Epilogue
The doctors called it a miracle that Jace had pulled through his near-fatal gunshot wound, and he knew that his recovery had everything to do with Doctor Ruby’s quick thinking.
The Royal Bastards called it a victory that the Dead Rabbits believed he was gone.
But for Jace, it felt like something else entirely—a chance to start over.
He was going to start a new life with his woman and his son by his side, and he couldn’t believe that he had gotten so lucky.
He sat in the hospital bed, his son cradled in Winter’s arms, and listened as Savage explained the details to him.
Since he was able to convince the Dead Rabbits that Jace was dead, he’d need a new name, a new identity, and a clean slate.
At first, the idea of erasing himself felt like a betrayal.
He had worked hard to become who he was.
He had built his career in the Bureau and made a name for himself.
The only problem was that the Dead Rabbits figured out that he was an agent, and he blew his cover.
That’s when his life started going downhill.
Maybe Savage was right. Maybe a fresh start was just what he needed.
When he looked at Winter and the tiny boy nestled against her chest, he realized it wasn’t erasure of his old life—it was a rebirth.
The man he had been was gone, buried in blood and violence.
The man he would become had a woman he loved by his side and a son who needed him to stick around to raise him.
Becoming a ghost gave him that opportunity.
“I like it,” Jace admitted quietly, his hand brushing Winter’s. “A fresh start is just what we need. There will be no ghosts chasing us anymore, and we won’t have to run. We can put down roots—just us.”
“The three of us.” Winter smiled, tired but radiant.
“Then we’ll take this second chance, together.
” Jace wasn’t sure where they were going to end up, but he was excited about the idea of the three of them making their way in the world together.
As long as the Dead Rabbits believed him to be dead, he’d have that fresh start with Winter, and for that, he was thankful.
After the New Year, they would pack what little they had and drive.
He had thought about going north since they left his cozy little cabin, but he wondered how Winter felt about returning to his place.
His little cabin waited for them, silent beneath a blanket of snow, its rough-hewn walls a reminder of where they had survived before, and that thought made him smile.
If he could get Winter to agree to going back north, this time, it wouldn’t be a place for hiding.
It would be a place of healing and a new start for them as a family.
They sat around the fireplace at Savage’s place, planning their future as their son slept soundly in a crib.
Savage had insisted that the three of them stay with him, Dallas, Bowie, and their kids, until they could figure out their next move and get the documentation that he and Winter would need to start over.
Winter leaned against Jace’s shoulder, her voice soft but certain. “We don’t have to know what comes next yet. We just have to decide it together.”
Jace kissed the top of her head, his arm tightening around her. “That’s the only promise I’ll ever make you, honey,” he said. “Whatever comes our way, we will face it side by side.”
Winter nodded, “I think that we should go north and take our time deciding our next chapter,” she said.
“To the cabin?” he asked, hopefully.
She smiled, “Yes, to the cabin. I like the idea of starting our new lives there. It’s the place that brought us together and kept us safe.
It felt like home.” She shook her head, “I never thought that I’d ever want to leave Huntsville, or the Harlots, but I never thought that we’d have the chance at a fresh start.
I say we go north for a while to consider what that fresh start is going to look like.
” He wasn’t sure how he had gotten so damn lucky, but he wasn’t about to start questioning his luck now.
“I’d like that, honey,” he said.
Savage stood from the chair that sat next to the fireplace in the corner. “It’s settled then,” he said. “You three rest up, and we’ll get you up to the cabin to start your new lives. Bowie will get started on securing your new identity so that you have it for your travels.”
“Thanks, man,” Jace said, standing from the couch to shake Savage’s hand. “For everything.”
“You’re a Royal Bastard, and always will be, no matter where you live. That’s what Bastards do for each other.” He wasn’t sure how he was going to get through life without the Bastards by his side, but he knew that he’d never have to—his brothers would always have his back.
Outside the farmhouse, the world went on around them, but in Savage’s house, deciding what their future would look like together, things seemed slower.
For the first time in months, there was no fear of being pursued and no threat of anyone hurting them.
From then on, it was going to be just Winter, Jace, and their son—three souls bound together, ready to build a life from the ashes.
And one thing was certain—every choice, every step, every fight that they had ahead of themselves—they would make it through them all together.
The End
What’s coming next from K.L. Ramsey? Ruby (Royal Harlots Huntsville Chapter Book 9) is coming in February 2026! This one is going to be a Valentine’s Novella!!