EPILOGUE
Two Months Later
“Honey, don’t blow a gasket, but I think Saylor has a boyfriend.”
Tacoma’s head whips around so fast I’m surprised he doesn’t give himself whiplash.
His eyes narrow to slits as they lock onto Saylor standing in line for the Pirate Ship.
More specifically, on the little boy holding her hand.
“The hell she does,” he growls, already jumping off the bench.
I watch, shaking my head and giggling, as my man stalks through the crowd like a man on a mission. His shoulders are squared, his jaw set in that stubborn line I love so much.
The fall festival is in full swing around us—kids screaming on rides, the smell of funnel cake and popcorn thick in the air, carnival music blasting from speakers.
It’s everything you’d expect from a small town fall festival.
I lean back against the bench, pulling my jacket a little tighter around me. October in Florida isn’t exactly cold, but there’s a slight chill in the air that feels good after the heat of the day.
With my eyes still trained on my man, I shake my head when he reaches Saylor and inserts himself directly between her and the poor kid who dared to hold her hand.
“Good lord.” I laugh.
The little boy is adorable with his shaggy blonde hair. He’s maybe nine or ten years old, but when he gets a look at Tacoma’s face, he takes a healthy step back, his eyes going wide.
Poor kid.
“Is this seat taken?”
I glance up to find my brother approaching with two cups in his hands.
“Mason!” I grin, patting the spot Tacoma just left. “What are you doing here?”
He hands me one of the cups and drops down beside me with a grunt. “Was on a run to Gulf Shores, thought I’d stop in and check on you on my way back to Jacksonville.” He shrugs, taking a sip from his cup.
“What is this?” I wiggle the cup in my hand.
“Dr. Pepper.”
I take a sip. Mmm. My favorite.
“Where’s your shadow? I’m surprised he’s not up your ass.”
I snort, nearly choking on my drink. “See for yourself.”
I point toward the Pirate Ship line where Tacoma is standing directly between Saylor and the blonde kid, his arms crossed over his chest like some biker bodyguard.
Mason follows my finger and starts laughing. “What’d the kid do?”
“He was holding Saylor’s hand,” I explain, grinning. “Tacoma’s putting the kibosh on that love connection real quick.”
“Love connection?” Mason chuckles, shaking his head. “They’re what, ten?”
“Yeah.” I lean my head on his shoulder, feeling the familiar comfort of my big brother beside me. “But you know Tacoma.”
“Yeah, I do.” Mason’s quiet for a moment. “How you been?”
I shrug. “Good. Just got home last night from a job.”
He grunts. “You look tired.”
“Thanks,” I mutter sarcastically. “You really know how to make a girl feel special.”
“You know what I mean.” He bumps his shoulder against mine. “How are things here? With Tacoma? The Kings? They treating you right?”
Warmth blooms in my chest. For all his overbearing bullshit, Mason loves me. He just has a shitty way of showing it sometimes.
I lift my head from his shoulder and smile at him. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, Mason. Really.”
His eyes search mine for a long moment, then he nods, seemingly satisfied. “Good. That’s good, sis.”
The sound of heavy boots on gravel announces Tacoma’s return. He’s got Saylor’s hand firmly in his, and she’s pouting up at him with those big blue eyes that are carbon copies of his own.
“But Daddy—”
“No buts,” Tacoma says firmly. “You’re ten years old. That’s too young for boys.”
“You said I couldn’t date until I was thirty,” she protests, pulling her hand free and planting both on her hips. “We weren’t dating. We were just holding hands!”
“Same difference.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
Mason stands, extending his hand to Tacoma.
“Chief,” Tacoma greets, shaking it firmly.
“Tacoma,” Mason replies with a smirk. “Terrorizing little boys now?”
“Don’t even start,” Tacoma shoots back, his eyes narrowed. “Can’t have some punk sniffing around my daughter.”
“They’re ten, honey,” I point out. “I don’t think there’s any kind of sniffing around going on.”
“Don’t care if they’re five,” Tacoma grumbles, dropping down beside me and pulling me against his side. “No boys.”
Mason laughs, his eyes lit up with amusement. “Just wait until she’s sixteen. You’re really gonna lose your mind then.”
“I’ll lock her in her room,” Tacoma mutters darkly.
Saylor sighs dramatically and plops down on the grass in front of us, pulling out her phone. Within seconds, she’s completely absorbed in whatever game she’s playing.
“Where’s Jagger?” I ask, scanning the crowd.
“Over there,” Tacoma nods toward the basketball toss booth where Jagger is showing off for a group of girls. “My boy’s got game.”
“Bit of a double standard, don’t you think?” Mason says with a grin.
“Fuck off,” Tacoma grumbles, squeezing me tighter against his side.
I roll my eyes. “You two are ridiculous.”
They both look at me and grin, and I shake my head.
This—them getting along—is still kinda weird for me.
Two months ago, these two were at each other’s throats. Now they’re thick as thieves, trading insults and laughing like old friends.
I still don’t know exactly what happened that night after we got Jagger back. All I know is that Mason and a half dozen Saints showed up at the clubhouse, and right after, he and Tacoma disappeared into Tacoma’s office for hours.
When they finally emerged, both of them were drunk off their asses. Tacoma had a black eye and a busted lip, and Mason’s knuckles were bruised and swollen.
When I asked Tacoma about it later, he just shrugged and said he had it coming.
Men.
They’re so dumb sometimes.
A yawn escapes before I can stop it, and I quickly cover my mouth with my hand.
Mason pops a brow. “You tired?”
“A little,” I admit. “It was a long job.”
“Why don’t you let me watch the kids?” he offers, surprising the shit out of me. My brother isn’t what you’d consider babysitter material. “Tacoma can take you home to rest.”
I open my mouth to protest, but another yawn cuts me off.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Tacoma says, standing and pulling me up with him. “You’ve been running yourself ragged, Angel.”
“I’m fine—”
“You’re exhausted,” he interrupts, cupping my face in his hands. “Let your brother watch the kids for a couple of hours. We’ll come back and get them later.”
I look at Mason, who just shrugs. “I got this, sis. Go home and rest.”
“You sure?” I ask, feeling guilty about leaving.
“Positive,” he confirms. “Besides, Cora and Beckett are on their way.” He pulls out his phone and glances down at the screen. “They should be here any minute, actually.”
“Thanks.” I hug my big brother, breathing in his familiar scent.
He squeezes me back. “Love you, little sister.”
“Love you too, big brother.”
Tacoma takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine as we head toward the parking lot.
I glance back to see Mason settling onto the bench and Saylor immediately climbing up beside him, showing him something on her phone.
“They’ll be fine,” Tacoma assures me.
They will.
Twenty minutes later, we’re pulling into the driveway of our house.
Our house.
I still get a thrill every time I think about it.
After everything that happened with the Sinners, Jagger’s rescue, and Mason and Tacoma’s reconciliation, things fell into place quickly.
Like me officially moving in.
Not that I’d really left after that first night, but we made it official. My RV now stays parked on the compound, primarily used for storage, and when I have a job that requires travel.
But here—this house, this life—this is home.
Tacoma kills the engine and climbs off his bike, immediately moving to help me off mine.
His hands are warm on my waist as he lifts me down, and I lean into him for a moment, breathing in his scent.
“Come on, Angel,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
We walk inside, and the moment the door closes behind us, Tacoma turns to me, his brow furrowed with concern.
“Alright, baby. What’s going on?”
I blink up at him. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been quiet all day.” He cups my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing across my cheeks. “Something’s on your mind. Talk to me.”
My heart starts pounding in my chest, and I place a hand on my still-flat belly.
I found out yesterday.
I’ve been carrying this secret around for twenty-four hours, terrified of what he’s going to say.
We never talked about this. Not really. Sure, he said he wanted more kids that night in the shower, but that was in the heat of the moment. That doesn’t mean he actually wants another baby.
“You might want to sit down for this,” I say, my voice trembling slightly.
His eyes narrow a fraction, but he nods, taking my hand and leading me into the living room.
We settle on the couch, and he turns to face me fully, his expression serious.
“You’re scaring me a little bit, Cali.”
I laugh nervously, twisting my fingers together in my lap. “Sorry, I don’t mean to.”
“Hey.” He reaches out and stills my hands, holding them in his. “You can tell me anything, baby. You know that, right?”
I nod, swallowing hard.
Here goes nothing.
I take his hand and place it on my belly, looking up to meet his eyes.
“We’re going to have a baby.”
The words hang in the air between us, and for a moment, Tacoma just stares at me, his hand frozen on my stomach.
My heart is racing, panic starting to claw its way up my throat.
Say something. Please say something.
Then, slowly, his face transforms.
His eyes light up, his lips curve into the biggest megawatt smile I’ve ever seen, and he lets out a whoop of joy that makes me jump.
“Are you serious?” he asks, his voice thick with emotion. “We’re having a baby?”
“Yes,” I whisper, tears starting to stream down my cheeks. “I found out yesterday. I wasn’t sure how to tell you—”
He cuts me off with a kiss, deep and passionate, pouring everything he feels into it.
When he finally pulls back, his eyes are glistening.
“Happy tears?” he asks, wiping my cheeks with his thumbs.
“The happiest,” I confirm, laughing through my tears.
He pulls me into his lap, cradling me against his chest. “I can’t believe it. We’re having a baby.”
“You’re really happy?” I ask, needing to hear him say it again.
“Happy doesn’t even begin to cover it, Angel.” He kisses my forehead, then my nose, then my lips. “I’m fucking ecstatic.”
Relief floods through me, and I bury my face in his neck, breathing him in.
“I have something to tell you, too,” he says after a moment.
I pull back to look at him. “Okay.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.
My heart stops.
“I’ve been trying to find the right time to ask you this,” he says, flipping open the box to reveal a beautiful princess-cut diamond ring. “But there’s never going to be a perfect moment, so fuck it.”
He shifts me onto the cushion beside him and slides off the couch, dropping to one knee in front of me.
“Cali Sosa, you saved my son. You saved me. You brought light and laughter back into this house, into our lives. I love you more than I ever thought possible, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. Will you marry me?”
Another wave of tears spills down my cheeks, and I nod frantically. “Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes.”
He slides the ring onto my finger, and it fits perfectly.
Then he’s kissing me again, his hands in my hair, his body wedged between my thighs.
“I love you,” I murmur against his lips.
“I love you too, Angel. So fucking much.”
We stay like that for a long moment, just holding each other, letting the reality of everything sink in.
We’re getting married.
We’re having a baby.
This is really happening.
“We need to go upstairs and celebrate,” Tacoma says, his voice dropping to that low, growly tone that makes my toes curl.
“You have a one-track mind.”
“Can you blame me?” He stands, scooping me up bridal style. “My woman just told me she’s having my baby and agreed to marry me. I need to show her exactly how that makes me feel.”
“Oh yeah?” I wrap my arms around his neck. “And how’s that?”
“Like I’m the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.”
He carries me up the stairs, his lips never leaving mine, and I can’t help but smile against his mouth.
This life—this beautiful, chaotic, perfect life—is mine.
With a man who loves me fiercely.
Kids who’ve become mine in every way that matters.
A family.
A home.
As Tacoma kicks open the bedroom door and lays me down on our bed, one thought echoes through my mind.
There’s no place like home.
THE END