Page 165 of The Maverick
I reached for the gift bag on the floor and gave it to her. “For you, my demanding, perfect wife.”
Beaming, she opened the gift bag and pulled out the sketchbook. Flipping to the first page, she saw herself and sucked in a breath. She flipped through all the pages, studying each illustration and its date.
“There are over a hundred illustrations of you. So that task is done.”
Tears slid down her face. “You’re a fabulous illustrator, Attikus.”
“You’ve reignited the artist in me. Thank you.” I got up from the couch and pulled her with me. “Do you want another wedding ceremony?”
“No need for that. A reception with family and friends would be nice. Nothing big.”
“Anything you want.”
“Was the marriage certificate also false?” she asked. “Is Agnes a fake justice of the peace?”
“The certificate is real. We’re married, love. And Agnes is the real deal.”
She looped her arms around my neck. “That saves us time. But I want another honeymoon. Same place.”
I smiled. “We can do that after I finish my chores in the nude for you.”
She gripped my hand. “Let’s go home now. I want you to demonstrate that for me.”
“It’llsweepyou off your feet, baby.” I scooped her up and headed home to show my wife all the ways I loved her.
VANESSA AND ATTIKUS
EPILOGUE
Another month later
Vanessa
We’d returned from our honeymoon in Maui last week, but no one attacked us this time. We’d spent most of our time on the private beach and flying to nearby islands.
Today, I was supposed to be resting, but I was too excited. Attikus was out celebrating with his friends and gamers they had flown into town. These gamers had a huge role in promoting WaterFyre Rising, especially the day President Collins and Madeline Claude-Collins died.
The gamers saw and heard everything that was recorded. They also saw the faces and names of The Trogyn members, information about the Claude family, and all those who had worked for them, including royalty, supreme court judges, governors, senators, police chiefs, CIA agents, FBI agents, doctors, celebrities, athletes, Nobel Peace prize winners, lawyers, priests, and so on.
My husband and his friends wanted the world to know The Trogyn weren’t made of thugs but ofrespected people whomsociety revered and trusted.The shame game was played that day. The WaterFyre Rising reached an audience beyond the boys’ expectations. Its excitement was unstoppable. People were already asking if there would be more games in that world.
These billionaires had sprinkled details about the crime organization into the game, leaving breadcrumbs for them to find the treasure. For those who found the treasure, they could enter portals that enabled them to play other games.
I glanced at the time on my phone. Attikus would be home in an hour, and I had something to show him. Smiling, I wrapped two abstract paintings I’d finished last night without him knowing. I never imagined I could love a man this much and have it returned the same.
Attikus didn’t use a cane anymore. He’d retired it to the safe room, where his precious family items were stored. He’d also bought a property adjacent to the museum. Grayson was designing a few options for Attikus to review.
I blushed thinking about the exhibitroom where he planned to host thePaintings of Passion. Nobody would know that abstract art was created by two lovers having fun. We’d added more to the paintings after the fact, but the first layer had started with passion, love, and laughter. The artist for the collection wasWhistler L. Pad—a wonderful blend of Whistler and Lily Pad.
Attikus saved one abstract passion painting for his office. That artwork portrayed him posing for me on the chaise. I made it so we could hang it in our home and not have to answer questions from friends or family.
Once the gifts were wrapped, I set them aside and misted the three terrariums I created two days ago. One was for Attikus to take to work, one for Joseph’s office, and another for Agnes. They were now living together.
Attikus had a lot of plants in his office, and he’d already set up the third greenhouse for me. My plant business was growing. I’d taken up the retail space next to the gallery for my plant collection and hired five new people. Two of them were my mom’s friends from prison—Sheila Brown and Josephine Smith. They were released with Attikus’s help and also received monetary compensation from the city.
I set the terrariums aside, sat down, and gulped a glass of cold water. I would’ve made some fresh spring rolls and Vietnamese crêpes for him, but I was exhausted, so I’d ordered from Saigon Bistro, and my mom delivered my order to me. She worked part-time at the restaurant to help her friend Hope.
M?didn’t need to work, but she wanted to. The city had awarded me ten million dollars for wrongfully imprisoning my mother and getting her killed during the rescue. Even though it was another body impersonating my mom’s, the city didn’t know that. But my mom donated a portion to a women’s shelter and children’s charity.M?, Mom Gigi, Ellen, and Agnes started the Lunch Lady Club Program, which helped fund healthy foods for children across the country. The programs worked with farms willing to provide children with fresh fruits and vegetables. I was so proud of her.
