading together like they’ve always belonged there. The squeeze is gentle, almost unspoken, but it says everything: we’ve survived, we’ve chosen each other, and we’re not letting go.

Cherise nudges the side of her glass, breaking the hush. “So… who’s going to start the food fight this year?” Her grin is infectious, and suddenly laughter ripples across the table, washing away the heaviness of unspoken memories.

Even Donovan cracks a smirk, shaking his head as if he’s resisting joining in, but I know better—he’s only holding back for dramatic effect.

I glance around again, taking it all in: the easy chatter, the shared glances, the laughter that reaches into the corners of the yard and bounces off the trees. This is more than a family reunion. It’s proof. Proof that the pieces can fit together, even after the messiest of storms.

And for the first time in a long time, I let myself believe that this is how forever feels.

I haven’t spoken to Proctor in nearly six months. Once I’d figured it all out, there just wasn’t a need for me to keep going. I’ve put the past behind me, and I’m building a future with my wife. I have everything I could ever want, and even more than I ever thought possible for a man like me.

If I could see him, though, I’d let him know I’ve found five thousand things to be grateful for. Not just five. And all of them rest in the girl beside me, bearing my last name and carrying my baby.

I squeeze Ava’s hand under the table, a silent vow passing between us. No matter what storms come next, this—this moment, this family, this fragile, beautiful peace—we’ll protect it.

“I love you,” she whispers underneath the chatter, and my chest swells with pride.

“I love you, too,Mrs. Cross.”

She grins, and for the first time, I stop thinking about what could go wrong. Instead, I just breathe it in, letting it settle over me like sunlight through the trees. Watching the stars shine in my wife’s eyes, and hear our family’s chatter.

And in that quiet certainty, I realize: this is home. This is forever.