“Thanks, man. For everything,” Miles said to Dustin as he brought him into a bear hug. Dustin slapped Miles hard on his back.
“Whatever you need, you know where to find me,” Dustin said with a smile.
Moving on to Knox, Miles held his hand out for Knox to shake, but instead Knox pulled his brother into a huge bear hug. Kissing Miles on his head, Knox whispered, “Fucking love you, bro.”
“But wait, I don’t understand something…” Letty said with a bite. “Knox was one of the people that framed you, is he not?” Letty asked, clearly remembering the night of Miles’s arrest.
Miles chuckled. “Knox wrote to me in prison. He actually saved my life. I was a kid, then, Letty. They would have got me for sure.”
“You framed him to save him?”
“Yeah, otherwise the old man was just going to continue, attempt after attempt, to kill Miles,” explained Knox.
This certainly put things in a different light for Letty. Dropping her guard, Letty reached out to hug Knox. Holding on to him tightly, Letty whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
“You were supposed to doubt me,” Knox said as he winked at Letty. “I have a reputation to uphold.”
Miles cut away from Dustin and Knox as he approached Landon who was now sitting on the steps of the boardwalk with a pleasant smile on his face.
“You…” Miles said warmly as he pulled his youngest brother into a bear hug. “My right-hand man. You make sure you visit me, okay?”
Landon nodded his head as a smile creased his handsome face.
“When you get out there, you’re going to have to lay low,” Dustin said. “Everyone in Carrion and New York thinks you’re dead.”
Miles smiled at Letty as the prospect of laying low with her and G came to the forefront of his mind. Giving Letty a sly wink, Miles replied, “Yeah, I think I’m good with that. “
“Your father’s here,” Landon said to Letty as he moved out of the way so that Juan could get by.
Carrying G in his arms, Juan approached his daughter with a genial smile on his face. Passing G to Letty, Juan said, “Bella. Just be happy. That’s all I want. Just be happy.”
“I am, Dad. I’m so relieved,” Letty said as a smile finally broke upon her face.
“I can’t come with you. Your mother and I made that house together. But I will come to visit.”
Letty nodded in understanding. “I’ll let you know when we get there.”
“There’s prepaid phones in the trunk of the car. Use them. Don’t use the landline,” Knox said. “There’s always a paper trail.”
With G in her arms, Letty gave a look of amazement at Miles. Holding his hand out to her, Miles smiled. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here. Let’s get miles away.”
With a final smile at her father, Letty clenched on to Miles’s hand as they walked towards the boardwalk. Corina sat waiting in the parking lot adjacent from where Dustin had parked, but it was no wonder Letty didn’t recognize the car. Dustin had painted the car glossy fire engine red.
“Be safe,” Knox said as he held out a hand for his brother to shake.
Miles skipped it and instead acted like he was going to break Knox’s nose again. At the last minute he held back, laughed, and reached for Knox’s hand.
“Thank you for everything,” Miles said. “All of you.”
“Brothers stick together,” Landon said.
“Now if only our sisters weren’t so effing shady,” Dustin said with a perplexed look on his face.
“You better go,” Knox said. “Beach patrol will be around soon. You don’t want anyone to recognize you.”
Miles nodded, turned and walked away. Strolling hand in hand with Letty, Miles unlocked the car doors and helped his fiancée and his future step-son inside the car. Giving a final look back, Miles gave Knox an appreciative nod. Knox held Miles’s gaze for a moment as a kind smile crossed Knox’s face. Opening the car door, Miles didn’t look back again as he prepared to embark on his future. Inserting his key into the ignition, Corina’s engine roared to life. Letty gave Miles a happy but nervous smile.
“Ready?” Miles asked.
“I’ve been ready for seventeen years. Hit it,” Letty said with a toothy smile.
Miles flicked on the radio as a familiar song blared from the speakers. Hitting the gas pedal, Corina sped out of sight as “Born To Run” pumped loudly from the speakers. Burning tire against the black asphalt, burning hearts finally together again, ready to forge a new future. Exiting Atlantic City, Miles revved the engine loudly as Corina stretched her legs on the open road.
Miles and Letty could breathe at last.
EPILOGUE
Two months later
December 14, 2015
Pocono Mountains