Epilogue Ava
S even Year Later
With my head buried in my laptop, I worked through the spreadsheets for the Philly casino. All my corporate accounting knowledge now went into handling the financial aspects for Dare’s casinos and Ares’s tankers. My schedule was different than it had been back in the day. Since Poppy was only in preschool, I had to get in my hours where I could. That was why I was currently working before dinner, which thankfully was being prepared by our cook.
“I’ll fucking kill him!” Dare boomed as he raced past my office door.
As I glanced up, Poppy followed close on his heels. “No, Daddy! Don’t hurt Henry!”
Sighing in exasperation, I rose out of my chair. By the time I reached the doorway of my home office, Dare and Poppy had disappeared into the playroom. At the sound of Dare’s shouting and Piper and Poppy shrieking, I broke into a sprint down the hallway.
When I reached the playroom, a red-faced Henry, Quinn’s nephew and Dare’s thirteen-year-old godson, cowered against the wall as Piper blocked him from Dare’s rage. “Whoa! What is going on?” I demanded.
Whirling around, he blared, “Henry kissed her!”
I gasped. “Are you sure?”
Gesturing to our youngest, Dare replied, “Poppy told me.”
“She’s always tattling on me,” Piper wailed.
“He kissed you?” I questioned in disbelief. My surprise came more from the fact that Henry and Piper had been best friends for years. Although my daughter was growing into a beautiful young woman, Henry hadn’t seemed to notice.
As Piper shook her head, I exhaled a relieved breath. “Oh good.”
“I kissed him.”
“What?” I demanded as Dare growled, “Fucking hell!”
Piper stared down at the floor. “I just wanted to see what it was like.”
“Honey, you’re only twelve,” I cautioned.
“How old were you?”
Nibbling my lip, I realized now was not the time to tell her about when I played spin-the-bottle at Areti Danielopoulos’s 11th birthday. Although they were quick pecks on the lips, I did get my first through fifth kisses that day. “My age doesn’t really matter.”
Ever perceptive, Piper smirked like Dare. “So you were younger than me.”
“I never said that.”
“But Mom, it wasn’t even with tongue.”
“Bleedin’ hell,” Dare boomed.
I held up my hands. “Okay, let’s all just take a quick breath.” Turning to Poppy, I said, “You know it’s not nice to tattle on your sister.”
“Even if she’s being bad?” Poppy questioned.
“Even then,” I replied as Dare said, “No.”
I shot him a look before jerking my thumb at Poppy. “You can go to your room.”
She huffed a frustrated breath before stomping out the door. I then turned back to Piper. “You and Henry aren’t allowed to be alone together anymore.”
As Henry nodded quickly, Piper said, “It was just one little kiss.”
“I don’t care. It’s fine if some of your other cousins are over, but no more by yourself.”
“This is mortifying!” Piper replied.
“Try having your twelve-year-old daughter putting the moves on a boy!” Dare argued.
I crooked my finger at Henry. After cautiously side-eying Dare, he came over to me. Over the years, he had turned into such a handsome boy. He looked so much like his mom and his aunt Isla. I could understand why my wayward daughter had been tempted to kiss him. Although they weren’t blood related, it was easy to see the influence that Quinn’s quiet reserve had had on him over the years.
“If Piper should ever come on to you again, tell her no.”
“Mom!” Piper exclaimed as Henry blushed again.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Why don’t you head downstairs and have one of the guys take you home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” After glancing at Dare, he said, “Are we okay, uncle D?”
From Dare’s murderous expression, I could tell he was very much not okay. “He’s going to need a little bit of time to cool off,” I said as I patted Henry’s back.
“I really am sorry. Piper’s one of my best friends.”
The fury eased from Dare’s face. I could tell he was remembering how much he had meant to the once fatherless boy in front of him. “Ava’s right. I’m going to need some time. But I know it wasn’t your fault.”
Henry’s face brightened. “Okay.” He then waved at Piper before heading out of the playroom.
Glancing between my daughter and my husband, I said, “If we’re good, I’d like to get back to work.”
Tilting her head, Piper asked, “Are you really mad at me, Daddy?”
With an exaggerated sigh, Dare replied, “Yes, mo storin .”
“If you’re going to get this upset about me kissing a boy, what are you going to do when I start dating?”
Dare’s face turned the shade of a tomato, which caused me to burst out laughing. “Your father is going to need blood pressure medicine then.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Between Daddy and my uncles, no boy will ever come near me.”
“Thank Christ,” Dare muttered.
Sensing Piper was about to lose, I crooked my finger. “All right. You two hug it out.”
Considering how similar they were, they stood glaring at each other with arms crossed. “I mean it.”
With a grunt, Dare finally relented and closed the gap between him and Piper. “I’m sorry I overreacted,” he grunted. His admission shocked the hell out of both Piper and me.
“It’s okay. You don’t want me to grow up.”
“No, love, I don’t.” He brushed the strands of auburn hair off her shoulder. “Even when you’re eighteen, you’ll still be my little girl.”
“And you’ll always be my favorite guy,” Piper admitted with a smile.
Tears pooled in my eyes as they hugged each other tight. I thought of all those years ago when I’d left him out of fear and when I’d refused to let him have a part in Piper’s life. He’d proven to me and to our girls over and over again that he would always protect us.
Through Dare’s love, we’d always be safe and sound.