Epilogue
March
Two Months Later
With Violet due within a few months, I’d been doing my best to make this place as secure as possible. Absolem had found the perfect cameras for the clubhouse and had ordered extras for all our homes. Even the ones not installed yet. Buying prefab homes had made things go quickly once the land had been cleared and pipes and wires had been run to each homesite.
The fact we’d paid extra to have it done quickly hadn’t hurt either. As of now, three of us had homes, and Rabbit would have one by end of next week. I’d had cameras placed over both exterior doors to the clubhouse, two on either side of the building, making sure the entire side was in view of at least one camera, and I’d done the same to the homes already set up.
Absolem had access to the feed from his computer, as did Hatter, Cheshire, and myself. We could even view the feeds from our phones if we wanted. I’d gone an extra step and put an alarm system in my place, and I knew Hatter and Cheshire were planning to do the same. The three of us were neighbors, with Hatter in the center. It worked out well since the ladies enjoyed spending so much time together.
I stood in the living room, watching them from the window. It was still too chilly to plant flowers, but we’d cleared a space for a garden, and Hatter had already gifted them with a table and chairs. The flowers would form a ring around the area with cobblestones under the table once spring arrived.
The three of them looked happy these days. Hell, I was happier than I’d ever been. I left my spot by the window and went into the nursery I’d set up last week. We’d decided to keep the walls a neutral color, and Violet had accented the space with pictures. She’d talked me into pink and purple for our girl, even though the room felt far too dainty for someone like me to dare step foot inside it.
We’d already picked out some toys and books. I’d even put a bookshelf and toy chest together, as well as a crib, changing table, and rocking chair. The room wasn’t huge, and I’d convinced Vi to stop adding more large items. When she insisted the baby needed a dresser, I found a small four-drawer chest and tucked it into the closet. As tiny as our daughter would be the first few years, anything that needed to hang on the rack still wouldn’t brush the top of the chest. It was the best solution I could come up with.
I went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge before taking a seat. Not for the first time, I wondered what life would be like right now if Ben had survived. Even if Vi and I had ended up together, would he be happy for us? Would we be sharing a drink right this very moment? Or would he be worried I’d break his sister’s heart?
I lifted my bottle. “Here’s to you, Ben. Wish you were still with us. Miss you like hell, and I know Vi does too.”
I heard a throat clear and glanced at the back door. Shit. I hadn’t even heard the fucker come in. “I may not be Ben, but can I join you?”
“Sure, Tweedle. Beer’s in the fridge. Help yourself.”
He did just that before sitting in the spot across from me. He eyed me, as if weighing his words and deciding what he should and shouldn’t say.
“When are you going to stop living in the past?” he asked. “You have a wife, a home, a baby on the way. Ben wouldn’t want you to dwell on what happened to him or sit here pondering all the what-ifs. I may not have met him, but I can tell that much from the way everyone talks about him.”
I nodded. “Yeah, guess so. Sometimes it’s just hard. Every memory I have of Vi, before she showed up here, has Ben in it. She was always chasing after us, wanting to do whatever we were doing. I always thought she just adored her big brother. Never occurred to me she had a crush on me.”
“Look at all the time you wasted.” Tweedle smirked. “If you hadn’t been running away, you may have married Violet a lot sooner. Been happier for it too, I’m sure.”
“Possibly. Not sure I was ready for all this back then. Hell, sometimes I’m not sure I’m ready now.”
“You are.” Tweedle took a swallow of his beer. “Anyone can see it. The two of you were meant to be together, and I have to agree with what Vi has said several times. You’re going to be a great dad. Probably overprotective, though.”
I shrugged. “Can you blame me? I’m having a daughter. Scares the shit out of me. What if some asshole comes along and takes advantage of her? Or lures her in with sweet words and she runs off with him?”
“Then we track him down, break his balls, and bring her home.” He pointed the neck of his bottle toward me. “That little one is my niece. You think I’m letting anyone run off with her? Hell no. Same goes for the rest of us.”
“Yeah. You’re right. She’ll have lots of protection around here. As long as Hatter’s and Cheshire’s sons think of her as a sister, we’re good. If either of them even thinks of dating her, the Pres and VP may have to file missing persons reports on their boys.”
Tweedle snickered. “I can see that. Understand it too.”
“Any news on the fence line?” I asked.
“Absolem is picky as fuck about it. Think he’s shelling out the cash for something custom. Too big to climb over. Solid so it can’t be cut with wire cutters. And he wants cameras installed there too. He said he’s not taking any more chances.”
Good. It’s what we needed to do. What should have been done already. Since he’d been snatching the funds from known traffickers, rapists, and drug cartels, I didn’t care about the cost. Neither did anyone else here. At least all that dirty money was being put to good use, and anytime he found a paper trail for a woman being enslaved in this country, he sent an anonymous tip to the Feds. No clue what the hell he did with the ones overseas.
One day at a time, we were doing our best to make not only this town but this world a better place. It’s why we’d all joined the military to begin with. We wanted to make a difference. Not sure I accomplished that as a Marine, but I knew things were changing now. At the very least, in Warren things were different. The interim sheriff was now the full-fledged one. The town had voted him into office, and it had been a landslide. I almost felt sorry for the poor asshole who ran against him.
“What do you think about the club’s plans for the future?” Tweedle asked.
“You already know I’m all for it. Why? Think we’re getting too domesticated or something?”
“Not exactly. I never wanted to be party central. I’ve heard a lot of clubs have a wild time. It’s fine every now and then, but… after the shit we’ve been through, I like the quiet.”
I got it. We all did. It’s a large part of why we’d decided not to open anything like a bar or strip club. Instead, the ladies had talked us into two businesses. An auto repair shop that also worked on motorcycles, and guards for short-time hire. We’d accept contracts for up to a month, anywhere in the country, as long as the client paid for travel and accommodations as part of the fee. I’d opted to work in the shop twice a week. We were all taking turns, but I didn’t want to travel far for any reason right now. I wanted to be here for Vi and our baby.
“Aren’t you leaving soon?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yep. Some little princess needs a guard for a few days down in Florida. I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind some warmer weather. Maybe I can hit the beach when I’m not on duty.”
“Good luck. Better you than me.”
Tweedle finished his beer and stood up, tossing it into the trash. “Well, I’m out. But seriously, March. Don’t sit here and brood. Go enjoy the fresh air, spend time with your woman, or go for a fucking ride. Sitting at your kitchen table thinking about Ben is pathetic. Even he would say so.”
I flipped him off, and he laughed as he let himself out the back door. He made a good point though. My woman didn’t need me right now, so… that left going for a ride. I grabbed my keys and stepped out the front door. Walking over to the ladies, I leaned down and kissed Vi’s cheek.
“Where are you off to?” she asked.
“Ride. I’ll be back within an hour. Maybe less. You call if you need me. I’ll have the phone on vibrate so I’ll know to pull over.”
“Have fun.” She gave me a little wave, and I took that as my cue to leave.
I got on my bike, started her up, and headed for the gates. For now, they remained open, but one day they wouldn’t. My bike ate up the miles on the road as I headed down the two-lane highway out of town, taking the winding road through the mountains. With the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and a lighter heart than I’d had in a while, I couldn’t help but smile.
This… This was what life was all about.