Epilogue
THREE MONTHS AGO, Saint had stood in a warehouse doorway, rifle in hand, heart in his throat, terrified he’d find Beth’s limp body. Instead, he found her brave, bloodied, beautiful face staring back at him. Three months ago, he’d been cast out of his club and thought he’d lost everything.
Now he stood at the entrance of her new grooming salon, watching his ol’ lady live her dream, and he’d never felt more grateful to be alive.
The shine hadn’t faded one iota on his relationship with Beth. She moved in straight after being released from the hospital three months ago, and every morning he woke beside her, feeling like the luckiest bastard on the planet.
And now, standing near the entrance of her new grooming salon, watching people stream through the front doors, he’d never felt prouder of anyone.
Beth was in her element. Balloons danced in the breeze outside the salon, attached to a cheerful sign announcing the grand opening event.
For opening day, she decided to offer a free mini groom for prospective clients.
A brushing, nail clipping, festive bandana, and, of course, plenty of treats for anyone who stopped by with their pet during the four-hour event.
And did people ever stop by.
Beth hadn’t taken a break since she opened the door. Hell, there was a line of people waiting more than thirty minutes before she opened. Even still, with only five minutes left, the bell above the salon door jingled every few seconds as Saint opened the door to admit potential customers.
An older woman walked toward him, cradling a freshly fluffed terrier in a pastel pink bandana that matched the shop’s pale yet colorful palette. Beth’s touch was everywhere, warm, welcoming, and playful.
“You have a good evening, Mrs. Barnett,” he said as he pulled the door open for the woman who worked at the local library.
“Hmph.” She side-eyed him, shifting her dog to her other arm as though he’d rip it away from her and devour it.
Not everyone loved the fact that the new grooming salon had ties to the MC, but it hadn’t deterred people. If they didn’t want to drive an hour for decent pet grooming, they’d learn to deal.
Saint’s gaze drifted unconsciously to the dog pendant hanging around Beth’s neck.
Embedded in the gold lies a tracking device, should the worst happen again.
Combined with the absurd amount of cameras Maverick installed and the state-of-the-art security system, he felt confident in Beth’s safety while working.
Demo died three months ago. That chapter closed in the most satisfying way, but the man above him, the one pulling the strings, had vanished.
No body. No arrest. No contact. Only silence.
They still didn’t know his name. All they had was a fuzzy photo Zach took of a heavily tattooed man with large ear gauges and what looked like a missing finger, slipping out the back on the day they rescued Beth.
Saint wasn’t convinced it was over. More likely, the fucker lay in wait for the day the club got complacent. Then he’d come roaring back into town ready to rumble.
They weren’t taking any chances.
The club beefed up security across the board, including homes, businesses, and the clubhouse. The Handlers were prepared for whatever came their way.
That delicate gold chain around Beth’s pretty neck allowed him to sleep at night. It was pretty enough that no one questioned it, and smart enough to signal him if she needed help.
After the kidnapping, Beth went straight back to work as though nothing happened.
That was his ol’ lady. Brave didn’t begin to describe her. Neither did stubborn.
She stood near the counter, laughing, hands flying as she spoke to a family with three school-aged kids and a beautiful golden retriever. The afternoon sunlight caught in her strawberry hair, setting it ablaze. She looked so goddamn happy.
For a moment, Saint couldn’t breathe.
He thought of that warehouse. The chair. The bruises. The blood on her lips. He thought of how close he’d come to never seeing Beth in her element, surrounded by people who adored her, doing exactly what she was born to do.
She was here alive and thriving.
And Christ, she was beautiful when she won.
The rest of the event passed in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, he was ushering the final customer out the door. He joined Beth, Screw, Gumby, and Jazz to clean and lock up. The five of them got the job done in record time.
“Well, goddamn, that was better than we could have asked for!” Screw shouted as he gathered Beth in a crushing hug.
Saint clenched his teeth and plastered a smile on his face so Beth wouldn’t see that, yes, it still fucking bothered him when another man touched her, no matter who it was or how platonic the touch. Every time, he had to resist the urge to break fingers and bust jaws.
“Should we celebrate?” Gumby asked as Screw set Beth down. “Dinner?”
Beth caught his gaze and winked. Maybe he wasn’t as good at hiding his possessive side as he thought. “Yes!” she said, grinning. “But I need to go home and shower first. I’m covered in fur.”
“Same,” Jazz said with a laugh. “How about we text you guys in an hour, and we can figure out where to eat.”
“Perfect.”
As soon as the trio left, Saint went to Beth, gathered her in his arms, and kissed the hell out of her, driving his tongue between her lips until she was soft, pliant, and whimpering.
“Whoa,” she said, blinking at him with dazed eyes. “What was that for? Not that I’m complaining.” She pressed her palms to his chest. “In fact, do it again.”
Chuckling, he kissed her quickly this time. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Beth.”
Something flickered across her face, surprise, maybe, or wonder. Like she still couldn’t quite believe someone could be proud of her just for being herself.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “That means everything to me. I’m pretty proud of myself if I’m being honest.”
“You should be.” Her confidence was so damn sexy.
Her grin grew wicked as she slid a hand down his stomach straight to his dick. “You know, it seems like you might be up for a different kind of celebrating than Screw was referring to.”
“Not sure. Knowing him, he might very well be on the same page as me.” He mock scowled as he attacked her neck, making her laugh.
“Are you always going to get jealous when he hugs me?”
“Yes, and if any other man hugs you.”
“And will you always take me home and show me who I belong to?” She tilted her head to the side, giving him full access to anything he wanted.
“You know it.”
She turned her head, meeting his lips. “So maybe we blow off dinner and spend the night having a private celebration.”
Fuck yes. “Now that sounds perfect. Let’s get the fuck outta here.”
The bell above the door jingled again, and they both turned. Saint immediately blocked Beth with his body, shielding her from whoever dared to enter after hours.
Melody stood in Beth’s shop.
Saint went still.
Of all the things that have happened tonight, Melody showing up was not on his Bingo card.
“SAINT, WHO…” BETH peered around her giant boyfriend, currently protecting her from, holy shit. “Melody?” She couldn’t have kept the shock from her face if she tried.
She stepped out from behind Saint, ignoring his growl of protest.
“Babe…”
“It’s fine.”
Melody approached slowly. She looked smaller. Not physically, but the self-assured, seductive edge she’d once worn like armor had vanished. Her eyes were softer too. They had a nervous glint. She held herself like someone who’d learned the hard way that pride could cost too much.
“I won’t take much of your time,” she said in a meek voice. Her gaze darted between them before settling on Beth—the safer choice. “I just… I owe you both an apology.”
Saint didn’t interrupt, but he did place his hand on the small of Beth’s back.
“I was angry. And jealous.” She tapped the side of her head.
“There are some things I’m working on, uh…
some past things that affected me more than I realized.
Not that I’m trying to use that as an excuse or a justification for my behavior.
The things I said and did…” She shook her head, face falling into a grimace.
“I caused harm I can never undo. I know that.” She swallowed hard, blinking as she averted her gaze to the floor.
“I’m sorry. Truly sorry. And I’m getting help, uh… getting over what happened with D-Demo, and… other things. I won’t cause trouble for you or the MC again.”
Beth never told anyone, but she’d imagined this moment many times.
In her darker moments, she’d pictured herself unloading months of built-up anger, making Melody feel every ounce of pain she’d caused.
But as she stared at the woman before her, smaller somehow, fragile, clearly fighting her own demons, all Beth felt was compassion.
She knew what it was like to survive something that broke you.
She knew what it took to rebuild.
Melody was trying, and that counted for something.
Whatever drove Melody to act the way she did and make the choices that caused so much pain, it ran deep.
And Melody hadn’t come out unscathed. Physically, she suffered far worse than Beth, requiring surgery and a lengthy and painful recovery period.
So instead of letting this play out the way she’d fantasized, Beth spoke from her heart.
“Thank you for saying that. I’m not going to pretend what you did didn’t hurt, because it did.
But holding onto anger will only hurt more.
” She took a breath. “I hope you find peace, Melody. No matter what happened between us, no one deserves what Demo did to you.”
A tear tracked down Melody’s makeup-free face. Then another. She pressed a hand to her mouth, nodding, unable to speak. Had Beth ever seen the other woman without a full face of makeup? Melody nodded once as relief flickered across her face.
“Are you back in town permanently?” Beth asked.
“I’m not sure. Kinda taking it day by day.” She shifted, wringing her hands. “Well, thank you for hearing me out. I’m gonna go.”
In some ways, it broke Beth’s heart to see the once-confident woman so subdued. She couldn’t say she wished for the old Melody, but hopefully the woman would heal, come out stronger and kinder, and find happiness.
Melody turned and walked out the door, then down the sidewalk without looking back.
Saint exhaled slowly. “Didn’t see that coming.”
Beth shook her head. “Me neither.” She was quiet for a moment, processing. “But I’m glad it did. I didn’t realize how much I was still carrying until I let it go.”
Saint pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You’re incredible, baby.” He slid a hand along her spine. “Ready to go home?”
The mood wasn’t erotically charged as before, but they’d be back there by the time they got home. Riding on his bike always amped her up.
“Home with you? Always.”
The salon lights were dim when they finally locked the door.
Beth’s feet ached, and her throat felt scratchy from hours of talking to customers, but her heart was full to bursting. This grand opening had been everything she’d hoped for and more. The upcoming weeks were packed with appointments and an inbox full of new client requests.
She took a moment to admire the storefront before turning to Saint, who waited for her with an outstretched hand.
“You feel safe here?” he asked as she took his hand.
“Very. There are about six hundred cameras on me all day, a crazy alarm system complete with a panic button in each room, and my necklace.” She whispered the last word as though someone might overhear and snatch the tracking device. “Before I might have called it overkill, but now…” She shrugged.
“Yeah.”
“I kinda like knowing you can see where I am at all times. That’s probably not normal, is it? Maybe too codependent.”
He smiled softly, the smile he only showed her. “Fuck normal.”
She laughed, tears pricking her eyes. “Yeah, fuck normal. I’m happy, and that’s all that matters.”
“Happy looks good on you, baby.”
“Looks good on you too. So does love.”
He leaned down, kissed her lips, and whispered, “Good, because that’s not going anywhere. I will love you for the rest of my fucking life.”
Beth’s eyes burned. “I will love you for the rest of my life,” she whispered back. “You’re my missing piece, Saint.”
She’d heard people describe their hearts feeling full, but she’d never understood it until now. This wasn’t just fullness, it was overflowing. Spilling out of her in the form of joyous tears she couldn’t hold back.
Hand in hand, they strolled toward his bike, parked in a covered garage at the end of the street. The town had quieted as the sun began to set. Old-fashioned streetlamps lit their way. Beth felt something settle inside her.
As the daughter and now ol’ lady of an outlaw biker, she’d never have a typical life. She’d always be surrounded by big, loud, wild, overprotective men, and the fierce women who loved them.
Once, she’d found it suffocating, and she’d run to Texas, thinking distance would give her room to breathe. But she’d learned something in the months since coming home—she didn’t need distance. She needed the right person standing beside her.
And she’d found him.
Whatever came next, she’d face it with her family by her side.
And her heart tucked securely in Saint’s hands.