Epilogue
“Why are you so quiet?” I ask Lenox on a half-yawn, my head tilted back against the seat, my large, black sunglasses over my closed eyes.
I’m flipping exhausted. We both are. It was a long goddamn flight from LA, and we made the dumb decision to take it by redeye, and now we’re driving back to Lenox’s place in Maine.
Well, I guess it’s my place too now.
“I’m always quiet.”
I roll my head in his direction, even if my eyes are closed. Yes, Lenox is always quiet. But there is Lenox quiet, and then there is quiet, even for Lenox. He’s the latter. His flat tone isn’t fooling me. But truthfully, I’m too tired to press him. I just want to get home and sleep until next week.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks.
The moment we stepped out of the police precinct after our friends came and sprang us, the press ate us alive.
Zax—always the forward thinker—was ready with a no fucking around security detail, and Lenox and I were whisked back to Zax’s, where we spent the night in the luxury and security of his penthouse.
Since then, it’s been one thing after another.
Thanksgiving happened, and we didn’t allow the events of the previous evening to overshadow our joy. It wasn’t difficult. Not with our people, our family, by our side. The following day, we had our wedding—our real wedding. Only this time, I had no tears. I was all smiles and laughs and pure joy.
It was the wedding I had always wanted. My dream wedding in my dream dress.
The only thing that would have made it better was if my parents had been there.
I wish I could talk to my dad. I wish I could have let him know all that I know about what was going on with Alfie and Ezra.
I also wish he knew my mom never wanted to cheat on him, because when I spoke to her on the phone, she burst into tears.
Alfie was a monster.
The things he did to her, the things he said to her, were nothing short of abusive and I can’t imagine all she endured with that. But enough of that.
After the wedding, Lenox scooped me up—literally—and had Ashley drive us across town to a swanky hotel, where we spent the following few nights locked away from the world. No press. No outside noise.
Just us.
And a lot of room service.
In short, it was a perfect honeymoon escape that I never wanted to end. It was certainly far more favorable than flying out to LA and dealing with the nightmare that was waiting for me there.
I spent five solid days dealing with the board.
We made press statements and started running positive PR campaigns.
We did blast interviews, searching for a CEO and COO who could lead us forward and bring us into a positive light.
The press was camped outside my LA townhouse. It was the worst sort of déjà vu.
I went and visited Alfie, who had been in solitary after he was caught attempting to bribe some guards to help him escape.
I told him all about Ezra. About how his son had tried to play him with my father’s will.
How we have audio of him confessing everything, including Alfie’s misdeeds, and that the FBI seems to have quite the cybercrimes case against him.
I also made it clear that I was going to make sure that neither of them would ever take a free breath again. And when he asked me how I had managed to get the upper hand on him, I simply smirked and walked out.
The FBI has my statements, as well as the audio from Ezra’s attempted kidnapping of me. The federal prosecutor for the case has already informed me I’ll likely have to testify, which is fine. I’ll do whatever I have to do with this.
Thankfully there is nothing connecting Lenox to any of this. No one will ever know he’s the one who brought Alfie and Ezra down. He’s simply my hot, muscled, tattooing husband.
Speaking of…
“I’ve been thinking about the tattoo I want,” I murmur sleepily, even though the urge to smile is overwhelming.
“Oh?” is his only reply, though there is no masking the surprised curiosity in his voice.
“I was thinking about getting a rose on my ring finger. We can be twinsies. Though obviously, I’d want someone skilled doing mine, unlike the guy who did yours.”
He makes a noise at my barb, that’s something close to a mocking chuckle. “A rose? Like mine?”
“Like yours. Only maybe black? You are a rather dark fellow, after all. Oh, but maybe with some gold and blue accents.”
I can hear the smile in his voice as he says, “You know, if you tattoo a rose like that on you, we’re forever.”
“I assumed that was part of the deal when I said till death do us part.”
“I’m just saying, a contract can be broken. Tattoos are permanent.”
I make a sardonic noise. “They can do all kinds of brilliant things with lasers now, so don’t get too cocky there, hero. But it warms my heart to know you’re already thinking about how breakable our wedding vows are.”
“Your rose isn’t going anywhere. As I said, we’re forever and permanent.” He clears his throat and then tacks on, almost apologetically, “The fingers hurt.”
I balk at that, sitting up and finally opening my eyes so I can glare at my husband.
“Are you saying I’m not woman enough to handle it?
I birthed a baby in a blizzard, fought—and beat—a man with a gun, and I’m married to you.
” I poke his shoulder. “I think something like a little finger tattoo is child’s play after all that. ”
His lips bounce, but he turns to give me a brief, taunting look. “Very bold words there, Mrs. Moore.”
“I’m aware, Mr. Monroe.”
“You’re planning on using numbing cream, aren’t you?”
My smile finally slips. “One hundred percent.”
He reaches over and takes my hand. “Can we do it now?”
I think on that for a moment, because while I am badass and all tough chic who can take on the world in my heels and red lipstick, the thought of a fucking needle piercing my skin a thousand times scares the ever-loving shit out of me.
And I am woman enough to admit that to myself.
But I made it through the nose piercing without even a whimper, and that bitch hurt.
Only this time, he won’t be able to hold my hand if he’s the one inking it.
What the fuck. It’ll be cool.
“Do I need to call in a prescription or do you carry such creams in your shop?”
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my fingers knuckle by knuckle, holding at my ring finger. “We’ll stop and get you some first.”
“Then I’m in. Let’s tat me up. Maybe after I’ll have you tattoo ‘kiss this’, one word on each ass cheek.”
“Except we both know I will, so it’s not exactly the fuck you, you hope it will be.”
Probably true. I do like it when Lenox kisses my ass. And does other things to it. “Fine. I’ll start with the rose, and we’ll go from there. ”
He continues to drive us into Maine, bringing us closer to Lavender Lake.
I must eventually doze off because suddenly the BMW SUV that freaking Ezra planted his slimy ass in the back of comes to a stop.
Evidently, once December hits, Lenox leaves the Shelby in his heated garage in Cambridge for the winter. Boo.
“We’re here,” he whispers, leaning over and kissing me awake. Raising my sunglasses up to the top of my head, I thread my fingers into his hair and hold him close, kissing him soundly.
“Do I have to move? It’s warm in the car and so very cold out there.”
He smiles against my lips. “You wanted a tattoo. We have to get you magic cream first.”
All my bravado crumbles like potato chips. “We could go home first. I could sleep, and you could sleep since I know you didn’t get a lot on the plane and you must be so tired, and you could ink me in my dreams.”
He licks a trail up my neck and places an open-mouth kiss on my jaw that makes me shudder. Damn him. “Oh, Georgie, you’re braver than that.”
Am I though? Am I really?
I give him a skeptical glare. “How much pain are we talking about?”
He grins like the Cheshire Cat, his freaking blue eyes sparkling like sexy, rare gems. “I’ll make it hurt so good.”
“You can’t give me an orgasm while you’re inking me. My hand will need all your expert focus, and I’m assuming staying still is of the utmost importance, so that eliminates me riding you while you do it.”
He nips my bottom lip. “I’ll let you sit on my face after. And then ride me if that’s what you want.”
“You better,” I grumble, shoving him back and climbing out of the car, only to immediately huddle into my winter coat.
Freaking Maine in December.
He parked on the street, two storefronts down from the shop, all the way at the end of the strip. I spin on him. “Why didn’t you park in the back? ”
He takes my hand and walks me onto the sidewalk, so I don’t get hit by an oncoming car.
“They’re doing some construction back there,” he tells me, but there is a glint in his eyes that I can’t quite place.
A glint that grows as he walks us toward the vacant building on the end, pulls out a random key, and inserts it into a lock.
“What are we doing here? I doubt I can get lidocaine cream in an empty building.”
“We’re having a quickie first. All that talk about you on my face and my dick made me hard. What’s the point of owning all these buildings if I can’t take advantage?”
While part of me is eager to agree, there is another part of me that—“What the fuck?!”
Lenox continues to hold my hand, giving it a firm yank when I stop moving and forcing me deeper into the space.
He licks his lips and turns back to me. “I was thinking this made sense as a waiting room and possible triage space if you need it.” He pans a hand around an open space where there are couches and comfy chairs and a front desk area filled with monitors and computers, separated from the sitting area by a large half wall.
“There are eight patient rooms in the back, as well as a space for phlebotomy, an ultrasound room, and a room for prenatal nonstress tests. I was told bathrooms in OB-GYN offices are essential, so I had them install two over there”—he points toward the lab area—“and three more in the back patient area, including one for staff only.”
“Lenox…” My voice dies as my hand covers my mouth as I take in everything around me. He walks us back to the patient area, showing me one of the exam rooms completely outfitted with everything I’d ever need.
“It’s a big office, so if you wanted to hire staff or other providers, you can.
There is also massive space in the back of the building for what I think could potentially be a birthing center, but there are a lot of laws with that, and I didn’t have time to navigate them before getting this front space ready.
I figured you’d want to come up with the name for your clinic and put on the decorative finishing touches, so I didn’t do that. ”
I can’t breathe. I. Can’t. Fucking. Breathe .
“You built me a clinic,” I croak as the first of the tears start.
He turns, and a smile erupts across his face as he reaches over and wipes a few away. “It’s just the start of one. You’re the one who’s going to build it.”
I stare around the massive space, walking from room to room, taking in all the equipment he purchased, the layout of each room, to the way it’s fucking painted in a soothing pale blue-gray. I even have a big, beautiful office just for me.
He did this.
He did all of this.
For me.
So I can have everything while living here with him in Maine.
“I’m doing this,” I say, almost bewildered, past the point of comprehension. “I’m really doing this. I’m living in Maine and setting up my own clinic.”
He turns to me, taking both my hands in his, staring intently into my eyes. “If that’s what you want, it’s all yours. If it’s not, then I’ll lease it out to someone else or sell the properties and we’ll go somewhere else. Whatever you want, Georgia, I want you to have.”
This man. This fucking man.
How do men like him exist when we’re taught from a fundamental age that they don’t? He broke my heart in the worst of ways, but no one could have rebuilt it as perfectly as he did. He made me stronger by breaking it, but now I’m invincible with his heart beating beside mine.
“It’s what I want. And I want the birthing center. And I want to hire on staff. And I want it. I want it all. With you.”
He cups my face in his hands. “It’s yours, Georgia. I’m in the process of having it moved to your name on the property. This is your start, and you can take it as far as your imagination and aspirations go.”
“EEEEEP!” I squeal at the top of my lungs, jumping up into Lenox’s arms and kissing him like a woman who couldn’t possibly be any more in love with her husband. “Okay,” I say, pulling back from him. “Thank you. I love it. I love you.”
“I love you.”
“Good. Because now it’s tattoo time. Ink me, baby, because we’re forever. Till death do us part.”
The End.
Thank you for taking the time to read Irresistibly Dangerous.