Epilogue
ALAINA
The scent of sugar, and freshly brewed coffee fills the air as I unlock the front door to the bakery and step inside. The early morning light filters through the large front windows, casting a warm glow over the display cases that are still empty, waiting for the first batch of pastries to fill them.
It’s a quiet morning, just the way I like it before the rush begins. I set my bag down behind the counter and tie my apron around my waist, ready to start the first round of baking. But as I step toward the back to grab the ingredients I need, I hear something I definitely wasn’t expecting.
A low moan.
I freeze mid-step, my heart skipping a beat.
Maybe I imagined it?
But then another sound—this time unmistakably a man’s deep, gravelly voice—filters through the hallway. I know that voice.
“Oh, fuck Kelly?—”
My eyes go wide.
Oh myGod.
I whirl around and stride straight back toward the front door, my steps quick and silent. The last thing I need is to hear any more of that.
I reach for the door handle, ready to step outside and give them whatever privacy they have left, but then something crashes—a loud thud—like someone just knocked over an entire stack of supplies.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Nope. Not my problem. Not happening.
Shaking my head, I slowly back away, pretending I never walked into my own bakery to find two people getting it on in the back office.
The moans pick up again, and I cringe.
Dear God, why?
I slip out the front door, letting it shut behind me before leaning against the wall outside, taking a deep breath.
I knew Kelly had been acting different. That smug little smirk she’s been walking around with lately? It all makes so much sense now.
And Riot? Jesus, Riot?
Of all the guys in the Kings of Anarchy, I figured Kelly would have been into someone like Mellow or Stunt—someone smooth, someone who flirted with charm.
But no. She had to go for the most brooding, intense, six-foot-four beast in the club.
I shake my head, biting back a laugh as I cross my arms and wait for them to get their shit together.
Fifteen minutes pass before the back door finally swings open.
Riot steps out first, looking exactly zero percent ashamed. His cut hangs open over a tight black T-shirt, his jeans are still sitting low on his hips, and his usual scowl is firmly in place. The only thing giving away what just happened is the fact that his hair is a mess—like someone ran their fingers through it over and over again.
Kelly follows right behind him, her cheeks flaming her hair looking just as wild as Riot’s. She’s adjusting the hem of her shirt, her lips slightly swollen.
I stare at them, waiting, arms still crossed.
Kelly doesn’t meet my eyes. She clears her throat and grabs a coffee cup from the counter like that’s going to make this moment less awkward.
Riot?
That man looks completely unfazed.
He walks right up to the counter, drops a few bills down, and levels me with a hard stare. “I’ll take a bear claw.”
I snort, shaking my head. “Yeah? You came for a bear claw or Kelly’s claws on your back?”
Kelly chokes on her coffee.
Riot just smirks, his lips twitching like he’s this close to laughing. “Both.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re impossible.”
Kelly, still red-faced, finally glares at me. “Can you just, I don’t know, not?”
I grin “Oh, honey, I could not . But where’s the fun in that?”
Riot shakes his head, still smirking as he grabs his bear claw from the tray I slide toward him. “You say anything about this, I’ll make sure your man finds out exactly what you said about him after a few tequila shots last week.”
My smirk drops
Kelly gasps, spinning toward him. “You would not.”
Riot takes a slow, deliberate bite of his bear claw, still holding my gaze. “Try me.”
I huff, grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter just to give my hands something to do. “Fine. For now.
Riot nods, satisfied. “Smart girl.”
I glare at him, but he just finishes his bear claw and turns toward Kelly, murmuring something low enough that I can’t hear it.
Kelly smiles her whole face softening, and suddenly, the teasing doesn’t feel so funny anymore.
Because this?This isn’t just some hook-up for her.
My chest squeezes a little.
Damn.
I think my best friend just fell for a biker. If only I knew how to read that biker.
The rush comes and goes, leaving the bakery full of satisfied customers and a mountain of dishes.
Kelly finally stops looking like she wants to murder me every time I make a joke, and Riot actually leaves at some point, which means I can function in my own damn bakery without thinking of hearing my best friend getting absolutely wrecked in my back office.
The bell above the door jingles, and I glance up from the register—only to find Riot standing there again arms crossed, looking at me like he’s got something to say.
I raise an eyebrow. “You can’t still be hungry.”
Riot snorts. “Nah.”
Kelly pops up from the back, wiping her hands on her apron, and the second she spots him, her face lights up.
Yeah. She’s gone.
Riot gives her a look, something unspoken passing between them before he jerks his chin at me. “I’m taking her for a ride. That cool?”
I roll my eyes. “She’s a grown woman. I don’t control her.”
Kelly steps around the counter, grinning. “Thank you.”
Riot watches her for a second before turning back to me. “You coming by the clubhouse later?”
I blink. “Why?”
His lips twitch. “Because Chux said if I don’t bring you, he’s just gonna come get you himself.”
I huff, shaking my head. “That man is impossible.”
Riot shrugs. “Yeah. And you love it.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Kelly’s knowing look has me shutting it just as fast.
They both laugh, and Riot grips Kelly’s hand, leading her toward the door.
As I watch them walk out, I exhale, rubbing the back of my neck.
This world? These men?
They’re supposed to be dangerous, not cute.
But somehow, they’re the safest thing I’ve ever known.
And that scares me more than anything.
The ride to the clubhouse is quiet, but my heart is anything but. The night air is warm, the hum of the road beneath me steady as I drive through the familiar streets. I don’t know why I feel nervous, but something in my gut tells me tonight isn’t just another night at the Kings’ clubhouse.
Something’s different.
I can sense it.
When we pull up, the lot is full, more than usual. Bikes line the pavement, the familiar rumble of conversation spilling out from the open doors. The clubhouse itself looks different, too. Soft lights glow from inside, casting a warm, golden hue that stands in stark contrast to the usual neon and chaos.
Kelly is already there, standing near the entrance, smiling like she knows something I don’t.
I park and swing my leg over my bike, my boots crunching against the pavement as I pull off my helmet.
I barely take two steps before I see him.
Damian “Chux” Masters stands just inside the open doorway, leaning against the frame like he owns the world, like he’s waiting for me. His cut hangs open over a fitted black shirt, his jeans slung low on his hips, and his dark eyes?
Locked on me.
My stomach flips, my pulse hammering in my chest as I approach. “What’s going on?”
Kelly laughs under her breath. “You’ll see.”
Damian smirks, but there’s something deeper in his expression, something that makes my breath hitch. “Come inside, sweetheart.”
I swallow, nodding, and step inside.
The room is packed full
The Kings are here—all of them. The brothers, the ol’ ladies, the ones who have become a strange, unexpected family to me. But instead of the usual rowdy chaos, there’s a quiet expectation hanging in the air.
Damian takes my hand with a soft squeeze giving me the same comfort it always has provided.
His fingers thread through mine, warm, solid, sure, and suddenly, nothing else exists but me and him.
He leads me to the center of the room, the soft lighting casting shadows over the rough wooden floors. The low murmur of voices fades, and when I look up, Damian is already dropping to one knee.
My heart skips a beat .
Damian looks up at me, his dark eyes shining with something I’ve never seen before.
“I wasn’t looking for this,” he says, his voice steady, rough with emotion. “I wasn’t looking for you. But somehow, you walked into my life, turned everything upside down, and now I don’t know how to live without you.”
I cover my mouth with my hand, my chest tight, my vision blurring with unshed tears.
He grips my fingers, holding them tight. “This life, my life—it’s not easy. It’s not clean. It’s the club, it’s these brothers, it’s the good and the bad, and it’s forever.” He exhales, eyes locked on mine. “And I don’t want to live it without you.”
The whole room is silent
Damian squeezes my hand. “So, Alaina, will you ride out this life with me? With the Kings?” His lips quirk up just slightly, but his voice is serious when he adds, “Can you be the queen to this king?”
My breath catches, my heart pounding so hard I think it might break free from my chest.
The man in front of me is everything I never thought I needed.
But, everything I want.
And there’s only one answer.
I drop to my knees, throwing my arms around his neck, and whisper, “Yes.”
A slow, wicked grin spreads across Damian’s face just before his lips crash into mine.
The clubhouse erupts in cheers, whistles, and shouts, but I barely hear them.
Because in this moment, in his arms?
I know exactly where I belong with Chux and the Kings of Anarchy.
The End