Epilogue
Cage – A Year Later
I sigh as I bang the gavel and state, “Alright, fuckers, church in progress, stop squabbling...”
“Is that how you speak to your officer's son?” Dad questions at the back of the room, and I raise a brow and remind him, “Obviously, now shush, I want to get home.”
“Angela still demanding all of Drew's time?” Crush asks with a grin, and I give him the middle finger.
I love my daughter, I really fucking do, she’s the apple of my eye, acts exactly like Angie used to, giving me the memory of her back, helping me heal from the past, but she’s weaning from breastfeeding.
She’s become extremely clingy to Drew, meaning I’ve barely had any alone time with my wife, and I need time alone with my wife.
“I need someone to take her tonight, please, for the love of God, I need more time with my wife before our son arrives!” I growl, and the brothers chuckle.
“I’ll take her, son,” Dad chuckles, and I sigh in relief causing the brothers to laugh, brothers who not once held it against me for leaving for nearly a year, who still help me grow as a person.
They help keep me on the straight and narrow and by help, I mean contacting my wife if I’m pissed, the same wife who comes to Angie’s grave with me three times a week, sometimes bringing Angela.
“Thank you,” I say with a relieved sigh and Dad nods with sincerity and a little concern knowing the stress my girl is under right now.
Two months ago, Drew asked her mom to watch our girl while we had an OB appointment.
That took a lot for her to do, considering they’ve been tense.
When she called to see where they were so we could take her to the park, we got the surprise of our life when she guiltily admitted that she’d taken Angela to Rose Hill Psychiatric Hospital.
The same place Elizabeth ended up five months ago after she tried to kidnap my daughter.
Dad had to hold me back from shooting the bitch when Trick caught her trying to take her out of the club gates after Mary brought her for family day without any of us being aware. Meanwhile, Joel did hold a gun to his daughter’s head.
They argued for days but he gave her a choice, admit her, or he kills her, not giving a shit that she’s his daughter.
Mary relented, but ever since Mary took Angela to see Elizabeth, a woman who tried to kidnap our daughter, Drew refuses for her to watch our daughter and she’s barely said two words to her.
Mary knows she did wrong, Elizabeth still had some hold over her and made her feel guilty, but it isn’t the point. She knew she’d lose her other daughter for what she did, and her daughter’s trust, and she’s out of chances with my girl now.
She’ll get to see Angela on family days or days when Joel will take her, so Drew can dance for an hour, but that is about it, she’s never alone with her, and she never holds her.
“Just be aware, she lives and breathes her tutu that I got her,” I admit, and Trick laughs.
“I can’t believe Drew managed to have a daughter who loved ballet probably more than she does,” he says with a grin, and I smile in return.
Angela is obsessed with ballet, and I absolutely love it too.
Every show my wife performs Angela is her biggest supporter because of course I wouldn’t let my girl give up her passion.
Since we’ve moved home she’s held four fundraisers, helping raise money for different charities, including those she supported in Rose Hill, even though she hasn't returned.
Last month, one of her students got an offer of a lifetime on Broadway making my wife the proudest teacher around.
“I love it,” I admit, “and my sweet daughter is the reason why I’ve called church,” I look around the brothers, “Blade has said he’ll pick the loot up from us instead of meeting us halfway like normal because he wants some niece time, his words not mine.
We need to discuss the safest way for that to happen, including getting the club bunnies off club property while the exchange happens. ”
The brothers chuckle and I open my mouth, ready to discuss the safest way to swap vans without the Chargers noticing—they’re still a pain in my ass, though we’re slowly picking them off one by one.
Before I can continue, the church door opens and I scowl as the prospect, Louis, pops his shaved head in and winces at my look.
“Uh, Pres, you told me to interrupt only if it was to do with your wife or daughter,” he says, and I sit up straighter.
My wife should currently be teaching a class because, as I thought, once word got out that she was the one opening a ballet studio, everyone wanted their child in her classes. Swo-year waiting list, making me fucking proud, while Angela is with my mom outside.
“Is it my wife?” I ask just as Drew gently moves Louis back and walks into church, and every brother sits up straight, seeing Willow holding her hand, her big green eyes taking everything in like a five-year-old does.
Where in the fuck is her mother?
“Oh, daddy!” Willow says with excitement as she looks toward her dad, but before Willow can run to him, Drew quickly grabs her arm, stopping her and leaving me confused.
“Willow, sweetheart, I thought you wanted to show Angela your pirouette?” my girl says softly and Willow's face brightens.
“Oh yeah, I forgot,” she says, then looks at us and shouts, “Bye, Daddy!” before she runs off causing the brothers to chuckle while her dad grins and shakes his head and I glance at my wife, tilting my head at how pale she is.
“Little Bird?” I ask and she clears her throat, setting papers on the oak table.
"Sorry I interrupted," she whispers then she looks at Trick, swallowing, “Clark asked me to give you these which I protested but…”
She shakes her head then slides the papers to Trick and I tense.
Shit, please don’t tell me…
“Divorce papers?!” Trick growls and Drew flinches causing me to growl, and she quickly walks over to me.
“I was getting Willow ready to bring her back here…but Clark then asked me to bring this here instead of coming back with me. She decided to rent an apartment across town,” Drew hesitantly says as she leans against my side and I wrap my arm around her and gently caress our boy who moves beneath my palm giving me a sense of calm.
“Trick,” I murmur, watching him slam paper after paper, anger radiating from him.
He growls, “Bang the fucking gavel.”
I swallow hard but do as he asks and bang the gavel just as he slams his chair back and storms out of the church and Drew flinches.
“It’ll be alright, baby,” I murmur, but she shakes her head.
“A woman claims she’s been with Trick for years, before he was forced to marry Clark.
She says he wants her as his old lady, and he’s only still married because she’s under his protection,” Drew whispers, “She says she’s pregnant, then accused Clark of keeping them apart when she should have been protected because of who her father and brother are so they never should have gotten married… ”
Curses echo in the room and I quickly say, “Church dismissed,” seeing my girl is ready to fall apart for her friend because just as I thought, her and Clark have become close, so close, she’s Angela’s godmother.
The brothers listen, each walking over to kiss my girl's head before leaving and once everyone is gone, I ask, “Are you okay?”
She shrugs, “Ask me when my hormones are not all over the place for my friend.”
“They’ll be alright, they’ll figure shit out, I did. Maybe Clark will open her eyes and see he does love her.” I whisper, and she looks at me with a soft smile.
“I’ve missed you a lot, Bell,” she says, and I hum as I gently run my fingers through her long hair.
"I know, I’ve missed you too. Dad has Angela tonight because I need some wife time," I say and she instantly relaxes into me making me smile.
She nods, sighs, and says, "Mom wanted her again, actually she demanded it before I walked in here and I shook my head because I just…"
"Time. You may trust her again. She won't take Angela to Elizabeth again, she nearly lost your dad because of it," I say, “And she knows I’ll kill her next time, I don’t care if she’s your mom or Greasy’s wife, I won’t have her put our daughter in danger again.”
Drew nods and gently kisses my lips.
Greasy hasn’t made her his old lady, something that has upset her but unfortunately, she’s made her bed and should be lucky that he continues to be married to her.
"Take me home?" Drew asks against my lips and I smile.
“I don’t think I can wait until we get home, I think we should go to our room here,” I murmur before kissing her harder, and without hesitation, I lift her. Her legs wrap around my waist nicely despite the bump between us.
Tomorrow I’ll deal with this shit with Trick and Clark. I’ll deal with Knuckles and how distant I noticed he is. But tonight, I’m spending it with my wife because to me, there is no better place to be.
For years, I was lost, basically killing myself, and this amazing woman who will give me four kids overall and build a life with me is the reason why I’m here. She is the reason why I became a good president, a good father, and a good husband.
She’s my fucking rock while I’m her pillar always and forever.