Epilogue
COLE
FOUR YEARS LATER
I run a hand through my hair as I stare at the contract in front of me.
I fucking hate it when Lana is out of town, but I try to get as much work done as possible when she is, so it frees up more of my time when she’s home.
It was hard at first, being away from each other for days at a time almost every month, but now that we have a system in place, it makes things easier.
Still, I miss the hell out of her and hate being away from her.
What she’s doing is good, though, and I’m so fucking proud of her.
After we graduated, she drifted for a while, not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. I think she had been so convinced that she wouldn’t even make it this far in life that it threw her, and she struggled to come to terms with a future that wasn’t, you know… killing people .
But after a few months back and forth, she finally settled on what she wanted to do.
She used her inheritance to start a non-profit that works to help vulnerable women and children get out of bad situations and into new lives.
Her focus is on changing their identities if needed and setting them up with new lives.
She’s also opened up her own line of gyms across the country that hold free self-defense lessons for those who need it.
Still, she couldn’t quite let go of her old life and will leave from time to time to physically get people out of bad situations, though that’s not exactly advertised.
Another change for us was mine and Noah’s fathers’ retirements not long after graduation.
They both decided to bow out at the same time, leaving Noah and me to take over the company.
I’m now the CEO of AstonWhite Corp while Noah is the COO.
Gracie was meant to be included in that, too, but she decided she wanted her life to go in a different direction, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
Things seemed to change after that first Thanksgiving when Lana gave my father hell, and my relationship with him only got better after that.
Between my relationship with him becoming stronger and Lana’s presence in my life, I was able to slowly drop that mask that I was so used to showing the world and finally be myself.
I no longer felt the need to hide behind the front I had adopted for myself and could just…
be. And it was all thanks to her. She gives me strength, and I give her a comfort that she’s never felt before.
The words on the page begin to blur together, and I wipe a hand down my face before checking the time. It’s 8 a.m., no wonder I can’t see straight, since I’ve been here since yesterday morning.
I sigh and stand from behind my desk, stretching my limbs and yawning. It’s a Saturday morning, so the place is empty when I head toward the elevator.
I’m just about to press the button when the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I glance around to make sure I really am alone, only I feel something prick into the side of my neck before I can see who’s here.
My vision swims, and my limbs become heavy. The ding of the elevator sounds, and the sideways sight of the doors opening is the last thing I see before the world turns to black.
M y head lolling to the side wakes me from my sleep, and I go to rub my eyes before opening them, only my arms won’t move. I blink my eyes open, looking down to find them bound to what looks like…
Am I on a fucking plane right now?
My head snaps up, and I see Harley sitting opposite me, a guilty expression on his face.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, and he sighs.
“I’m sorry, man. But I’ve been waiting four years for her to cash in her favor. I couldn’t say no.”
What the fuck is he…
“Lana put you up to this?”
“Who else?” He snorts and shakes his head. “Your girl is crazy, but that’s why we all love her.”
I growl at him, but he only laughs in response.
“Don’t worry, lover boy. You’ll find out everything you need to know soon enough.”
The rest of the flight is spent in silence. Me, seething at one of my best friends for working with my girlfriend to kidnap me, and him anxiously looking my way every few minutes as though I’m going to open the cabin door and just jump right out.
Once we finally land, he approaches me cautiously and unties me from the chair, but not before handcuffing both of my wrists together.
I swear I’m going to kill him.
“Boss’ orders,” he mutters, referring to Lana, before guiding me off the jet. He places me in the back of a blacked-out escalade and slides in the other side, making sure to keep a healthy amount of distance between us.
The driver they hired must be in on whatever’s happening, because he doesn’t blink an eye at the sight of me handcuffed and clearly disheveled.
I look out of the window as we drive, and it’s then that I start to realize where we are.
“Is this some sort of college reunion?” I ask as we get into the heart of Blackwater. “Because I think the reunions usually start ten years after graduation, not three.”
Harley snorts and shakes his head, but he doesn’t give me a verbal response.
Wow, he’s real helpful today.
I lean my head back against the head rest and close my eyes. I feel surprisingly refreshed after being drugged, which is a good thing, since I haven’t fucking slept properly since Lana left.
The car pulls to a stop, and I open one eye to see where we are.
Excitement starts to thrum in my veins when I see we’re at the old church Lana and I used to fight at.
Other people—not each other after we officially got together.
This place makes me a little nostalgic of my fighting days, since I stopped after graduation.
I didn’t need it as a way to let out my emotions anymore since Lana helped me become the man I am today, and whenever I feel the need to let off some steam, Lana is always willing to spar with me.
I bounce my knee as Harley exits the vehicle and I wait for him to let me out.
He opens the door and leans down to look me in the eye. “If I uncuff you, are you going to kill me?”
“When I’m pretty sure my girl is in that building and I haven’t seen her for three days?
No, I won’t kill you,” I say, and he beams. That is, until I add, “Right now.” The smile drops from his face, but I just hold my hands out for him to unlock the handcuffs.
He does and takes a step back to give me room to get out of the car.
“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” I ask, running a hand through my hair before straightening my suit and heading toward the entrance of the church.
He steps in front of me, opening the door and motioning for me to enter. “Find out for yourself.”
I walk inside the church, finding it dark and empty, which is to be expected from an abandoned building at eleven in the damn morning. But I know Lana, and if she is here like I suspect, then I know exactly where she’ll be. I head to the black room, the room we used to fight in, and there she is.
She’s standing in the middle of the ring, wearing a blood-red gown and looking as stunning as ever.
I can’t take my eyes off of her as I approach, taking in the way the material of the dress molds to her skin, the way her hair is tied up with a few loose tendrils framing her face.
Her tattoos are on full display, including the one she got after the cuts I carved into the bottom of her back healed and I refused to cut them again deeper.
She got my name tattooed on her, right where her heart is, since she said she didn’t like the idea of getting a ‘tramp stamp.’
“What’s happening?” I whisper when I realize that she’s not the only one standing in the ring. Logan stands behind her, wearing a suit, while the rest of our friends and family are dotted around the room.
She takes a step towards me, a smile curving her lips. “You didn’t give me a choice four years ago when you decided you wanted me to be your girlfriend.”
Another step forward, and my heart rate increases the closer she gets until I can’t take it anymore and close the distance between us. I stand in front of her and grip her waist with one hand before pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear with the other.
“I didn’t…” I say, trailing off.
“Well, today, you’ll become my husband, and you’re the one who doesn’t get a choice in the matter.”
Baby, those are the best damn words I’ve ever heard.