EPILOGUE TWO
Charlotte
“Is that why you asked for my sewing kit?”
I glance sideways as Lana sidles up beside me, her gaze already locked onto Theo across the room.
“—to do that?” she adds.
“Do what?” Stephanie mumbles around a mouthful of kebab, not even bothering to look up.
She’s been inhaling food for the past half hour like someone’s going to snatch it off her plate. I can’t blame her. It’s her first club party anyway.
She has started hanging out at the club more often now. Ever since the fact that Healer has a sister became common knowledge—and not just what the officers knew.
I’ve built a decent friendship with her since.
Given that we were both very reluctant about assimilating into the club.
And now we’re more or less part of it. Healer isn’t entirely happy.
But he’s realizing he has no say over his little sister.
The man treats her like she is sixteen and not thirty-one.
I snort softly. “Yeah, I did,” I answer Lana, my eyes drifting back to Theo.
He’s standing with Hound and Spike, all three of them deep in conversation. Their expressions are as serious as ever.
“Do what?” Stephanie repeats, louder this time.
“She changed the title on his cut,” Lana leans in and points straight at Theo.
Stephanie’s head finally snaps up. “Oooh!” She bumps her shoulder against Lana’s. “Well, now Hound can get that SAA stitched.”
Lana’s grin widens.
I tune them out after that, catching just enough of their chatter to hum in the right places while my attention stays fixed on Theo.
A few minutes later, he breaks away from the group and starts walking toward me.
Right on time. It’s time to present the cut and the speech.
Lana and Stephanie dissolve into a fit of giggles over something I miss entirely before slipping away.
“Hey, baby,” Theo murmurs, leaning down to kiss me properly. The kind of kiss that makes my knees go a little weak.
I sway into him before I can stop myself, breath catching. “Is it time?” I ask, still a little dazed.
He grunts, clearly not thrilled.
Right.
Speech.
Prez duties.
It hits me then—he’s probably thinking about Dane. About the absence sitting heavily over all of this.
“Don’t be nervous,” I say lightly. “It’s just a speech.”
He scoffs immediately. “I’m not nervous.”
And I believe him. But that doesn’t mean he’s okay.
I study him for a beat—really look—and something in me decides he needs a push or a distraction. Or maybe I just feel like fucking with him.
And so the idea forms.
“You’re not?” I tilt my head, pretending to consider it. “Okay. Well… good luck anyway.”
I give his chest a small shove. “Go, get started.”
He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head, eyeing the crowd that’s starting to gather.
Then, before I can overthink it, before I can dress it up or make it perfect like I kept planning… “Go, Theo,” I shove him again. “I love you.”
He smiles down at me, leaning as he drops a quick kiss against my lips like it’s any other moment, and walks away.
Like I didn’t just—what?
He takes one step.
Two.
And stops.
I’m already backing away, biting down on a grin, because I know exactly when it hits him.
The pause.
The processing.
The oh, fuck—
He turns around so fast it’s almost violent, eyes snapping to me across the room.
I’m already smirking.
Hound doesn’t even let him recover and just slaps a heavy hand against his back. “C’mon, Prez,” he mutters, steering him forward.
Theo doesn’t. Not immediately. He just stands there for a second longer, looking like his entire brain short-circuited. “Did you just—?” he starts, chest heaving.
“What?” Hound frowns, already dragging him toward the center of the room. “Walk, brother.”
Theo lets himself be hauled forward, still glancing back at me like he’s not entirely convinced that just happened.
When our eyes meet again, I mouth it this time. Even signing.
I—hand on my chest. Love—both my hands forming a heart. You—pointing right at him.
He stumbles. Actually fucking stumbles. I have to press my lips together to keep from laughing as the President of the club gets physically escorted into giving his speech—looking completely wrecked over three little words.
Theo clears his throat.
Once.
Twice.
Three times—like that’s somehow going to fix him enough to get his speech rolling.
“Alright,” he starts, voice a little rougher than usual. “We’re here to—”
He stops. His eyes find me. And just stay there.
My lips quiver with effort, and I’m already losing the battle not to laugh.
He blinks. Shakes his head slightly, like he’s trying to reset. “Spike,” he tries again, gesturing vaguely in the right direction. “You’ve—uh…”
Another pause. Another look at me.
God, he looks wrecked. Completely gone.
My fault.
I bite the inside of my cheek, grinning like an idiot as he drags a hand down his face.
“Jesus,” he mutters under his breath, coughing lightly like that’s going to buy him time. “You’ve been with the club for—fuck—years now and—”
He exhales sharply and looks at me again.
I raise my brows, completely unhelpful.
He huffs, pacing once, then turning back. “Right. So. Road Captain,” he says, nodding like he’s convincing himself this is a coherent sentence. “You’ll be—handling runs and—routes and—”
At this point, Spike is straight up grinning, eyes bouncing between me and Theo. Hound’s trying not to laugh. Healer and Ryder have fully turned, fists pressing their mouths.
And I’ve given up entirely.
Theo stares at me like I’ve personally ruined his ability to function.
Then finally, he throws his hands up. “Fuck it.”
The room goes quiet.
“Spike,” he says flatly, grabbing the box and shoving it straight into his stomach. “Congratulations. You’re our new Road Captain.”
A beat.
“Club run tomorrow, everyone.”
And that’s it.
No speech. No ceremony.
Nothing.
Spike bursts out laughing as Theo turns on his heel and strides straight toward me like a man on a mission.
“Oh, this is good,” Lana mutters somewhere behind me.
I barely register it before Theo is right in front of me, hands coming up to cup my face, holding me in place. “Say it again,” he demands.
I blink up at him, feigning innocence. “Say what?”
He groans, dropping his forehead to mine for a second. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Baby,” he breathes, eyes intense, voice rough. “Say it. Please.”
I can’t help it. I laugh softly. “I love you.”
His grip tightens on my neck.
“I’m in love with you, Theo.”
There’s a split second where he just stares at me. And then—
“YES!” He actually pumps his fist in the air like he just won the fucking lottery.
The entire room erupts behind us. Mama and Torch are grinning wide, nodding at us. But he doesn’t even look. Doesn’t care.
His attention snaps right back to me, all of it, overwhelming and consuming as he pulls me in, kissing me like he’s been waiting his whole life to do it.
“I love you too,” he breathes against my lips between impatient, breathless kisses. “Fuck—Charlotte—I love you so damn much.”
The rest of the room dissolves into noise. Whistles. Hooting. Someone—probably Bulldog—yelling something wildly inappropriate.
I barely hear any of it. Because Theo is still kissing me. Slow at first, like he’s savoring it. Like he’s memorizing the way my mouth moves against his now that he knows what I feel. Then deeper. Hungrier.
His hand slides to the back of my neck, holding me there like I might disappear if he lets go. “I love you,” he murmurs again, like he can’t help himself.
“I know,” I whisper back, smiling against his lips.
He groans softly, like that somehow isn’t enough, but he takes it anyway, kissing me again while the room continues to lose its collective mind behind us.
An hour later, the party settles into something looser. Louder in bursts. Quieter in between.
We drift apart occasionally—him getting dragged into conversations, me pulled into others—but somehow, we keep finding our way back. Like it’s instinct. Like it’s inevitable.
And then—
The alert goes off. Sharp and jarring. Everything stills for half a second. The new security system at the front gate.
Theo is at my side in seconds. Ryder’s already moving before anyone else reacts, pulling out his phone, eyes scanning the camera feed. He sighs and rolls his eyes.
“Is it—?” Theo mutters.
Ryder just shakes his head, muttering something under his breath as he pockets his phone.
A few minutes later, the clubhouse door swings open.
And for a second, déjà vu hits me so hard it’s almost disorienting.
Because walking in again, like he owns the place—is Mihai.
Tudor at his side. A few more men trailing behind them.
“I couldn’t miss a party, now, could I?” Mihai says brightly, like this is a social call.
Theo doesn’t move. “What do you need, Mihai?” he asks flatly, his arm tightening around me.
Behind him, I catch the tension shift.
Tudor’s staring. Not at Theo.
At Spike.
And Spike? Doesn’t even glance his way. He’s cold. Unbothered. Like Tudor doesn’t exist.
“What?” Mihai places a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “Can’t we come over and enjoy the party?”
Theo’s gaze hardens further. “What is it that you want, Mihai?” he snaps. “Get to your point.”
Mihai sighs, like we’re inconveniencing him.
“Fine,” he says lightly. “Have you thought about my proposal? It’s been three weeks, prietene.”
My stomach clenches when Theo’s entire body goes rigid beside me. Ryder steps forward slightly, his expression just as dark.
“It’s not happening, Mr. Rosca.”
Mihai’s head tilts, almost curious. “Why?” he asks, voice deceptively mild. “It’s a good proposition. Strengthens our relationship.”
Theo’s grip on me tightens. “We’re not giving you a club princess,” he hisses.
My breath catches. What?
Mihai’s expression doesn’t change. But something colder slips into his voice. “You know we can take away your protection,” he says quietly. “Do you not?”
Theo stiffens. I tighten my hold on his arm instinctively.