Epilogue
Delaney
It’s Christmas Eve. The last few days have been quiet while we all stuck to our corners and tried to process everything that’s happened.
Although I still struggle over the choices that Mom made, including hiding the identity of my father, I can never truly understand the why because I wasn’t there.
We’ve spoken briefly over the phone, and I feel better knowing that she still sounds clear, but she has a long way ahead of her. I didn’t want to pry too much while everything was so fresh but what she said helped me to come closer to understanding.
Ice’s assault changed everything for her and unfortunately with her miscarriage and being trapped under his thumb, I suspect the drugs she turned to were the only blessing…until I came along.
I will forever be grateful to Diablo for helping her to get clean and I think, checking in on her all those years to make sure she stayed that way. Unfortunately, when he disappeared there was no one to keep her in line and the frail thread holding her together unraveled.
What I didn’t understand was why Diablo let Joey and Peter claim me, but her words soothed some of those wounds when she explained that he wanted me to be safe and cared for and he knew that staking his claim as my father would only put me in danger.
However, Ice always suspected something, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her he knew about Diablo the night I met him at the sanctuary. The asshole is still out there but I have a feeling his days are numbered.
Thankfully, Peter seems to have dropped his vendetta to arrest Maddox in the wake of everything that’s happened, and the Saints can rest a little easier but for the killer still on the loose.
While I only want the best for my parents, I think they need time to work through the lies between them and hopefully Peter can forgive her for her sins.
I know the deaths of the women weigh heavily on Maddox and the others. I just hope something gives and soon. I can’t stand the thought of innocent women at risk while this psycho hunts them down.
“Princess?” Maddox says, breaking me from my reverie.
“Yeah?” My heart pulses with the warmth I’ve come to crave when he’s around and I take his hand when he holds it out to me.
After following him down the hall and into a storage room of sorts, I turn in a circle and ask, “What are we doing here?”
“Research,” he says with a mischievous smirk.
“For what?” I ask and he points to a corner.
“You start over there.”
“What am I looking for?”
“Old tapes.”
Huh?
The room is huge. It looks like the brothers never finished it, so the back two thirds is full of wood beams, tools and whatever else they planned to use to create their unrealized space.
All the holiday stuff though is neatly packed against the wall closest to the door.
Beyond that, I spy a stack of boxes and approach. Everything is so organized, I find it odd that three of the boxes in the corner are unlabeled.
I don’t know what we’re doing but I’m game to play along because this is a nice distraction from the thoughts that haunt me.
The first box contains a wedding dress, and I run my hands over the silk bodice adorned with tiny beads and gorgeous faux pearls.
Who wore this? When?
“That was my mom’s,” Maddox says over my shoulder.
“Oh,” I breathe, turning to him. I wish I could have met the woman who created my man but maybe we wouldn’t be here today if things hadn’t happened the way they did.
His eyes sparkle, and I’m relieved to see the darkness that usually lingers there gone.
When he nods to the boxes, I cover the dress back up and search through the second, finding some old tapes, movies, perhaps?
“Here,” Maddox says, and I glance at him sideways when he shoves an old VHS player into my hands before grabbing the box of old movies from the floor.
After that, he leads me to the media room and sets the box down before grabbing the player from my hands. While we struggle with setting it up, someone clears their throat from the door, and I muster a small smile when Joker raises a brow.
I’m still not sure how he feels about me, but he’s been nothing but kind. I’m hoping for the best.
“Here,” Joker says, and we step back to watch while he connects the wires to the T.V.
When he’s done, he steps back and stares at the old videos before shaking his head. A peculiar expression crosses his face before he leaves without a word, and I turn to Maddox with questions in my eyes.
He merely smiles and selects a tape before shoving it into the player. The colors are muted and dull, the sound glitchy but I see what I presume to be Joker and a redhead standing in front of a building.
“Mom?” I ask and Maddox nods, pushing a strand of hair back from my face.
Whipping around, I lean in closer as tears build behind my eyes. While it’s cool to see her, it’s the different version of the boy who would one day love my mom but ultimately bring me Maddox that warms my heart.
The next two videos show the progression of the duo and to my delight, I get to see Diablo. His dark hair, so like mine glints in the sunlight as he turns and laughs at the camera.
I try to identify any other traits that we share but it’s hard to process when I’m seeing the man for the first time. Luckily, the images are preserved, and I can view them at any time, especially since our time is running out before dinner.
When Maddox grabs a video from the bottom of the pile and presses play, I crawl into his lip and lean against his warm chest.
I’m expecting more of the antics of his family but this video cuts to a church and the camera pans over the crowd, including Joker standing at the front before it wobbles, and the person spins.
My breath catches when it lands on Mom at the threshold. Her red hair flows down her back in silken waves and the creamy gown she chose accentuates her lithe figure and her bright blue eyes.
She stares across the room, presumably at Joker waiting for her at the altar. Beside her, a woman grabs her hand, and I lean in. Is this my grandmother?
Together they walk down the aisle, and I take in every nuance of her face and beautiful smile until they’re standing together at the front and the video cuts off.
When I turn to Maddox, my heart tumbles at his dancing eyes, and I press my lips to his, my throat aching with unshed tears as I say, “Thank you.”
He drops his forehead to mine and breathes, “I will do anything to see that fucking smile for the rest of my life.”
Me too.
Our time together comes to a close when Wolf pokes his head in and says, “Get your fucking hands off my sister.”
I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I have two half-brothers, and I can’t say that the way we met, Wolf and I have inspired any warm and fuzzy feelings. Still, I’m open to exploring this new relationship, which apparently includes a serious dose of protectiveness.
“Not a fucking chance,” Maddox says, his lips curving into a wicked smile.
When Wolf grumbles something under his breath, I hide my laugh in Maddox’s shoulder. He’s taken too much pleasure already in torturing his MC brother, but I see the sparkle in his eyes, it’s all in good fun…at least on Maddox’s part.
“Come on,” Lilli says from the door. “Dinner is ready.”
When Maddox helps me to stand, I feel a tingle of something warm and new. Together we’re celebrating our first Christmas, and I hope Maddox’s brothers come to accept me as I have them.
The man I love is MC and I will never let him lose that for me.
As soon as we enter the hall, our intertwined hands swinging between us, Joker barks, “Maddox, get your ass over here and cut the bird.”
Maddox winks down at me and I smile until he’s gone from view, only to turn when Draven makes a gagging sound from the hall.
Laughing when she shakes her head, I lean against the wall as she says, “You’ve fallen for the dark side.”
“It’s not so bad,” I say, and she sighs.
“Yeah…it is.”
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“It's dangerous–”
“It’s dangerous here,” she sneers. “Don’t you get it?”
“I guess, I don’t.”
“You’ll never be free as long as you’re here,” she says, and I shiver when she walks through that door into the darkness.
I know I should say something but it’s not my business what Draven does, and I can’t believe that she would be stupid enough to involve herself in Aces’ business.
Besides, who am I to come between her and her desire for freedom?
To her, this place is stifling. For me, it feels like home, and I know that's directly related to Maddox.
She needs to find her peace and if that's not here, then eventually, the MC is going to have to figure out how to let her go.