Epilogue
Tiffany grinned as the boat slowed down near an old shipwreck that was the perfect location for new divers.
She’d finally gotten certified in scuba, and this was her first official dive with Sir, something she’d been looking forward to.
It’d been three weeks since she’d been abducted and held hostage, but with Sir’s help, she was dealing with the aftermath.
After staying two nights at the hospital, Kairo went home with a concussion.
However, it’d taken another seven days for Jared to be released.
In addition to losing a lot of blood, the bullet had fractured his right clavicle before deflecting into his right lung, causing it to collapse.
He’d needed a chest tube for a few days to drain the excess blood and reinflate the lung.
Thankfully, he was now back home recovering.
After another week of physical therapy, he’d be returning to work on light duty.
Dante was putting Jared in the security office, monitoring the camera feeds until he was well enough to do more.
Tiffany had broken down in tears when she was first able to see him in the hospital, thanking him for trying to save her and taking a bullet for her.
John Wiley had spent ten days in the hospital with a skull fracture, thanks to Serenity, before being transferred to the county jail.
In addition to the kidnapping and three counts of attempted murder for shooting Jared and at Tori and Ty, he was also charged with arson, burglary, and destruction of property.
According to the District Attorney’s office, he was facing at least twenty years in prison.
It wasn’t long enough for Tiffany, but she’d take it.
Despite the shooting, kidnapping, and explosion, word had gotten out about how amazing opening weekend had been at the Master Key Resort.
They were now booked solid for the next five months, with more reservations coming in each day.
The place was a hit, and Tiffany couldn’t be prouder of Cordell, herself, and their staff than she was now.
On Friday, Tori, Ty, and Mitch were flying down for two reasons.
One was to finalize the plans for their upcoming wedding.
The second was to be there for Tiffany and Sir’s official collaring ceremony, which was taking place on Saturday.
Tiffany still couldn’t believe Sir was all hers now—no more worrying about being his “project” and sent on her way when he decided she was ready for another Dom.
Nope. There would never be another Master for her.
Sir was it, and she couldn’t be happier.
“Excited, pet?”
She turned into Sir’s waiting arms. “Thrilled. I can’t thank you enough for treating me to the lessons. Our first wreck, yay!”
Her enthusiasm seemed to rub off on him as he grinned. “It’s going to be awesome. This’ll be the first vintage wreck I’ll be seeing. In Lake Las Vegas, there are a bunch of boats that went down, but I never dove to one as old as this one.”
The SS Benwood was a well-visited beginner’s dive site in the Keys, the ship having gone down in 1942 at the height of World War II.
The merchant marine freighter, built in 1910, had collided with another ship while both had their lights off to avoid a reported German U-boat in the area.
Sitting between twenty-five and forty feet below the surface, the Benwood was one of the most popular shipwreck dives in the Keys.
Tiffany and Cordell had gotten up early for the trip to Key West where they embarked on the scuba charter boat with several other divers.
Like Tiffany, there were a few inexperienced divers on board, and she’d been having fun chatting with them.
Tiffany was about to respond when she heard a woman behind her mention Master Key Resort, snagging her attention. “I’m telling you, Susan, it sounds amazing. I would love to go check it out.”
“Do you have to stay there to play? Or are outsiders allowed to visit?” the blonde’s dark-haired friend asked.
“Nope, you can just visit if you want, without actually staying at the resort,” Tiffany chimed in.
When the two women startled and turned toward her, she apologized and held out her hand for them.
“Sorry for jumping in on your conversation. Hi, I’m Tiffany Armstrong, the assistant manager of Master Key Resort.
And this is the manager, Cordell Roberts.
” She lowered her voice a little so only their little group could hear. “Master Cordell.”
They shook her hand, and when she mentioned Sir’s title, the two women’s eyes widened before their respectful gazes fell to the floor of the boat.
“Sir, it’s nice to meet you,” the brunette said, clearly familiar with the lifestyle.
“You too, Tiffany. I’m Susan Thorngood, and this is my friend, Debbie Winters.
We live in Marathon but came down here for the day. ”
“We’ve heard amazing things about your resort,” Debbie gushed, repeating her earlier pronouncement.
Cordell slipped his arm around Tiffany. “Thank you, ladies. Since we’ve only been open a few weeks, that compliment means a lot. When we get back to Key West, I have some passes for the dungeon in my truck that you can have to come check the place out.”
“Are you serious?” Susan looked like she’d just been handed 100,000 bucks. “Oh-em-gee! Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome. There’s some paperwork you have to fill out online before visiting, but all that information is on the passes.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Debbie said with a shy smile. “We’ve both been in the lifestyle for over a year now but haven’t really found a club we’re comfortable in yet.”
“Well, then, hopefully you’ll find what you’re looking for at Master Key.”
Tiffany rested her cheek and hand against Cordell’s chest. “I certainly did.”
He kissed the top of her head. “We both did.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Debbie announced. “You two make a great couple.”
“She’s my better half.”
Lifting her chin, Tiffany kissed his jawline. “And you’re mine.”
They spent the rest of the day diving, and Tiffany swore it was a better experience just having Cordell by her side.
She tried not to think about all the ways their relationship could’ve failed, especially with her being kidnapped by an asshole bent on revenge.
For the first time in her life, Tiffany was truly and irrevocably in love.
She had the Dom she’d always dreamed of.
One who put her first and himself second, and she did the same in reverse.
She was willing to do anything for Sir, including spending her life with him.
After arriving back in Key West, and giving Debbie and Susan their passes, Cordell loaded up his truck with his and Tiffany’s gear, then helped her into the passenger seat like he always did.
But instead of closing the door, he shocked her by retrieving a small box from the glove compartment and getting down on one knee.
“I’ve been carrying this around for the past few weeks, waiting for the right moment, pet.
But I finally realized the right moment is the one where I actually propose.
It didn’t matter where or when, and I just couldn’t wait any longer.
When we first met, I didn’t think I’d fall in love with you, but life has other plans.
I’m madly in love with you. You’ve already agreed to wear my collar permanently, and now I’m asking for you to agree to wear my ring as well.
I want people both in and out of the lifestyle to know you belong to me and I belong to you. Will you marry me?”
During his speech, Tiffany brought her hands to her face in disbelief, and tears filled her eyes. When he finally popped the question, she threw herself out of the truck, onto her knees, and into his arms. “Yes, Sir! I love you too, and yes, I’ll marry you.”
He kissed her and then grabbed her shaking left hand. The engagement ring he slid on her finger was stunning—an emerald-cut diamond surrounded by blue sapphires that were the color of the water surrounding the Keys. “Mrs. Tiffany Roberts. I like how that sounds, pet.”
“I love how that sounds, Sir. More than anything in the world.”