The phone rang several times before he picked up.
“Willis.”
“It’s Silverstone,” Gramps said.
“Ah, it’s good to hear from you. It’s been a while,” Willis said.
“We need to talk,” Bull said.
“I’m thinking I know what you want to tell me,” Willis replied a little dryly.
Gramps wasn’t surprised.
“Silverstone is retiring,” Smoke said firmly. He didn’t ask permission—he was simply informing Willis of their decision. “My daughter will be here soon, and Eagle’s wife is pregnant again. Gramps has an almost-teenage son to worry about now, and Bull has his family too.”
“How are you doing, Smoke?” Willis asked, not reacting to his statement.
“Good now,” he said. “You do understand what I just said, right?” he asked.
They all heard the FBI contact sigh on the other end of the line. “I do. I knew this was coming—I just hoped maybe I was wrong. You should all know, I fully understand. I regret being so focused on my work and not spending as much time with my own wife and daughter. I couldn’t even bother to take an afternoon off to go shopping with them when we were in Paris. Maybe if I had, they wouldn’t have been kidnapped. If I could go back, I’d do things differently. But I can’t go back. And I knew if you guys ever found women yourselves, things would change. I wish you all the best of luck.”
No one knew what to say. They all knew Willis’s story, how his wife and daughter had been murdered, which was why he was so determined to track down the worst of humanity.
“In the next few months, you’ll all find a token of your government’s appreciation for your service in your bank accounts. No, you can’t refuse it. It’s a done deal, and the money can’t be returned, so suck it up. And I know you don’t need the money, Smoke, but tough shit. Go buy your wife and daughter something pretty. Or you can all spend the money on some new tow trucks. I don’t care what you do with it . . . but you’re keeping it. Got it?”
All four men chuckled.
“Got it.”
“Understood.”
“Thanks.”
“Will do.”
“Thank you for your help,” Willis went on. “Seriously. You’ll never get awards or medals. No one will ever know what you’ve done. But it’s appreciated more than you know. When we hang up, this phone number will no longer be in use, and I won’t contact you again. Live your lives. Be happy, and be safe.”
And just as suddenly as the man had come into their lives, he was gone as the call ended.
Gramps took a deep breath and looked around at his friends. “I’m not sure whether to be pissed at him or relieved that it went so well.”
“Right?” Smoke asked.
“I suddenly feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders,” Bull said softly. “Am I the only one?”
“Nope,” Eagle said. “I mean, we’ve still got Silverstone Towing to run, and Lord knows it’s not easy. But I’m looking forward to figuring out how to be a ‘normal’ husband and father. Whatever that means.”
“Do you think we’ll miss it?” Gramps asked.
Smoke shrugged. “Yeah, I think sometimes we will. It felt damn good knowing we were taking out some of the worst criminals in the world. But last night, I was lying in bed next to Molly with my hand on her belly, and I felt my daughter moving. The feeling was almost overwhelming. Soon, I’ll have a little human being to raise. To guide and teach. To protect. That’s bigger and more important than anything else. It’s a huge responsibility, one I’m not sure I’m really ready for, but I’m willing to give it a shot with Molly by my side. And it’s something I almost missed out on.”
Gramps nodded. He felt the same with Mario. The boy wasn’t an infant, but Gramps had a feeling he could still help by being a good influence in his life.
“You guys mean the world to me,” Bull said. “I love that we’ve expanded our team to include Skylar, Taylor, Molly, and Cassidy. And Kevin, Mario, and the two babies who will be coming in the next year. Our lives might be changing, but I have no doubt we’ll be kept on our toes. I’m proud to have served with all of you and hope we’ll be together for many decades to come.”
“You can’t get rid of us, man,” Smoke said.
“Nope. And you might not have kids of your own, but you should know that Taylor has been talking about making you and Skylar godparents to our children,” Eagle said.
Bull grinned. “Seriously? That’s awesome. I can’t wait until they’re older and we can spoil them rotten, stuff them full of sugar, then send them home so you can deal with them.”
“Asshole,” Eagle said without heat.
Gramps went over to the refrigerator in the corner of the room and pulled out four beers. It was a bit early in the day to be drinking, but it seemed the right thing to do. They all popped off the caps, and Gramps held up his bottle.
“To Silverstone Towing. And three of the best friends a man could ever have.”
“Cheers!” Smoke, Eagle, and Bull all said, clinking their bottles together.
It was a new beginning to an old friendship, and Gramps couldn’t wait to go home and tell Cassidy that she didn’t have to worry about him going on any more dangerous missions. He knew she’d thought about it, and talked about it with the other women. But none of them would have ever complained. They’d just smile and wish them luck, then stress the fuck out the entire time they were gone.
For the first time in years, Gramps was content. Life wasn’t perfect, but with Cassidy at his side, he had a feeling they could get through anything.
Epilogue
One year later
Gramps held his breath as he waited for Cassidy to walk down the aisle toward him. It wasn’t much of an aisle, per se, just a strip of grass in the backyard of their house, but this was where Cassidy wanted to have their wedding ceremony, so this was where it was.
He’d asked her to marry him about six months ago. She and Mario had moved out of her apartment in Southpoint, and they’d settled in as if they’d been together forever. Mario hadn’t had any issues adjusting and generally was an amazingly positive kid. He had his moments of moodiness, but Gramps loved being a father figure to him.
He looked over at Mario now, standing next to him as his best man. He looked older than his twelve years in his tuxedo, and Gramps couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the bright-pink bow tie he’d insisted on wearing. He had a very unique style and didn’t care what others thought about it.
Recently, one day after school, Mario had asked to speak to Gramps privately. He’d worried about what the boy wanted to talk about—until he’d blurted that he wanted to change his last name to Zanardi after he and Cassidy got married. Gramps couldn’t remember ever being more touched.
Gramps thought Mario was done with their talk after requesting to change his name, but he surprised him by saying, “There’s something else I want to tell you.”
“You can tell me anything,” Gramps said.
Mario shuffled his feet and looked down at the ground as he said, “I talked to Mom yesterday, but I wanted to tell you too.” Then he looked up and met Gramps’s gaze. “I’m gay.”