Epilogue
THREE MONTHS LATER
Kelsie sat in her favorite place in the world, Ty’s lap.
The party had been in full swing for the past few hours. They’d eaten, drank, and danced and were now sitting outside around a roaring fire.
“You happy?” Ty murmured in her ear.
She lifted her chin, smiling up at him. “Deliriously.”
Earlier today, a federal court found guilty of a host of crimes. Sentencing would begin next week but it didn’t look good for him. He’d be going away for a long time. She breathed easier than she had in years. Her brother’s trial would begin soon as well. She hadn’t attended any of her father’s and didn’t plan to attend sentencing either. That part of her life was over. Ty promised the club was working on a number of safeguards in case he tried to reach out from prison or mess with her or the club in any way.
“Nervous?”
“A little.” She lifted her beer. “This has helped.”
Chuckling, Ty wrapped his arms around her and hugged her closer.
Tomorrow, the women’s shelter would open. They’d accepted their first four clients—three from Florida and one all the way from Oklahoma. They’d all worked their assess off over the past three months to prepare, and she had to admit she was proud as hell of her friends and herself.
They were going to help so many women and do it in an incredible, modern, high-tech facility. She couldn’t wait.
“Hey,” Jinx hollered. “Speech! Brookie, give us a speech.”
“Speech, speech,” all the men chanted.
“All right, all right.” Brooke rose off her ol’ man’s lap and stood with her face glowing in the firelight. Her eyes had the glassy tint of someone who’d had a few drinks but hadn’t tipped into drunk yet.
“I think it goes without saying, I … we couldn’t have done any of this without the help of every single person here. So much blood, sweat, and tears have gone into creating a safe space for women. Tomorrow is going to be an amazing day, and I want to thank you all for supporting Liv and me in our idea. This project is special for so many reasons, but the main one is how it has allowed me to grow closer to all of you wonderful ladies.”
Brooke sniffed and chuckled. “Damn allergies,” she said, swiping at her eyes.
Kelsie was getting a little misty herself, as were most of the other ladies if their blinking and staring at the sky was any indication.
“You’re my sisters in every way that counts, and I can’t wait to take this journey with all of you.”
“To the ol’ ladies,” Spec said, lifting his drink.
“Hell yeah.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
They all lifted their glasses in a toast before drinking.
“You about ready to go home?” Ty whispered before kissing the side of her neck. Something firm poked her bottom. She’d officially moved into his house a month ago and never dreamed living with another person could be so fantastic.
She bit her lip to keep from giggling. “Really?” she asked in an innocent voice. “Now? I don’t know if I want to leave. I’m having so much fun.”
His playful growl made her give up the fa?ade. She laughed and wiggled her butt against his obvious erection.
“Minx.”
“Take me home, Ty.”
Words she loved and couldn’t wait to say for the rest of her life.
HE COULDN’T WAIT to get his little minx home and show her what happened when she teased him too far.
Tonight had been an amazing night, and it was about to get even better.
“Love you calling it home,” he said, gazing down into her tipsy eyes and happy smile.
“Me too. I love it being my home.”
“Let’s go.”
She hopped off his lap and then teetered to the left. “Whoa,” she said with a giggle as he jumped up to steady her.
“Perhaps I’m a little drunker than I realized.”
“Perhaps,” he said, laughing.
It never got old, seeing her light, carefree, and without fear. If he had his way, she’d never experience an ounce of fear again. Occasionally, she told him he was making her crazy by going overboard in his protective nature. Once he’d laid out how gut-wrenching it had been to see her at the end of Andrew Tinsley’s gun bleeding and terrified, she’d understood his over-the-top need to keep her safe.
If he had his way, he’d keep her tied to his bed, but he was sane enough to realize it wasn’t realistic.
“You guys taking off?” Curly asked as they started to leave the circle.
“Yeah.” He winked. “This one can’t keep her hands off me.”
“Ty!” Kelsie’s cheeks turned pink.
“Hey, brother, I know how it is,” Jinx said, pointing down at Harper, who was sitting on his lap.
Harper shrugged. “Can you blame me?”
The other ladies laughed and whooped at her bold comment.
The sound of crunching leaves had all of them whipping their heads in the same direction.
Two people, a man and a woman dressed in cheap business suits, strode through the dark night toward them.
“What the hell,” Jo muttered, straightening. “What are you doing here?”
Oh shit. If she knew them on sight, they were probably cops.
“We’re looking for Max Childs. I believe he is known to you as Pulse.”
All gazes swiveled to Pulse, who sat in an Adirondack chair with a beer halfway to his mouth. “I’m Max. Who are you?”
“Mr. Childs, please stand.”
Pulse didn’t move. “I’m not doing shit until you tell me who you are.”
“Pulse,” Jo whispered. “They’re cops.”
The woman spoke first. She had a short haircut and a pinched expression, along with her pointed nose and sharp cheekbones. “I’m Detective Wallace, and this is my partner, Detective McGee.”
Both produced badges.
“Please stand,” she said again.
Shit, this could not be good.
Ty stepped forward, as did Curly, but McGee held out a hand, indicating they should stay put. He had a trim build and couldn’t be more than five-foot-seven, but he seemed to make up for it in width with muscles like an obsessive bodybuilder. Ty had no desire to tussle with the man.
Pulse stood, setting his beer on the arm of the chair. “Something wrong, Detectives?”
Wallace whipped out a pair of handcuffs. “Max Childs, you’re under arrest for the assault of Alicia Minor. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
“What the fuck? Who’s Alicia Minor?”
Instead of answering, the cop rattled off the Miranda warning.
Jo hopped up. “Wallace, what the fuck is this?”
“This is an arrest, Jo. You know how this works.” Her thin nose turned up. “Or you used to.”
“Oh my God, Ty, we have to do something.” Kelsie’s distraught voice had him tugging her into his arms.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Pulse said, anger bleeding off him as Wallace snapped the cuffs around his wrists. “Who the fuck is Alicia Minor?”
“She’s a prostitute in Tampa. She was found beaten and bloody last night. Gave us a name and description that both match you perfectly.”
“What the fuck?” Pulse roared, whipping around.
“Pulse,” Jo snapped, already pulling out her phone. “Don’t say another word.”
The anger in his eyes faded to panic. “But I didn’t—”
“Not another goddamned word until the club’s attorney gets there. Got me?”
He nodded, and Jo walked off with the phone to her ear, probably getting the club”s attorney to get her ass to the precinct ASAP.
Kelsie gripped Ty’s hands, hard.
What a clusterfuck.
Ty didn’t believe for one second Pulse had anything to do with this shit.
“What do we do?” Kelsie asked as they watched Pulse be loaded into a squad car.
Curly stood off to the side where Brooke had dragged him. Given his history, this whole thing had to be triggering as hell for him.
“Now we do what family does,” Ty said. “We fight like hell for our brother.”
Kelsie squared her shoulders. “Yeah. That’s what we’ll do. I’ve never been prouder to be part of a family.”
He glanced down at the woman who’d become his whole world despite the obstacles. Outsiders wouldn’t understand their connection, but it didn’t matter.
“Have I mentioned that I love you?” he asked.
“You did. But they’re my three favorite words, so feel free to tell me anytime you’d like.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Come one, it’s getting cold. Let’s go inside and wait for news.”
“Ty?”
“Yeah, babe?” he said as he slung his arm over her shoulders and walked her to the clubhouse.
“I love you too.”
He knew it, but like her, hearing it was pretty damn spectacular. As was his entire life these days.
Now, all he had to worry about was what the hell Pulse had gotten himself involved in.