Page 71 of Absolution

A gruff voice begins to blare out of the speakers in the courtroom. I gasp as I listen to my father’s voice confess to planting the drugs in my car, and conspire to kill my brother. My body grows weak, and I nearly black out, but Leroy catches me.

“I take it from Mrs. Azzo’s display of shock that this voice belongs to someone she knows. Do you have an identity, officer?”

The recording concludes.

“Yes, your honor,” he murmurs. “The note was signed by Ronald Boatman, and the name matches that of the homeowner.”

“Do you have Mr. Boatman in custody, officer?” she questions him.

“No, your honor. Mr. Boatman’s remains were found inside of the burning building.”

Oh fuck. He didn’t. Please tell me that this wasn’t his form of a last goodbye to me. If my father was dead, why wasn’t Ratchet here?

The judge looks to both of the attorneys and calls for a side bar. Leroy settles me in the chair, and heads for the judge’s bench. Each of the attorneys talk in muffled tones and animated waves of their hands with the judge, before stepping back toward their respective tables.

“In light of this new information, I am dismissing all charges against Mrs. Azzo. Case dismissed.”

The judge bangs her gavel onto the wooden platform, and my heart soars.

I’m free.

The only thing that could make this better would be for Ratchet to be here. As the thought crosses my mind, a prickle of tiny tingles roams my body. Pivoting to find the source, smile forms on my face. My husband stands at the bar behind me.

“Hello, siren” he says to me. “Sorry, I’m late.”

Without a word, I jump over the bar into his strong arms, wrapping my own around his neck. For the first time in a nearly a week, I feel at ease with him near. The fear and doubt that ruled me faded as soon as his lips descended on mine. I didn’t care that the judge, attorneys, or on lookers were viewing our display. Hiding away from the world was something that I was never going to do again. I would celebrate the little things, and the second chance at life that I was given by the grace of God. Maybe there was someone upstairs looking out for me after all.

“I love you, Jude,” I tell him, before pulling him into another kiss.

“I love you, Ricca.”

He carries me out of the courtroom, still in his arms, never breaking the contact between us. It’s not until he sets be back onto my feet outside that I let all of the emotions from my incarnation out of me. I cry, I laugh, and I take my first real breath of freedom. Ratchet holds me, and lets me get it all out on the lawn of the courthouse. As the last bitter piece of darkness that has had a hold of my life flows out of me, an indescribable peace fills the void left behind.

I am happy.

I am loved.

I am safe.

When I settle, he takes my hands in his and pulls them against his heart. The rhythm of it beating beneath my outstretched fingers.

“This heart is and always will be yours, Siren.”

“As mine is for you,” I declare, repeating the same motion with his hand on my heart.

“Your heart may be a little full for me to hold it all, Siren.”

“What do you mean?” I question him, but he points behind me, and I see Asher leaning against a car with Raze and Slider flanking him.

“How?” I ask, quickly looking back to my husband. “How is this even possible?”

“I went to the judge this morning. That’s why I was late. I explained to him that your incarceration was false and that you’d be cleared of all charges today. Considering his legal guardian was no longer living, he granted our application to adopt him.”

“Wait,” I croak out. “Are you saying what I think you are? Asher is ours?”

“He’s ours.”

I jump into my husband’s arms. Tears of the purest joy that could have been made on this Earth, fall from my cheeks as I hug him. My brother is ours. Never again having to be apart from me. I could give him the life that I never had, and maybe in doing that, find my own last bit of happiness.

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