Epilogue – Joel
(Six months later)
I stand on the porch with my arms crossed, watching the front gate slide open to admit the truck.
The logo painted on the enclosed trailer now has dual silhouettes to represent the gardening business’s two staff members.
Now that Jeremy works with Alessandro, they offer more landscaping services, transforming backyards into mini paradises.
And of course, I do any of the outdoor electricals, when needed.
That’s not why I’m standing on the porch waiting.
Alessandro slides out of the driver’s side and waves to me before heading to the side entrance where he can remove his mud-covered boots.
Jeremy opens his arms wide and whistles at me. “Missed us that much, huh?”
“Whatever.” I flash him the middle finger and our bond hums with good humor in both directions. I click my fingers to summon him closer. “Come ‘ere.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m not Jock, you know.”
Speak of the devil, the dog rushes out the door I left ajar and bounds down the steps. Mr Shares lopes after him at a much more regal pace.
“Hello, boys! I’m home, I’m home!” Jeremy cries, greeting them with equal enthusiasm. “And yes, I smell like horses.” He grins up at me, and the happiness in his heart echoes in mine.
We took a long, windy road to where we are now, but these last few months have brought us closer together than ever.
“Oh.” Jeremy clicks his fingers. “The old Warkow house around the corner finally has a sold sticker on the sign.”
I snort. “Good riddance.”
Jeremy and I trade a knowing look. Turns out, people move away with just the slightest encouragement.
Graffitiing their sins on the big brick walls helps as well.
What they don't know is that their karma's going to follow them.
Alessandro might be good hearted enough to leave what happened in the past, but I'm not finished with my grudge.
At least now he won't have to drive down their street knowing those bastards still live there.
But that's only one of my secret plots.
“Hurry up,” I huff without raising my voice, beckoning him closer. Don’t want Willow to overhear.
He pushes the dogs away and they race off to piss all over the yard. Jeremy shoves his hands in his pockets and peels his boots off before the stairs.
“What’s up?” He plops his ass down on the top step and stretches out his sock-covered feet. “Willow okay?”
“Yeah, she’s getting ready for our date.”
“What’s up then?”
I pass over my tablet. “Look. That’s another set of charges.”
Jeremy drapes himself on my shoulder to look at the profile photos.
“Oh. For the bastards who abandoned her?” He straightens with interest. “The lawyer got back to you?”
“Yep. The good news is, this one’s already in prison.” I tap the profile of a man with a wedge-shaped jaw and shadowed eyes. “That’s the eldest.”
“The pack alpha scumbag?” Jeremy screws up his nose.
“Yep. Bryson.” The one who instigated all of Willow’s trauma and the man who abandoned her so cruelly. “Joke’s on him,” I mutter under my breath.
Because the omega he ditched went on to make millions of dollars, become a high-profile influencer, and packed up with three insanely hot dudes like us. Well, one insanely hot Italian and two regular Texas twins.
And when she came forward with her story, it turned out that several other women had stories to tell involving those three particular men.
When Willow first spoke out, I agonized over the possibility of her honesty ending with a slander case in court, but the other women, emboldened, hit the Ilvine’s with so many charges they’ll never breathe freely again.
The other two alphas will follow their pack leader to prison soon.
The anonymous donor covering the omegas’ legal fees might’ve helped. I think Willow knows it was me, but she never asked.
I glance out over the yard, my mind drifting.
Of course, Willow’s business imploded six months back when she got caught faking video locations. Even after her heartfelt explanation, she lost over half of her audience base, but the warrior-hearted woman took it in her stride, building everything back up.
She does less videos now and focuses more on her Aleta Boss College. She’s also writing a book about her life titled Hashtag: Omega.
We couldn’t be any prouder of her.
Jeremy elbows me, dragging my focus back. “What about the other two?”
“Well, these new charges—”
A shadow falls over me, accompanied by a sweet Jasmine fragrance. “What are you boys whispering about?”
My heart jumps, and I instinctively lower my tablet. Looking up, I find Willow bending over my head, brows arched. This is the furthest she comes out on the porch, but it’s an entire two feet from the door.
“Um,” I mumble, cheeks heating up.
“Shit, is that . . . them?” Willow asks, voice pitching.
“You don’t have to look,” I say, jumping up and tucking the tablet behind my back.
Jeremy flashes me a dirty look that says exactly how much trouble I’m in. I shake my head at him. I thought she was getting dressed!
“Hand it over,” she says, snapping her fingers.
I pass the tablet reluctantly, and when she takes it, I switch my grip to her wrist. “Willow, don’t force yourself.”
She pats my fingers and turns the screen on. “Well, I’ll be damned. He’s in prison. Serves the fucker right.”
“Exactly,” Jeremy chimes in.
Willow looks at me through her lashes, her eyes telling me she knows more than she lets on. “You’ve been . . . following these cases?”
“I just wanted to know,” I answer hotly. “Wouldn’t be right if they were living it up.”
She smiles and leans in, offering me her lips. “And that’s why I adore you.”
“One of the many reasons,” I protest, making her snicker.
Alessandro comes out the front door, searching for his angel.
“Hello, cara mia,” he murmurs as he snuggles her from behind and kisses her neck. None of us miss the way he inhales her scent; it’s his home from work ritual.
She reaches her arm back to hold his head, leaning her weight onto his chest. It’s so casually sexy, my cock stirs. There’ll be enough of that later, I warn my third leg.
“So.” Willow holds up the tablet. “What exactly are you planning now?”
“Nothing,” I grumble.
Willow shakes her head, but her pretty pink lips tilt up.
“Leave them be. Karma will come for them all.” She twists the tablet back and forth. “Like it already has for Bryson.” She pulls away from Alessandro and walks back to the door. “Plus,” she throws over her shoulder, “We have better things to do.”
“Sì, we do,” Alesandro echoes, following her into the house. “Are you still up for it, my love?”
I strain to hear her answer, relaxing when she says she’s going to try.
Jeremy drapes his arm around my shoulders.
“Busted!” he crows softly.
“Get off,” I mutter, not even trying to shake him loose.
He laughs and goes inside. I trail after him and out of habit, I check how he’s walking, but he’s got all his former swagger back. He took longer to heal than the doctors thought, no surprise, really, since he didn’t give up sex during his recovery.
After bonding with Willow, my brother found that he couldn’t even consider watching other omegas in heat. When Alessandro suggested they work together, everything fell into place nicely.
“Do we have to wash up?” Jeremy calls. “We’re just going to get wet anyway.”
“Yes!” Willow insists. “One of you smells like fertilizer.”
“That would be Alessandro. He dropped a bag of Good To Grow.”
I pause in the doorway, listening to my pack’s happy chatter. Idly, I stroke my bond scars. Jeremy’s on my palm—the same as the one I gave him so we’d match—Alessandro’s on my thigh, in the same position as the one he gave Willow, and my omega’s love bite on my collarbone above my heart.
We’re all double bonded, a choice we made to wind our souls together as tight as a pack can be.
The security buzzer rings and I whistle the dogs inside before opening the front gate again to admit the pizza delivery. Our omega seems to love pizza, especially the ones from this woodfire stove place, as expensive as they are. She says they smell the best.
And the things she loves are exactly what we need for this special date.
We gather in the back patio fifteen minutes later, the melted cheese and garlic flavors coming from the boxes making me salivate.
Willow bounces on her toes, a bundle of nerves. Each jump makes the fringing on her see-through dress dance.
“Don’t over think it,” I tell her, pulling on big rubber boots.
She chews on her lip but nods. That’s my brave Boss Omega.
I pick her up with one arm, lifting her high on my chest so she faces over my shoulder. “Ready?”
“No. Not at all.” Honest, scared. We feel it all through the bond.
“We’re right here, angel,” Alessandro assures her, opening the sliding screen.
I take one step. Willow squeaks and hunches down, clinging to my neck with all her strength. “No, I don’t think I can do it after all.”
“We’re still inside, baby,” I croon, rubbing whatever parts of her I can hold without dropping her. “You’re safe. This is my job, remember?”
Her nails dig into my skin. “But what if it comes for you too? Shit, Joel. My bad luck could take us both out.”
I squeeze her, my throat constricting. “That won’t happen. But I’m the happiest when I’m holding you anyway.”
She sniffles, which might be a partial laugh, if she wasn’t so scared.
The bond warms with reassurance, Alessandro and Jeremy both working hard to ease her fears. I take one step, and then another step over the patio threshold and onto the temporary pathway made of wooden boards covered in rubber matting.
The two dogs dance around my feet, excited that their mistress is finally coming outside.
“Bad idea, bad idea.” Willow winds herself so tightly into my neck I can’t breathe.
But it doesn’t matter. It’s only ten paces from the patio to the new indoor pool house.
Five months ago, when she mentioned she’d always thought about adding one to the estate—but never bothered because she knew she wouldn’t be able to use it—the three of us clamored to get it built.