Epilogue
Six months later
”Happy birthday,”Jess cries as she wraps her arms around Mallory.
She”s fully healed. Her scars are just that, scars, badges of the pain and suffering she endured. My wife has grown from strength to strength. She”s gone through her recovery like a trooper and come out the other end stronger than ever. Her confidence hasn”t dwindled. In fact, she”s only grown more confident. She”s so fucking beautiful and she has no idea just how sexy she is.
”Thank you,” Mallory responds as she hugs my wife back.
The two of them are still as thick as thieves. Not long after Jess came out of hospital, things with Mallory came to a head. Turns out that Mallory”s son, Shay, is the son of one of the men of the Fury Vipers. When Mallory found out he was in Ireland, she went to him when shit hit the fan. Raptor is a man who doesn”t take anyone messing with his family, especially when someone worked over his woman.
”I”m surprised Stephen let you out of the house,” Mallory quips, and I watch as Jess” cheeks flush with heat.
My wife is pregnant. It wasn”t planned, but fuck it”s wanted. I never expected to have children. I had a shit childhood, but I know I”ll never become my father. I”ll never treat my child the way my da treated me. Finding out that Jess was carrying my child, something in me shifted even further. I”ve become even more protective. I need her to be safe. I need them both to be safe. Losing Jess is my worst fear. I tasted that fear for almost a day and it brought me to my knees. I never want to go through it again.
”There was no way in hell I was going to miss this. Now where”s my nephew?” Jess asks, glancing around. ”Hey, that”s not fair. He gets to hold him all the time,” she whines when Raptor steps forward with Shay in his arms.
”Jess, he”s his father,” Mallory says, trying to hold in her laughter.
”And?” Jess replies as she reaches for Shay. The little boy doesn”t hesitate to reach out for my wife, and the moment Jess has him in her arms, the little boy plants a kiss against her lips.
A low rumble echoes through my chest. I hate anyone touching my wife. I don”t give a fuck if it”s a child or not.
I hear a gasp and see Jess staring at me. ”Did you just growl?”
”He”s jealous,” Mallory laughs. ”Don”t worry, Pyro”s the same when Shay kisses Chloe,” she says.
Jess shakes her head. ”He”s a child, Stephen,” she tells me.
I give her a blank stare. Like I give a fuck?
She turns back to Shay and starts cooing at him.
”That little fucker does it on purpose,” Pyro growls as he stands next to me. ”I swear he loves the reaction.”
”Seriously?” Chloe hisses. ”He”s a child, James, a damn child. Besides, it”s cute to have snuggles and get a kiss from him.”
Pyro glares at her, and then the two begin to argue. I move away, not wanting to hear their domestic.
I take a seat, making sure Jess is in my line of sight, and settle back. She”s happy with her friends. I”m not going to be an asshole and not let her come here. I”ll do whatever it takes to put that smile on her face.
A shadow looms over my table and I glance up to see Denis standing there. ”You good?” I ask, wondering why he”s here. This isn”t really his scene.
”Yeah. Callie wanted to come and celebrate Mallory”s birthday. I think it”s to spend time with Jess and Chloe. But that”s not why I”m here.”
I raise a brow. ”Oh? What”s going on?”
”You heard from Maverick today?” he asks, and a chill goes down my spine.
”Not today. Why?” I ask, needing to know why he”s querying it.
”Just curious. I was supposed to meet him here and he”s not answering.”
I lift my shoulders and shrug. ”He”s probably found a woman.” That”s something Maverick does a lot. Although, not recently.
”Maybe,” Denis says distractedly.
”Let me message Emmanuel. If anyone knows where he is, it”s him.” I pull out my phone and send a message. Emmanuel and Maverick are usually joined at the hip unless Maverick is doing a job with me.
”Thanks. Let me know if you hear anything.”
I nod. ”Will do. Try and relax. We know what Mav”s like.”
He sighs, running a hand over his face. ”I hope you”re right. But the feeling I have... something”s not right.”
My mind races as I remember what Maverick told me about the person leaving him so called presents of people hanging. Maybe Denis is right. Maybe there”s something wrong. Once I hear back from Emmanuel I”ll know more.
Denis stays seated and we both grab a beer. We”re not leaving without our wives, so until they”re ready to leave, we aren”t going anywhere.
* * *
”You have a good night, Little Dancer?” I ask as we leave the clubhouse. I”ve only had one drink. I don”t tend to drink more than that when I”m with her. I need to keep a clear and sharp mind.
”The best,” she breathes. ”Thank you for coming.”
I take her hand and lead her to the car. ”I”m glad you had a good night. Are you hungry?”
She shakes her head as I help her into the car. I know that within ten minutes of me driving she”ll be fast asleep. Since becoming pregnant she falls asleep whenever we”re driving.
”I can”t wait until we have our own baby,” she murmurs once I start the car. ”I love Shay. He”s the sweetest. I”m excited to meet our own.”
I lay my hand on her stomach, where there”s the tiniest of bumps right now. ”I am too, baby.”
She gives me a soft as fuck smile and rests her head against the headrest. Within minutes she”s fast asleep.
My cell rings not even two minutes later. ”Yeah?” I answer.
”Fuck, Stephen, we”ve got a problem,” Emmanuel says.
”What?” I ask, my voice harsh and coming out like a whip.
”Maverick”s gone. He was taken from the house this evening.”
”What do you mean taken?” I ask, my fingers tightening on the steering wheel.
”Someone snuck up behind him and hit him over the head, knocking him out cold. They dragged him to the car and put him in the trunk. He”s gone.”
I hear Jess” sharp intake of breath. She”s awake and has now heard that her cousin”s missing.
”Call Jer,” I instruct. ”I”m on my way.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck! Who the hell has taken him?