THE CRAZY GOOD SERIES - Rachel Robinson Page 0,363

on her terms helps me cope. I can breathe freely for the first time in my life. Each day is a gift. After spending three and a half years locked away dreaming about my old life, I get another chance. He’s gone and my freedom is assured, always. The cover-up went about as good as a cover-up can go. No one got in trouble because it was official RC business and V and his men shot first. The Feds were more than happy to have several of those men off their kill lists and turned a blind eye to some of the hinky details that came to light. Molly and our attorney handled everything effortlessly. Molly got several bonuses during that trying time. I’m pretty sure I’ve funded her kids that she doesn’t have yet and her future grandkids by this point. Good help is hard to come by. Help that is more like family is even rarer.

Although I keep my house in Virginia Beach, I live most of my days in my high-rise in NYC. There’s less temptation to knock on Lainey’s door and ask if she’s done enough soul-searching yet. I get small, regular Lainey updates because I have my ways. Dax is still a SEAL in Virginia Beach and has avoided any backlash that my feud with V caused. After the wedding went belly-up he decided to stay single, or so Steve and Maverick tell me.

Work does take up a lot of my time these days. I break it up by hanging out with my friends and checking on things at RC. I’m proud of the company I founded and I’m happy that everyone there is making money, cleaning the world, and having a good time. Along with coding, I’ve been developing software and programming. I made another large sale to a biotech company and set myself up nicely. I set everyone up nicely is closer to the truth. To combat the hours on the computer I do a lot of running for cardio. It clears my mind, gets me amongst people, and helps deepen my V. That kind of V, I’m okay with. I work hard for it.

Today Maverick is running with me because he made a spur of the moment trip to the city to buy Windsor an anniversary present. I don’t think it’s a wedding anniversary they’re celebrating, but maybe a dating anniversary? All I know is that the diamonds weren’t big enough in Virginia Beach. Manhattan has exactly what he wants. He popped the rock into his shorts pocket when he bought it mid-run. The pace we’re keeping is fast and I’m just waiting for the box to roll out of his pocket and down into the sewer.

“I’m getting hungry,” Maverick pants. “Let’s stop and eat something.” We’re back in my neighborhood, just around the corner from my house. I smile when I see which café we’re approaching.

“You want a good salad?” I ask, slowing to a walk. He grunts next to me, catching his breath.

Maverick dodges someone on the street, or I should say someone dodges him. “We did just exercise. I guess a salad would be the most rational thing to eat.” My eyes scan the restaurant as we enter, searching for her. Of course she’s not here, but being in here is enough to make me miss her more than usual.

“I wonder what Lainey’s up to,” I say casually as we wait in line to order our food. We’re both sweating and sticky, which causes business men in suits to stare. That or the ripped muscles and dark tattoos. It could be either.

Maverick huffs. “I can’t ask Windsor to do any more reconnaissance this month. It’s too obvious. You know she’s not dating and she’s working a lot. What more could you possibly need to know?” He smiles as he fumbles with the box in his pocket. “If you want to know what she’s up to, you should call her. Go see her. I don’t know, let her know you’re thinking of her. It’s been like a year!”

I shake my head. “No, only six months. I’m trying to respect what she wants. It would almost be easier if she were seeing someone else. I’d know that she’s moved on and happy. I’d be pissed as fuck, but it would be something factual. It’s like she’s in limbo.”

An employee interrupts our conversation. “Can I take your order?”

We order our food from the nice lady with kind eyes. She checks us out