Epilogue
Eight months later…
As a child, nothing made me feel more special than breakfast in bed. Every year on my birthday, my mother prepared blueberry pancakes and stuck a single candle in the middle no matter the age I turned. She also served me sliced fruit, bacon, and orange juice, delivered to me on a tray. While I enjoyed my meal, my family assembled around me with their gifts. We repeated the same routine with Cassie, Heath, Mom, and Dad, creating an expectation of breakfast in bed during special occasions.
For my birthday and our anniversary, Slice continued the tradition, so I returned the favor on his birthday. However, living with Slice revealed something even better than breakfast delivered to you in bed: head.
Slice’s mouth was a godsend, and an orgasm a day kept the bitch in me at bay. So, starting the day off with a hot tongue gliding through my folds almost guaranteed the day would be a good one.
Today, I’d graduate. A good tongue-lashing on my clit would get me nice and chipper.
As pleasure replaced my sleepiness, I threaded my fingers through his long hair. He sucked my clit into his mouth and I gasped.
“Fuck,” I breathed, moving my hips to the rhythm of his tongue.
“That’s it, use me, baby,” he murmured against my mound, making no effort to stop my erratic grinding.
Humping his face was bad enough. Then he slipped two fingers inside my heat, curling them as he made out with my bundle of nerves, and I whined like a bitch in heat. Guiding a leg over his shoulder, he stroked my G-spot while mouthing my pussy, determined to throw me over the edge. He smiled against me as my legs trembled and tension built in my core.
“I’m close!” I cried, my head thrown back in ecstasy.
He lightly nibbled on my clit, the slight sting sending me hurling over the edge. My mind went blank, my feminine sap exploding from me and soaking Slice’s face. He groaned in approval, removing his fingers and tonguing my pussy hole, collecting every drop. My body shook violently. As much as I enjoyed his tongue, I had no choice but to shove his forehead away when his attention grew too much to handle.
He drew away with a frustrated moan, a trail ofslick extending between my pussy and Slice’s mouth. A shriek of humiliation left me at the sight, my body flushing. I wasn’t a prude, but nor was I as freaky as Slice, so the sight made me clamp my hands over my face.
He chuckled, grabbing my wrists and dragging my hands away. “Good morning, sweetheart,” he murmured, kissing each palm before releasing me. “Big day today.”
Fuck.
I started twisting my hands. Big days always made me nervous, and after years of studying and a lifetime of dreaming, I’d finally have my degree.
“Yeah,” I said simply, looking to the bedroom door as a delicious aroma wafted to me. “What are you cooking?”
A simple redirection to distract myself for the moment.
“Ham and cheese quiche,” he answered, rolling off the bed and stretching. “Should be ready in the next fifteen minutes.”
My stomach grumbled, and my mouth watered. The promise of food propelled me to my feet.
“A biker, a model, a cook. A proper renaissance man,” I teased.
He swept me into his arms and I giggled.
“All for you, baby,” he said, brushing his lips over mine. “I’ll go get coffee on.”
“Or,” I began, clinging to him when he tried to pull away. “We can take a quick shower, and I can return your morning surprise.”
Slice grinned, his eyes sparkling. “What the graduate wants, the graduate gets.”
With zero effort, he scooped me into his arms and headed toward the bathroom, his touch easing my nerves.
A lot of changes took place after I moved to OKC. Learning the identity of my biological father was the biggest. If Slice hadn’t insisted, I might never have found out about Ezekial Lawson, my dead biker father with the same last name as a hero in one of Mom’s books.
At first, the revelation crushed me, but with Slice’s help I realized Lennon Monroe might not have made me, but he was my daddy. My father.
Dad .
I’d never know the relationship I might’ve had with Ezekial, but Dad stepped up to the plate, took care of me, and loved me as much as he loved Heath and Cassie. Neither Mom nor Dad explained what led to her affair. He’d forgiven her and he hadn’t held it against her or me.
Together, Mom, Dad, Slice, and I made a pact to keep the secret between us. It wouldn’t matter to Heath, but Cassie was a different story.
Slice retired from modeling, although Mom continued churning out bestsellers and attending book signings.
I wasn’t sure why this ran through my head as I sat amongst my fellow graduates. Perhaps, it served as a distraction.
The black gown concealing my blue dress felt as heavy as the cap atop my head. In the best way possible, anxiety riddled me as I waited to hear my name. When I finally transferred to Oklahoma State University a few days after the Fall semester began, I worried that my graduation would be delayed even more. I’d had to withdraw during my recovery. Fortunately, all my credits transferred effortlessly. Besides playing catch-up with assignments during the first three weeks, everything was smooth sailing.
Though I graduated on time, my school load had been intense.
The weather played nice today and reflected the cheery moves of the attendees. The sun shone brightly, and a pleasant breeze blew outside. Inside the stadium, however, the many bodies and my nerves made the environment suffocating. Time seemed to drag as I waited for my name to be called. Besides a study buddy here and a lab partner there, I wasn’t familiar with many of my classmates. Still, I clapped for everyone, adding an extra ‘oomph’ for those I did know.
Finally, the moment I was waiting for arrived.
“Effie Monroe,” the announcer called.
As I walked to the stage, my heart beat a rapid tattoo at the applause.
“That’s my daughter!” my mother yelled, and I smiled.
Dad, Heath, Cassie, and Slice accompanied her, though they were more reserved in their cheering, making it harder to make out their voices.
I shook the hands of everyone on stage, accepted my degree, and posed for a picture. The moment I had been waiting for was over within a minute, but the brief time didn’t lessen the sense of accomplishment I felt. I was a second-generation college graduate, and I could not be prouder of myself.
With my degree in hand, the rest of the ceremony passed quickly. The speeches, songs, and the endless procession of my classmates blurred together as I thought about the next chapter in my life.
Riker finally okayed Slice’s new road name and promoted him to top enforcer. I clapped and cheered at the ceremony when they retired his ‘Pretty Boy’ patch and he officially became ‘Slice’. Drifter, Raider, Dolph, Desmond, Saw, Ziggy, Cash, and Stretch even made the trip to OKC. I’d never partied so much in my life. Later, I learned Red Rum and Satan’s Sinners reached an uneasy peace agreement, which had been negotiated by Slice.
Although I missed my family, and Corpus Christi, I was so happy for Slice and proud to be his.
Before I knew it, the graduation ceremony ended and locating my family took me a moment. I nearly screamed when a hand clamped down on my shoulder, my heart rate spiking. The relief I felt when I saw it was Slice was immeasurable.
“You scared me,” I complained, returning his kiss.
He was quite affectionate and loved PDA as much as me.
“Sorry, babe,” he murmured against my lips.
“Eww,” Cassie said, making me pull away from my boyfriend to stick my tongue out at her.
“Be quiet,” I ordered, nestling into Slice as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “You and Chad are always making out in front of us.”
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t even say his stupid name. I’m so done with that jerk.”
Mmhmm. I’d heard that a million times. As much as I prayed she meant it, I doubt her current sentiment would stick.
“Girls, enough squabbling,” my father said when he, Heath, and my mom came into view.
“There’s my little scholar,” Mom squealed, barreling into me with surprising force. “Oh, I’m so proud of you, honey!”
Despite her attempting to squeeze the life out of me, I returned her hug and grinned. “Thank you, Mom.”
We stayed like that for a few seconds before she moved away. She looked at Slice, Heath, and then my father. A frown tugged at her lips. “None of you have given Effie her flowers yet.”
Startled, I peered from one to the other.
Dad carried different colored daisies, Heath had tulips, and Slice held a bouquet of my favorite flower—red carnations. It was a mystery to me how I missed all the beautiful flowers. Out of respect, I took my father’s first.
“Thank you, Dad,” I said as I tucked the bouquet under my arms, giving him a hug that was briefer than the one I shared with my mother.
He sniffled, the sound surprising me. “You’re all grown up.”
“She’s been grown for, like, four years now,” Cassie grumbled.
We ignored her. I pulled away and Mom took my place, whispering to my father as I took my brother’s flowers, smiling at his tight hug. I turned to Slice and grabbed the flowers he offered.
“They’re gorgeous,” I murmured, kissing his cheek.
The heels I wore might’ve been a bitch on my feet, but they gave me a nice height boost.
“Took you long enough to notice them,” he replied.
“Okay, enough lovey-dovey shit, I’m hungry!” Cassie declared. I rolled my eyes. “Let’s get to the restaurant before I starve to death.”
“Sweetie, this is Effie’s day,” Mom said, far gentler than I wanted to be.
“And it’ll be Effie’s day when we get to the restaurant,” she countered.
“She’s right. We can take pictures and all of that there,” I conceded, not wanting my graduation to turn into a shitshow.
Cassie really tried to act better, but that only lasted until I moved away. She would forever want to be the center of attention, even on a day when I was supposed to be celebrated. But hey, at least she came when her presence hadn’t been guaranteed because of Chad. Look on the bright side and all that jazz.
Dinner was a nice affair. We discussed little of essence, but nothing sparked arguments, so I took that as a win. Slice rented one of the restaurant’s private rooms, insisted we splurge on whatever we wanted, and paid for the entire thing. Once we shoved the food down our hatch, I received my presents.
Cassie thoroughly redeemed herself when she presented me with a one-hundred-dollar gift card. It wouldn’t buy much, but it was more than she’d spent on a present for me in a long, long time.
I aimed a small smile her way before tucking the card away in my clutch. “This is nice, Cass, thank you.”
She nodded in response. I peeked at Slice, who was quietly watching the exchange. He winked at me when our eyes met, and I blew a kiss in response.
“Again, with the PDA,” Cassie complained.
We all ignored her.
Mom was nearly bouncing off her seat as my father handed me a gift bag. The colorful envelope resting on top of the wrapped gifts caught my attention, so I opened that first. It was a generic graduation card with my parents’ signatures, but the five hundred dollars inside more than made up for the lack of personalization.
“The money is from me,” Dad announced proudly.
Mom huffed. “I told him he should’ve gotten you something more personal, but—”
“It’s fine, this is perfect,” I said, unable to stop grinning. “Thank you so much, Dad.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie,” Dad said with smug satisfaction. Mom rolled her eyes, but he ignored her and said, “I knew you’d love it.”
Duh. Who didn’t like money? Cold, hard, cash might not have a lot of thought behind it, but it was always appreciated.
“Open mine now,” Mom ordered.
My immediate compliance restored her cheeriness.
The gift bag contained three beautifully wrapped presents. The first was a small photo album, containing pictures of me during the first day of every educational year from kindergarten to twelfth grade. It had been a tradition for Mom to drag Heath, Cassie, and me out of bed extra early, and snap photos of us before we went off to school to celebrate us starting another grade. To my surprise, flipping through the photos made me a bit teary-eyed. I blinked rapidly, not wanting to cry and ruin my makeup.
“This is so sweet, Mom,” I said with a sniffle.
“Aw, sweetie, don’t cry yet; you’ll make me cry!” she exclaimed, passing me a napkin.
“Let me see little you, baby,” Slice requested as I dabbed at my eyes.
That dried my tears quickly. I cringed at the thought of my boyfriend seeing my pimply middle school self or my high school emo phase.
“I’d rather—”
Cassie snatched the album from my hand and handed it to him. “Here you go, Slice.”
To his credit, he didn’t immediately open it, instead fixing her with a glare before refocusing on me, picking up on my demeanor. “I don’t have to look at them now, sweetheart.”
“No, it’s okay.” I threw Cassie a dirty look as he opened the book.
She just shrugged.
While Slice looked at my childhood pictures, I moved on to the next gift. Unwrapping the next present and revealing the state-of-the-art camera made me squeal. It put my basic digital camera to shame and included its own built-in Wi-Fi, 9-point autofocus system, and high-resolution megapixel CMOS sensor. Put simply, it was amazing. Within seconds, I set the camera down, jumped to my feet, and hugged my mom.
“Thank you, oh my gosh!”
She laughed and returned the hug, reaching over and pulling the bag closer. “You’re welcome, darling. One thing left.”
That last thing turned out to be a stunning jewelry set, consisting of a silver vine necklace with diamond flowers, and matching earrings.
“It’s gorgeous,” I breathed, lifting the jewelry closer to the light to admire them. “How much was this?”
“You know she won’t tell you, Effie,” Cassie said with a petulant pout. “Besides, you got more than me when I graduated high school, so why does it matter?”
“Only a car, poor you,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm as my temper started to rise.
“It was used.”
Heath shook his head. “Classic Cass,” he said, resembling Dad more by the day. “Never grateful for shit.”
Cassie tossed her red hair and sniffed. “You don’t understand, Heath. You got a new car—”
“That I fucking worked for,” Heath snapped. I maintained she and Mom drove Heath to move as far away as possible. “Mom and Dad matched what I saved. I had to take care of my monthly payment. You had zero expense. Not even insurance. They paid that, too.”
“On a used car,” Cassie reiterated.
I growled. “It was more than you had before, and in good condition, so stop bitchin’. Mom and Dad also paid for a year’s rent when you graduated community college, so—”
“Children, please!” Dad said, fixing us with a hard stare. “Cassie, stop ruining your sister’s day.” He pointed from Heath to me. “You two, stop adding fuel to the fire.”
That caught Slice’s attention, his gaze snapping from the photo album to my father. “Effie isn’t doing shit—”
The look I gave him silenced him, though he didn’t return to flipping through the pictures.
“Enough squabbling,” Mom ordered, before redirecting the conversation back to my jewelry. “I thought of you the moment I saw it, Effie. You can make them heirlooms and give them to your daughter when she graduates or wear them when you get married. You’ve always wanted a botanical garden wedding, so they’ll be perfect.”
I looked at Slice, trying to imagine what he’d look like in a tuxedo. Handsome, no doubt; I didn’t think he was capable of making anything look bad. An image of him standing by a wedding arch as Dad escorted me down the aisle popped into my head. Slice would look dapper and stare at me with hearts in his eyes.
Warmth filling me, I sighed dreamily.
“My turn,” Slice announced.
He reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a ring box. My heart started to beat faster. He stood from his chair and walked to me, dropping down on one knee.
“Effie Alessia Monroe, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
A flurry of emotions swarmed me. Shock, excitement, anxiety, and most of all, overwhelming love. My eyes misted once more. This time, I didn’t try to dry the happy tears sliding down my cheeks. I nodded frantically, holding out my left hand, so he’d remove the promise ring and slide the engagement ring onto my finger.
“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” I cried.
Laughter burst from me at the weight of the ring on my finger.
It was unreal, everything I’d ever dreamed of. For a moment, I feared it was too joyous for reality and was tempted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.
A grin spread across Slice’s handsome face and my heart fluttered. He rose up, sweeping me into his arms as my family clapped. Heath’s applause was the most genuine. Cassie’s was slow, almost sarcastic, my father’s was polite, while my mother screamed and bounced with such elation, I reached for her.
We hugged tightly.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you more, Effie Monroe, soon-to-be Elmont.”
Mom released me and Slice set me on my feet, hugging me to him.
Everyone faded into the background as Slice embraced me. I clung to him, breathing in his addictive scent.
He kissed me tenderly. “I have one more present, sweetheart. I’ll be right back.”
“What is it?” Mom breathed once Slice walked out.
I couldn’t imagine, but I had a couple ideas. “Maybe it’s Sloane Mason again to serenade us as we take our first dance as an engaged couple? Or Ophelia flew in?”
It had bummed me out big time when none of our friends attended my graduation. Even if Ophelia couldn’t make it, I’d expected Drifter, Goose, Ziggy, and Saw. Yeah, they were still Death Dwellers, but they’d become like family.
Slice returned carrying two red garment boxes wrapped with black ribbon. I felt like a bitch at my disappointment, so I plastered a smile on my face when he handed a box to me and a box to Mom.
Her eyes lit up. “For me?”
“As my soon to be mother-in-law,” Slice said.
Mom squealed. “What is it?”
“You have to open it and find out, love,” Dad called.
“Open yours, Effie,” Mom encouraged, “so I can open mine.”
“You first, Mom.” I winced at my resigned tone. “Er, I’ve gotten so many presents already.”
Slice’s eyes twinkled.
Mom didn’t hesitate to rip the box open. Her gasp reverberated through the private room.
“Oh my god!” she screamed.
“What—”
Before I asked the question, she held up a leather cut. Tears filled her eyes and her nose reddened. She flew to Slice and bear hugged him so tight, he groaned.
“Let us see it, Mom,” Heath said, grinning.
Swiping at her cheeks, she turned the back toward us. Mother-in-law of Slice was written on it.
“I thought the cut would resemble yours, Slice,” Dad said, revealing he’d known about Slice’s present.
“Open yours, Effie,” Slice said, ignoring my dad as Mom shrugged into her cut and squealed again.
Laughing, Dad took her into his arms and kissed her.
My heart pounding in anticipation, I copied Mom, tore away the ribbon on my box, and lifted the top. My cut was also leather with the words, Property of Slice .
“Bet that beats a fucking engagement ring, Effie,” Saw said as he and Ziggy carried an ice chest in.
“Says you, fuckhead,” Slice retorted as he helped me put my cut on.
I understood what Dad meant. Slice had a denim cut. It would’ve been nice to match.
“I won’t ever spend that much money on no broad,” Dolph complained, walking in with Drifter, Goose, Raider, and Desmond following.
“Who has the bud?” Raider asked.
“All right, fuckheads, behave,” Goose ordered. He wagged a finger at the two Dweller boys. “Outlaw gave me permission to kick your ass if you fuck up Effie’s celebration.”
“Can you bring an ice chest in a fancy restaurant?” Cassie asked.
“No motherfucker’ll stop us,” Saw replied.
Ziggy pulled out a bag of weed, and I gasped.
Growling, Slice stormed over and snatched it from him, while Saw slapped the back of his head.
“What’s going on in here?” Riker demanded, sauntering in and carrying a garment bag.
As uncomfortable as Striker made me, it couldn’t compare to how I felt in Riker’s presence. His soulless eyes chilled me.
Luckily, the guys congratulating me distracted me. Heath helped to pass out beers from Saw’s ice chest. They toasted me and someone produced a Bluetooth speaker, hooked up their phone and provided loud music.
I expected management to throw us out, but that didn’t happen.
We danced, talked, and drank. Even Cassie loosened up and Mom floated on a cloud, flitting from Dad, Riker, and Goose, to the younger guys, and then me and Cass.
Near midnight, Riker stood. “Silence!” he ordered.
Instant silence fell.
“You sure about this, Slice?” Riker asked.
“Positive,” Slice answered.
I squinted, clueless.
“And you don’t care, Goose?”
“Nope.”
Riker stared at Drifter and his eyes chilled.
Slice and his twin exchanged glances. Their mood dampened a little, which really piqued my curiosity.
“I guess that’s a no for us working together, bro,” Drifter said glumly.
No one responded and I wanted the details now . Riker walked to where the garment bag lay over the back of a chair, picked it up, and unzipped it. He revealed a leather cut, similar to mine. As he drew closer, I saw a patch with the word, ‘President.’ On the opposite side, a name—Slice.
My hands flew to my mouth.
Slice tipped his mouth into a half-grin. “In three weeks, we’re moving back to Corpus, sweetheart. I know how much you miss Daria and Lennon. Although,” he added quickly, “we’re not returning for them.”
I’m not sure if I screamed louder or Mom.
“Riker offered me the chance to build a new chapter in your hometown, Effie. He and Outlaw worked out a deal. Red Rum will be on one side of Corpus and the Death Dwellers on the other. We have a partnership in the works, which will be beneficial to both clubs.”
“This better fucking work,” Riker growled.
“Bacán praised Slice,” Ziggy said, referring to his chapter’s president. “ And Ophelia likes his woman. It will work. Have faith in your dude.”
Riker ignored the Death Dweller. Not that I was surprised. He was even surlier than Cash and ruder than anyone I’d ever met. He scowled at Slice. “Your profits don’t belong to the fucking chapter until you repay me the hundred grand I paid for your bounty. Got me?”
“Yes,” Slice said calmly, then caressed my cheek, his tender look entrancing me. “Are you fine with this, Effie?”
I nodded, dazed, unable to believe all my dreams were coming true.
Searching my face, Slice continued. “I wanted Drifter to serve dual roles as enforcer and Vice President, Desmond the Road Captain, Dolph Sergeant-at-Arms, and Raider the Treasurer.”
Riker smirked.
Slice and Drifter exchanged another miserable glance.
Once Riker turned the back of the cut toward us, I read the top and bottom rockers with misty eyes. In between Red Rum MC and Corpus Christi, the club’s emblem stood out.
Riker nodded to Slice’s denim cut. Goose walked over and took possession of it once Slice took it off.
“You still need a secretary, Slice,” Riker said, watching as Slice donned the leather. “Once the membership grows, I expect democratic elections. Understand?”
Slice nodded.
Riker crooked his finger at Drifter. “You sure about this? Slice’s club is starting from the ground up.”
“Positive, Prez,” Drifter said without hesitation.
Smiling, I leaned into Slice and sighed when he placed his arm around my waist.
“You won’t regret this Riker,” Goose said, puffing his chest out.
“Just because I’ve appointed you,” Riker went on as if Goose hadn’t spoken, “none of you motherfuckers should expect to return to your positions if you’re shit officers or if you fuck up. Understand?”
“We do,” Slice answered, tension humming through his strong body.
“You got two years, motherfucker,” Riker said. He looked at Drifter. “I’m going to miss you, boy,” he admitted, and walked out.
“You’re moving home, Effie!” Mom cried.
“Yeah, Mom,” I responded, only having eyes for Slice.
He bent his head and brushed his lips over mine. “You happy, babe?”
“More than words can express, my love,” I murmured, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him back.
In that moment, only he and I existed, and I knew without a doubt that he was who I was meant to spend the rest of my life with.
Mom’s voice broke through our cocoon of love and happiness.
“Don’t forget, Effie. We have six months to prepare for the next Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem Book Signing.”