Epilogue
ERIC
Ileaned against the stone pillar near the pool, watching Ivy laugh at something Sofia said while cradling Marcello against her chest. The kid looked completely content in her arms, his tiny fist wrapped around one of her fingers.
Three months since I'd convinced her to move into this place with me. Three months of waking up to her sprawled across my chest. Three months of learning what it felt like to build something real instead of just surviving in my father's shadow.
The house had been a strategic purchase, close enough to the Donati operations but tucked away in one of Ironstone's quieter neighborhoods.
Big enough to entertain, secure enough to fortify.
Ivy had fought me on it at first, claimed she didn't need some mansion, but I'd won that argument the same way I won most of our fights lately.
"Your girl's good with kids," Grayson said, nodding toward where Ivy was making faces at Marcello, getting rewarded with baby giggles.
Leo stood beside him, arms crossed, but his expression had gone soft watching Meredith recline in one of the loungers. Her belly strained against the fabric of her swimsuit cover. Had to be eight months along now, maybe more.
"When's the little one due?" I asked.
"Three weeks, give or take." Leo's mouth curved into something that might've been a smile on anyone else. On him it looked dangerous. "Can't come fast enough."
Jackson snorted. "Says the man who's gonna lose his mind the second she goes into labor."
"Fuck off," Leo said, but there wasn't any heat in it.
"You know what you're having yet?" I reached for my beer, taking a long pull.
"Son." The pride in Leo's voice was unmistakable. "At least, that's what they keep telling us. Won't know for sure until he's here."
"You pick a name?"
Leo shook his head. "We've got a few in mind. Figured we'd wait until we meet him first. See what fits."
Made sense. I watched Meredith shift in her seat, one hand pressed to her lower back. Sofia leaned over, saying something that made Meredith laugh. Elena appeared with what looked like fresh drinks, and Ivy transferred Marcello to Meredith's arms so she could help distribute glasses.
The alliance between the Hales, Donatis, and Savocas had solidified faster than anyone expected. The Malatestas had scattered after we'd cleared their holdings, most fleeing to cities outside our territory. We kept tabs on the ones we knew about, just in case, but they'd gone quiet. Smart choice.
My father had been thrilled with the arrangement.
The Donati connections opened doors we'd been trying to pry open for years, and in return, we'd given them access to supply chains and political leverage they couldn't match.
The Savocas brought muscle and old-world respect that carried weight in certain circles.
Together we'd built something formidable. Something that made other families think twice before testing boundaries.
"How's the new place treating you?" Grayson asked, pulling my attention back.
"Great." The word came out easy, genuine. "Ivy's settling in well."
Better than well, actually. She'd made the place ours in ways I hadn't expected.
Little touches scattered throughout the rooms, her clothes mixed with mine in the closet, her toothbrush next to mine in the bathroom.
The kitchen smelled like coffee in the mornings because she couldn't function without it.
Though that kitchen had seen some other uses, too.
My mind drifted to three nights ago, some stupid argument I couldn't even remember starting.
Something about me being overprotective, maybe, or her being reckless.
The specifics had evaporated the second I'd backed her against the new marble counter, her legs wrapping around my waist as I'd hiked up her skirt.
The memory sent heat straight through me. The way she'd gasped when I'd pushed inside her, fingers digging into my shoulders. How she'd bitten down on my neck to muffle her sounds, knowing the windows were open. The desperate rhythm we'd found, rough and fast and exactly what we both needed.
I shifted my weight, adjusting myself discreetly.
"Eric?" Jackson's voice cut through the haze.
"Yeah?"
"I asked if you needed another beer."
"I'm good." I cleared my throat, forcing my focus away from memories of Ivy's thighs trembling around my hips.
Across the pool, she'd reclaimed Marcello from Meredith. The kid had his face buried in her neck, and Ivy was rocking him gently, humming something I couldn't hear from this distance. She looked natural with him. Comfortable in a way that made something tighten in my chest.
Being the last surviving son in my family came with expectations. My father hadn't brought it up yet, probably giving me time to solidify things with Ivy first, but eventually the conversation would come. Legacy. Heirs. Continuing the bloodline.
The thought of Ivy pregnant should've terrified me. Should've sent me running like it would've four years ago when I'd been too broken to imagine building anything permanent.
Instead it just made me want.
Want to see her belly round with my kid. Want to watch her navigate motherhood with the same fierce protection she showed everyone she loved. She'd be incredible at it. Wild and devoted and probably terrifying to anyone who threatened her children.
Like a tiger protecting her cubs.
Perfect.
The image settled in my bones, solid and sure in a way few things in my life had ever been.
"You look like you're plotting something," Grayson observed.
"Always am." I drained the rest of my beer. "Occupational hazard."
Leo's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, frowning at whatever message he'd received. "Supply issue on the east docks. Grayson, I need you on this."
Grayson straightened. "Now?"
"Sooner the better." Leo glanced at Jackson. "You good here?"
"Yeah, I've got it covered."
The two of them headed inside, Grayson calling something to Sofia about being back soon. She waved him off, already engaged in conversation with Elena about something that had them both laughing.
Jackson moved closer to the pool area, taking up a position where he could keep an eye on all the women while still maintaining distance. Professional as always.
I watched Ivy pass Marcello to Elena, then stretch her arms over her head. The movement pulled her shirt tight across her chest, and I tracked the curve of her body with the kind of focus that would've gotten me killed if I'd been on a job.
She caught me staring and raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Knew exactly what she was doing, the tease.
I jerked my head toward the house, a clear invitation.
She bit her lower lip, glancing at the other women. They were deep in conversation, passing around nail polish colors and debating something that involved a lot of hand gestures. Sofia had Marcello now, bouncing him on her knee.
Ivy looked back at me and shrugged, casual as anything, then started making her way around the pool.
"Grabbing more drinks," she announced to no one in particular.
I was already moving toward the sliding glass doors.
Inside, the air conditioning hit like a wave of relief after the poolside heat. I heard her footsteps behind me, quick and light on the tile.
"You're not very subtle," she said, closing the door behind her.
"Don't need to be subtle in my own house."
"Our house," she corrected, crossing her arms. "You made a whole speech about that when you convinced me to move in, remember? 'This is ours, Ivy. Our space. Our home.'"
"I remember." I moved closer, backing her against the wall next to the door. "I also remember you agreeing with me. Eventually."
"Eventually." Her hands found my chest, fingers spreading over my shirt. "After you wore me down with that persistence thing you do."
"Worked, didn't it?"
"Unfortunately for my sanity, yes."
I kissed her, slow and deep, tasting chlorine and something sweet she must've been drinking. She melted into me the way she always did, that initial resistance giving way to want.
When I pulled back, her eyes had gone dark. "We can't. Everyone's right outside."
"Jackson's watching them. They're fine."
"Eric." But her protest lacked conviction, especially when I pressed my thigh between her legs.
"Five minutes," I murmured against her neck. "Just need five minutes with you."
"You're insatiable."
"Only with you."
I caught her hand and pulled her down the hallway, past the kitchen where we'd christened the counter, past the living room with its floor-to-ceiling windows, all the way to the master bedroom.
The walk-in closet was huge, bigger than Ivy's old apartment's bedroom had been. She'd complained about the excess when we'd first moved in, then proceeded to fill half of it with new clothes and shoes within a month.
I shut the door behind us, engaging the lock out of habit even though no one would interrupt. The space smelled like her perfume mixed with my cologne, an intimacy that went beyond just sharing closet space.
"Here?" She looked around at the hanging clothes, the built-in shelving. "Really?"
"You have a better suggestion?"
"The bed's literally twenty feet away."
"Too far." I pulled her against me, hands sliding under her shirt to find bare skin. "Need you now."
She laughed, breathless and wanting. "You're ridiculous."
"You love it."
"I do," she admitted, then kissed me hard enough to make my head spin.
Her fingers worked at my belt while I shoved her shorts down her hips. The logistics were awkward, cramped, perfect in the way spontaneous always was with her. I lifted her, pressing her back against the wall between rows of hanging shirts.
"Quiet," I warned, even as I pushed inside her.
Her answer was a muffled moan against my shoulder, teeth finding skin. I moved slowly at first, savoring the heat of her, the way she gripped me like she never wanted to let go.
"Faster," she demanded, nails digging into my back.
I obliged, finding that rhythm that had her gasping, her legs tightening around my waist. Somewhere outside, I could hear faint laughter from the pool area, the sound filtering through walls and distance.
Made this hotter somehow, knowing we were stealing these minutes while life continued around us.
"God, Eric." Her head fell back against the wall. "Don't stop."
"Never." I shifted my angle, hitting deeper, getting rewarded with her sharp inhale. "Could do this forever."
"Big talk." But her voice shook, breathless.
I pressed my mouth to her neck, feeling her pulse race under my lips. "Not talk. Promise."
She always loved it when I got her in moments like these. Risky moments. It made it easier to get her to finish.
She came apart first, her whole body tensing then releasing in waves I felt ripple through her. The sight of her, flushed and trembling and mine, sent me over the edge moments later.
We stayed pressed together, breathing hard in the quiet of the closet. Her forehead rested against my shoulder, fingers still gripped in my hair.
"We're terrible people," she said eventually.
"Probably." I kissed her temple. "Worth it though."
"Mmm." She unwound her legs from around me, sliding back to the floor on shaky feet. "We need to get back before someone notices."
"They probably already noticed."
She swatted my chest. "Great. That's not mortifying at all."
I helped her straighten her clothes, tucking her shirt back into place, brushing my thumbs over her hips. She fixed my belt, fingers lingering longer than necessary.
"You know," I said, watching her adjust her hair in the mirror mounted on the closet wall, "you're really good with Marcello."
"He's a sweet kid." She glanced at me in the reflection. "Why?"
"Just an observation."
Her eyes narrowed. "Eric Hale, what are you thinking about?"
"Lots of things." I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind. "You. Me. This life we're building."
"That's suspiciously vague."
I met her gaze in the mirror, seeing the question forming before she could voice it. "Would you ever want kids?"
She went still. "That's a hell of a question to ask right after closet sex."
"Best time to ask. You're relaxed."
"I'm processing." She turned in my arms, studying my face. "Is this something you want?"
"Eventually." The honesty came easy. "Not right now. But someday. With you."
Her expression softened, something vulnerable flickering across her features. "I never let myself think about it before. Kids, family, all of that. Seemed like something for other people. Stable people. Normal people."
"And now?"
"Now I'm living in a mansion with a crime lord who just fucked me in a closet." She smiled, small and real. "So clearly my life's taken some unexpected turns."
"That's not an answer."
"I know." She pressed her palm to my chest, right over my heart. "Ask me again in a year. When we've had more time to figure out this whole 'us' thing without adding tiny humans to the mix."
Fair enough. We'd barely hit four months of actually being together, really together, without secrets and distance between us. Adding kids to that equation now would be rushing things.
But the fact that she hadn't said no outright, that she was considering it at all, settled something restless in my chest.
"Deal," I said, kissing her forehead. "One year."
"One year," she agreed. "Now let's get back out there before Sofia sends a search party."