Epilogue
One Year After the Beginning of Their HEA
Dada? Rose tilted her head, her little eyebrow raised as she gazed at Leo from the backseat of the car. My friends said I should call you Paw, not ’Eo.
Leo’s ears pinked. They were in the car on their way back home from Rose’s pre-school. Rose had initially hated it, but then she’d found the joys of playing with kids her age. Or rather a pal who loved piggies as much as she did.
Molly had been surprised when Rose had continued her pig obsession. They’d taken her to visit a farm that summer where, as Molly had put it, Rose had been one with the pigs.
Teacher said I can call you Dada, if I call Mama mama.
Rosie Bear was also speaking in full sentences now. And had grown so much bigger that they’d had to find her a new car seat.
Leo wasn’t emotionally prepared for this. Another month, and she’d be in school, God help him.
He indicated right and headed into the driveway that led to their house.
Rosie Bear, you can call me ’Eo if you want.
He’d treasure the last vestiges of her baby lisp forever.
Besides, he and Molly were still technically dating—at least for the next couple days if things were to go his way—and they certainly hadn’t talked about Rose calling him her father.
After that fateful night, Johnny had finally been caught. Using the papers Knox had delivered to Leo, Craig’s devices, and all the people who’d been involved that day, they had built Newtar’s organisational map and disbanded the clandestine arm of Buchanan Security.
None of the evidence pointed to Knox, though.
Apparently, David had started Newtar early on in his business career, and later put Johnny in charge of overseeing that side of the business to grow their company’s revenue without having to pay extra tax.
Newtar’s presence also helped Buchanan Security build a trustworthy image.
If people realised a company worked with veiled criminals, they’d go elsewhere with their business.
After David’s passing, Johnny had taken over, channelling funds into his own account without anyone’s knowledge, including Knox’s. He’d wanted to grow Newtar, but to do so, Johnny needed Buchanan Security’s resources, something he could access as part-owner.
A year later, the man was behind bars. However, the CD’s contents still bothered Leo.
Even though many people whose information was on there had been linked to Newtar, not everyone had.
Most importantly, Knox had denied any knowledge of Newtar, nor did he have any links to the organisation, as per the evidence.
In fact, Knox had worked hard with their lawyers to minimise the fallout stating that Newtar had been a clandestine part of Buchanan Security. The brothers had folded it in a bid to steer the company in the right, ethical direction.
That clever manipulation of facts had earned the bastard praise. Knox hadn’t apologised to Leo for temporarily sacking him though. It seemed as if Knox blamed everything on Johnny.
So why had the CD been in his possession?
Knox said Johnny was often in and out of his office all the time, giving him the opportunity to plant it there.
In fact, Knox kept saying how it was Knox who’d brought Newtar to Leo’s attention.
When Johnny had told him it was Leo’s operation, he’d believed the eejit.
All plausible reasons Knox wasn’t involved.
Yet there was something about him.
Just as they arrived home, his phone rang on the car’s speakers. Neil.
Hey, Neil, Leo answered. I thought you were meeting some old friends?
Uncle Neil! I got a star at school today, Rose said from the back.
That’s incredible, Rosie. Neil didn’t sound happy though. Er, can I speak to you privately, Leo?
Leo indicated for Rose to hold on for a moment and transferred the call to his phone. What’s going on? What happened to your friends?
I… er… I cancelled. It wasn’t… It’s complicated. Neil huffed. Not why I called. I was looking into Newtar’s archives. Turns out David had all our mothers followed. He kept extremely detailed accounts of us. That’s how his lawyers traced us, using our mothers’ last known addresses.
He was a right bas… man, wasn’t he?
Just thought you should know. Neil cleared his throat. And, um, Leo?
Yeah?
You’re lucky, you know. To have Molly and Rose. Treasure them.
I will. You okay? Leo asked, but Neil only murmured a See you tomorrow and cut the call.
Aye, something was definitely wrong with Neil. Leo decided he’d poke into his brother’s sombre mood tomorrow. The man was brilliant at his job, but sometimes Leo wondered if he was lonely.
Stepping out of the car, he unbuckled Rose from her seat. The girl loved to walk, but he missed holding her and receiving random hugs from her. Rosie Bear?
She paused in her attempts to wear her school bag. Dada?
Oh God. Leo swallowed. He needed to get used to that. Remember what I asked you earlier? Not a word to Mama, okay?
A small smile bloomed on her face, but the cheeky girl didn’t respond, instead running towards the house. Mama!
He reached into his pocket and extracted the small velvet box. The solitaire he’d purchased glinted under the grey Glasgow sky. She would say yes, won’t she?
Leo whooshed out a breath. He’d find out soon enough. At least he had Rose’s blessing.
Stuffing the box into his pocket, he walked towards the front door. Rose was jumping by the door, shouting for Molly and trying to unlock the door. Love, Mama’s working.
The moment they stepped in, two voices caught them off guard. Two women crying.
Leo rushed inside, leaving the front door ajar, and ran straight into the kitchen where the sounds were coming from.
He stuttered to a halt. What—
Molly was hugging another woman, this one with straight dark hair. They were both sobbing into each other’s shoulders. She straightened, her eyes red-rimmed and snot staining her nose. Oh, you’re back.
What’s happened?
Molly laughed, then shook her head at him and then at Rose who’d made her way to the kitchen. She ran to her mum. Mama?
Oh, they’re happy tears. I’m sorry. This is Betty.
Betty was wiping her own tears, using a tissue to blot her makeup. Hi. Molly told me everything. About you, Johnny, and sweet Rose. We know each other from before.
Ah yes, before. Molly hadn’t told him everything about her work saving survivors of domestic violence. But she’d told him the bare bones.
Before she’d met Johnny, she’d been working with a group of people who assisted women in leaving their abusive partners especially when it was dangerous for them to leave on their own. Their operation had been illegal. And when a pal of theirs fell for a cop, they’d disbanded.
However, this pal—Anthony Ricci, Leo’s fucking cousin, of all people—had disappeared since. After he’d left, Molly had met Johnny and her life had taken a different turn.
For the last year, Leo had tried to locate Anthony.
He hadn’t seen Anthony in ages, so he didn’t remember exactly what he looked like, but the guy had been handsome enough to attract interested eyes.
Attractive enough for Leo’s green-eyed monster to rear its unnecessary head especially when Molly had been the guy’s best friend, but Molly was his better half now. Well, almost.
Leo shook Betty’s hand. It’s nice to meet a friend of Molly’s.
We reconnected when Betty helped one of the mothers from my online group leave her partner, Molly said. She had been peppering Rose with kisses as the wee girl squirmed, and now she grinned up at Leo. Betty is the solution. I know it will work perfectly.
Solution to what? Leo frowned. Did they have a problem he wasn’t aware of?
Knox Buchanan, Betty said, her smile replaced with a scowl. That bas— man has been on my radar for a while. And with what you know from that CD, I think I can unearth exactly what’s up with him.
Leo still couldn’t fathom how that was possible.
Molly reached out and handed him a résumé for a Bethany Fraser.
I heard Knox is looking for a new assistant. And Molly said you’re tasked to hire one.
Leo smirked as he read through it. Ah, Knox would hate this.
He asked for a male assistant. But I’m not a misogynist, and your résumé is incredible.
Besides, Knox owes me big time. So this will be perfect payback.
Leo set the résumé down, grinned at Molly and Rose, then extended a hand to Betty.
Bethany Fraser, welcome to Buchanan Security.
THE END