Epilogue
Rage
“Christ, it’s Forrest and Gump,” Frost mumbles, looking down at his drink as though hoping they won’t notice the biggest guy sitting at the bar.
Looking between him and the door, I see that Dean and Gaven have just entered, looking like two fucking peacocks strutting around in their new cuts.
“Forrest and Gump?” I ask, trying to figure out what he means by that.
“The two of them are inseparable, but one’s got all the smarts, and the other one will stare at a wall, waiting for paint to dry.”
I smirk, unable to argue that point, but still finding it admirable that Dean always watches out for his childhood friend. “Where the hell were you when road names were being tossed around?”
“Nah, I stay away from that nonsense.”
“Frost! Rage!” Gaven has spotted us and calls out as he starts to push across the bar to us, Dean moving slowly in his wake. “Hey, I didn’t know you guys were here.”
Frost and I look at each other and he shakes his head before standing up.
“I’m going to take a piss,” he announces before turning and walking off.
“You know it’s his birthday, right?” I ask, looking between our two newest members. “That’s why we’re here tonight.”
“Huh, I forgot about that,” Gaven says, as Dean stays quiet.
“Hey, hold the seats, I’ll be right back,” I tell them.
It’s packed in here tonight, but I have just the right angle to see the door, and Bull just arrived with Margo and Everly.
Not only did the two women hit it off, but Everly ended up getting Margo hired on at the clinic she’s working with in Spearfish. Bull’s Ol’ Lady couldn’t get over the dead bodies constantly cycling in and out of the funeral home so that made everyone’s life easier.
Navigating toward them through the crush of people, I hardly notice the red head who brushes against me. It’s more that she’s wearing the same perfume that my mom always wore, that even has me turning to look at her after she passes by.
And that’s when I see it.
It happens so fast that it takes my brain a moment to catch up. She just lifted some guy’s wallet!
Turning around, just as Bull calls my name, I clearly see her dipping her hand into a woman’s purse and then it hits me.
Grabbing for my chest pocket, I find it empty.
After the revelation about who my father actually was, Bull had dug through boxes stored at his house and given me Damien’s things. The two most interesting items was a gold money clip and a letter addressed to me, yellow with age.
While I still haven’t worked myself up to opening the letter, I immediately started using the money clip and appreciated it when Everly went out to buy a frame for the picture of Thunder, Bull, Damien, Gravedigger, and my pre-teen self.
As the woman continues her path through the room, I see Frost emerging from the bathroom and let out a piercing whistle, getting his, and every other King’s attention.
I hold his gaze until the people around me turn back to their conversation, then I motion to him to stop the woman.
Bull’s hand clamps down on my shoulder just as I see Frost taking a few steps so he’ll be in line to intercept the lady. Thunder is crossing from the corner he was sitting in to act as backup as I’m too far away.
“What’s going on?” Bull asks.
I keep my eyes on the red-head, making sure she doesn’t get away, as Bull repeats his question.
“There’s a woman, she’s a pro. She’s walking through lifting people’s wallets,” I answer him, and feel it when he starts patting down his own pockets. “That red-head there, just a few feet from Frost.”
“Damn it,” he growls. “My wallet’s gone.”
“Yeah, she hit me too.”
Besides feeling violated, I look at the people in the room. I recognize a lot of faces, even the ones who no longer live around here—all enjoying one last night out after being back for the holidays, I’m sure. My rage starts to bubble up that anyone could so easily work a room like this.
Wait, what did I just say? Frost will need a diversion. “Bull, hit me. Be loud. Right now.”
“What the fuck?” Bulls voice starts out low, but he seems to understand by the time he gets to ‘fuck’, yelling that loud enough for those around us to hear. We definitely have everyone’s attention by the time I’m falling backwards.
It would have been nice if he had pulled the punch just a little bit.
But it served its purpose, I think, watching Frost and Thunder escorting the woman out of the side door.
Margo and Everly, completely unaware of what’s going on, are suddenly between us. Ev has my arm and is pulling me toward the front door even as the bartending is yelling at us to get the hell out of here.
A path opens up, easing our exit as our women pepper us with questions on the way out, I just keep moving.
Pulling my hand out of Everly’s once we’re outside, I circle the building until I see Thunder and beyond him, Frost has his hand over the red-head’s mouth, holding her in the shadows.
“What’s going on?” Thunder asks me.
“I’d like to know that, also,” Margo snaps from a few feet behind us.
“Check her purse,” I say, coming to a stop long enough that Everly holds the flashlight on her phone up to see how much damage Bull did.
The light nearly blinds me, so I gently take her wrist and assure her I’m alright.
“Motherfucker,” Thunder growls, looking in the purse before reaching in and pulling out my new accessory. “Here.”
He tosses it to me and I, for one, make a mental note not to go out with this much cash again.
“What are we going to with her?” Frost asks, looking at Bull as.
“Well, first we need to return all those wallets,” Everly says, drawing the woman’s glare from me for the first time since I’ve been out here.
“Get her out of here,” Bull decides, nodding to Frost. “Babe, can you and Everly check for IDs and return as many of the wallets as you can?”
“On it,” Margo replies, reaching for the purse after Bull has pulled his out of it.
“Try not to get arrested,” he helpfully adds.
“Whoa!” Frost yells out in surprise. “It’s just bad manners to bite people, lady. Thunder, you got any zip ties?”
Once her hands are bound, Frost produces a bandana and shoves her into the back seat of his truck.
“Help me get her back to the clubhouse?” he asks Thunder.
“What about your birthday party?” Margo asks him and he smiles, giving her a shrug.
“It’s starting to look up,” he answers before getting into the driver’s seat and taking off.
The four of us are left looking at each other before Everly asks what I’ve been thinking, “Will they let you two back inside?”
“Yeah, I’ll talk to the bartender.” Bull says, leading the way in through the back door.
Standing just inside the entrance, Everly looks up at me, shaking her head.
“And I was so looking forward to you without any bruises.”
“I can honestly say it wasn’t my fault, sweetheart.” I pull her up against me, dipping my tongue into her mouth and wondering how soon I can make her my Ol’ Lady.