Epilogue
NORTH CAROLINA
Eric opened the morning paper. His contact, Josh, communicated solely through code in The Charlotte Observer. His eyes scanned quickly over the obituaries until one caught his attention.
There it was.
“Lucky” wasn’t a nickname. It was a reference to the high-roller table. And “quietly in his sleep”? A signal the dice were being loaded—someone had been cut out.
Three nephews.
Three players still in rotation? Or three who made a clean break?
“I’m going for a run, old man,” Bryson said.
Eric gripped the paper, losing his train of thought. “You don’t have to tell me anymore, kid,” he said.
“And miss out on that face when I interrupt your morning routine,” Bryson said, laughing.
Eric would have ignored him, except he heard Bryson pulling up a chair across from him.
“You all ready for the feisty heiress?” Bryson asked.
Eric’s mind immediately went to the room he and Adria had outfitted next to his.
What used to be his training room was now a BDSM dungeon. Although he would probably do most of his training in the woods a half mile from here.
He shifted. “You ready for Cole?”
Bryson tapped his fingers on the table, and Eric folded the paper, looking at him.
“Cole’s great. He’s helping me get one of Adria’s side-income projects up and running.”
Eric’s expression was calm. “That’s great, kid. Jealousy didn’t suit you, anyway.”
“Yeah well, I just started thinking, what was there to be jealous of? I got the brand.”
Eric watched him. Bryson was practically vibrating with pride. He had grown so much in their short time together, but he was still so young.
“So basically, you won?” Eric said dryly.
Bryson gave him a full grin. “Yeah, I fucking won.”
Shaking his head, Eric said, “Get over here. Let me take a look at it.”
Bryson moved around the table, slipping off his shirt.
Eric inspected the burn. It seemed to be healing well. Or rather, not healing. He pressed around the outside, feeling for warmth. The skin seemed cool.
“Don’t see any infection. It’s looking good,” Eric said.
Bryson pulled his shirt back on. “Gonna be weird having a new submissive here.”
Eric pulled the paper back up, covering his face. “Don’t lie, you’re just glad Adria isn’t the one taking on the next client.”
Bryson snorted, and Eric heard the door shut.
Truthfully, Eric wasn’t sure what the four of them were going to do. Adria was the best at what she did, but maybe it was time for her to hang up her hat.
Either way, they didn’t have to decide just yet, because Vega was sending his dark-haired daughter next month. And because Eric had opened his big mouth, he was the one assigned to train her.
Vega expected her to come back as a perfect heiress. Poised to marry a powerful family in Anzures. Except what Vega and Adria didn’t know was that once she stepped foot in this house.
Once Eric had his hands on her.
She was never going home.
She was his.