Epilogue
EPILOGUE
MAYA
“H ow you doin’, babe?”
“Shut up.” I hissed out a breath when he hit a very sensitive spot. I swear if I heard him chuckle one more time, I was going to rip his balls off. “How in the hell have you done this, like, a trillion times?”
He paused to shrug. “I like the feelin’.”
“You’re crazy,” I told him and then hissed again when he started back up. I glanced down between my breasts at the sternum tattoo Texas was doing.
“Babe, I told you this spot was one of the most painful ones.”
“I know,” I cried. “I should have listened, but it’ll look badarse when it’s done.”
“It will, gorgeous, and you’ve done so fuckin’ well. It’s nearly finished. The outlining is the worst.”
Right, I could do this. It’d already been an hour. What was a little longer? Besides, as soon as I’d seen Texas drawing the hawk one night when we’d been sitting on the couch together, I knew it was perfect for me. It represented so much. Not only for my dad and his club, but the way Texas had the wings spread under my breasts, to me, stood for my freedom from living through a terrible event. I also liked to think it was for my future. One Texas and I were flying into together.
I scraped my top teeth over my bottom lip and winced. “I would watch you more if my face wasn’t screwed up. I love seeing you work.”
I felt his lips press against the side of my boob.
“I know, babe.”
“You won’t tell anyone I was a mess, right?”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Promise me, Texas, because you didn’t keep your mouth shut about the time when the spider attacked me or the many other times over the year we’ve been together when I’ve done something you’ve found hilarious.”
I opened my eyes to catch him grinning.
“Babe, I promise to keep my mouth shut about this. Those things were different. They were funny. Your pain isn’t.”
God, that was sweet.
“Thank you, baby.”
“Always. Now, quit movin’. I’m nearly done.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes and gripped the sides of the bed. The gun buzzed to life, and I gritted my teeth through the rest, since there was no way I would tap out. I wanted this tattoo. Maybe next time, if there was going to be one, I would stick to places on my body that wouldn’t take my breath away or have me in near tears.
I still couldn’t believe it had been a year today since we got together. I wouldn’t change a thing. We had our little spats about silly things, but we’d stuck together no matter how much we got on each other’s nerves.
Things hadn’t really changed for us. We worked and went home together. Went to the compound to hang out and drink. Sometimes Texas had things he needed to do with the brothers. Situations where I didn’t know what he would be walking into. Mum told me the worry never got old. She still feared for Dad every time something happened and the club had to step in to assist. Really, we’d been lucky there hadn’t been anything big where they had to go in guns blazing. Though even the smaller incidents were scary.
But this was our life. The club would always be a part of it, and I’d already accepted that even before Texas and I got together, courtesy of growing up in a club.
Which was why we loved hard and enjoyed life to the fullest.
When my phone chimed, I glanced to the side where it was on the bench.
“It’s Swan,” Texas told me after he took a glance.
“Can I grab it?”
He stopped tattooing long enough for me to grab my phone, unlock it, and open the message.
Swan: He’s coming back to Australia.
Me: Who?
Swan: Lockland!!!!
Me: OMG. When, where, why?
Swan: For concerts, and he’s coming back in a couple of years, but the report says he’s thinking of staying a while. Should I reach out?
She was panicking already, but it wouldn’t happen for a couple of years? Honestly, her nerves said a lot about this guy. He’d been such a great friend to Swan back in the day, and I’d always hoped for more for both of them, but then he’d up and moved. I was sure I hadn’t been the only one hoping for more between the two of them. Not that Swan would openly admit that.
Me: Do you want to?
“What’s happenin’?” Texas asked, and I told him. He didn’t really remember Lockland, so he didn’t understand how big this was. He rolled his eyes, smirked, and got back to work while I held my phone high.
Swan: I don’t know. He’s the one who stopped talking to me.
And it had broken her heart. I even tried to reach out to him to see what was happening, but he never returned my texts or calls. I could handle not hearing from him, since we hadn’t been close, but for him to cut ties with Swan, I didn’t understand. He’d always thought the world of her. Unless maybe he’d moved on and found someone who didn’t like their connection, or, and I hated to think it, fame had gotten to his head, and he just didn’t want anything to do with Swan now.
Me: How about when the time comes, we get tickets to his concert?
Swan: I can’t do that! I can’t just show up at a concert.
Me: Swan, you love his music, and there’ll be like a million other people there. It’s not like he’ll see you… until you want him to.
Swan: I’ll think about it, but I’ve got to go. Class.
Me: Talk soon.
My super quiet and shy friend could use a little helping hand. I’d get some tickets just in case she wanted to go. I quickly checked the information about his return and noticed tickets wouldn’t go on sale until it was confirmed and locked in next year. I put a reminder on my phone in my calendar for March the following year.
Texas turned off the machine and wiped over my tattoo. “All done, babe.”
“Yay.” He took my phone and put it down before helping me stand up so I could see it in the long mirror. “By the way, we’ll be going to Lockland’s concert in a couple of years.”
“What’s he sing?”
“A bit of everything, really.”
He chuckled. “That doesn’t give me much. I’ll listen to some before I commit.”
With my hands covering my breasts, I stopped in front of the mirror and gasped. Tears welled and I bit down on my bottom lip.
I took a step closer as Texas moved in behind me, looking over my shoulder. He placed his hands on my hips. “Do you like it?”
“Baby, I love it,” I whispered. His hands fell away when I moved even closer to twist from left to right.
Only to still.
I stepped closer again.
There, on the wing, I was sure I saw some writing.
I wasn’t imagining it.
I couldn’t be.
Blinking, I leaned in. It took me a little while to read the words in my head since they were backwards. Love you always and forever. Will you marry me?
“Baby,” I whispered. My eyes welled. I blinked slowly again as the tears fell and kept staring at it. “Texas,” I muttered, my voice tight.
Slowly, I turned and rocked back, eyes and mouth wide.
Texas was down on one knee.
“Maya Marcus, there is no one else for me because you’re all I want in my future forever. You’re my heartbeat, my pulse, and my soul. I can’t imagine a day without you, and life is too short to wait any longer to make you mine. Will you marry me?”
I covered my face with my hands and burst into tears. Arms circled me, warmth seeped into me, and lips pressed against my head, my cheek, and my temple.
“Maya, babe?”
Sniffing, I wiped roughly at my face and looked up at my man. Gripping his waist, I nodded. “Yes, Texas. It would be an honour to marry you.”
“Thank fuck,” he breathed, and it had me laughing. Texas shifted back and slid the beautiful diamond ring onto my finger. He kissed the back of it, tucked some of my hair behind my ear, and then kissed me until I was dizzy.
Breaking from me, he pulled me over to the table. “Glad you like the tat, babe.”
“I more than like it. I love it.”
“Worth the pain?” he asked as he grabbed my tee.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
I drew my brows down when he pushed the tee over my head. I thought he’d taken me to the table for a different reason, not to dress me.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothin’.” He took my hand and dragged me out of the room.
“Don’t you need to clean it?”
“Later.”
“But…” I glanced back at the room. “I thought we were going to have sex to celebrate.”
He grunted, dropped his head, but then lifted my hand with the ring on it. I was too busy looking up at my hand in the air to notice.
Until the room erupted into cheers.
I startled and looked at our families in the reception area of the shop.
Mum, Dad, Cody, Channa, Drake, and Ruby. Plus, Julian and Mattie with Aelia. Even Aunt Violet, Travis, and Izzy were there. As well as Low, Dodge, and Rommy.
Mum, Low, and Julian were crying. Dad, Dodge, and Uncle Mattie were consoling the ones crying happy tears with eye rolls or sighs. The rest were smiling big.
“I could have done without knowin’ you wanted to get naked, sis,” Drake said, since he was the first to approach.
“Oh God, please forget that.”
“Don’t worry, I will. I’m bleaching my brain later. Congrats, you guys.” He grinned, hugging us. The others all came forward and congratulated Texas and me.
“Party at Texas’s,” Low yelled, and people started filing out.
Dad stayed, though. He stood in front of Texas and me with thin lips and hard eyes. Until they softened when he cupped my cheeks. “You’ll always be my little girl. No matter what, you know you can come to us if he pisses you off, and I’ll kill him.”
Sniffing, I blinked the tears out, and said, “I know, Dad.”
I gripped Texas’s hand tightly when I saw Dad’s jaw clenched. “You’ve grown up into an amazing woman, Maya. I’m proud of you.”
“Dad,” I choked, emotions clogging me.
“Love you, darlin’ girl.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
He nodded, swallowed, and grunted. Removing his hands, he dipped in, and kissed my temple while I hugged him tightly around the waist. He stepped back, cleared his throat, and reached out to punch Texas on the arm.
“She’s yours to take care of, and you’d better do a fuckin’ good job as her husband.”
“I will, Prez.”
He tipped his chin up. “I know.” Dad turned and stalked out of the shop, leaving Texas and me alone.
My man pulled me around to face him, hands on my hips. “If that’s him now, babe, I’m gonna hate to see what he’ll be like on our weddin’ day.”
My bottom lip trembled, more happy tears welling. “Wedding day. We’re getting married, Texas.”
He threaded his fingers through my hair and tugged me closer. “Can’t fuckin’ wait to have you as my wife, Maya.”
“I love you, baby.”
“Love you too, gorgeous,” he said against my lips and then gave me a slow and sweet kiss. “You reckon we got time to fuck before anyone comes lookin’ for us?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “You lost your chance. Let’s go party, and I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”
“Lookin’ forward to it and our future.”
Me too, and even if we spent the rest of our lives as we already were, I would be the happiest woman, already content with what we had.
Well… unless we had a child together. But that would be down the track.