Epilogue #2
The past three weeks have been probably as settled as they’ve ever been.
Without Hitchens hanging over our heads a weight has been lifted.
It’s like the girls felt the change too.
The night Hitchens died is the first night neither of them have woken up crying.
Their little world is peaceful and they can begin to heal.
We can all begin to heal. Joe is still living here and I love that for us.
Every evening Vex spends time reading with the girls while I head to the cabin we’ve moved Joe into and we study together.
I know that she has feelings for Justice, and I know that they’re reciprocated, but whether or not they’ll act on them is a different story.
“Not yet. Whoever he’s working for, this ‘AshFall’ guy or just a budget version of Eden’s Keep, whoever they are, they have ties to the guy the Originals are hunting. They seem to all be in bed together.”
“That won’t work out well. Eden’s Keep don’t care about other people.”
“Exactly. They’ll have a falling out sooner or later.
Until then it’s up to Jay and Theo to find out as much about this new Eden’s Keep as they can.
” Vex stops and turns to me, “It’ll be OK baby, I’ve got you.
None of those Eden’s Keep fuckers is getting to you or my girls.
Especially not through those damn tunnels. ”
I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of me. “God, I hope Goodson tries to use them again.” And I really do. Especially now that Vex and his brothers have connected the tunnels to the waterway out back. Now the gators have their very own playground, moving in and out of the tunnels below our feet.
“I kinda hope he does too.” Vex grins before sobering. “I guess we just have to wait and see. Me and the boys have been checking in with your rescue teams and warned them all that Eden’s Keep are fucking around again. They’re all on high alert.”
“That’s good,” I nod, hands balling into fists. “Is it bad that I want them to come for us?” Vex’s brows pull in. “I want them to come for us and for the Keep Chapter to shut them all down. Destroy them all.”
He cups my face, lips curled. “Feeling a little blood thirsty?”
“Maybe.” My lips twitch as my frown disappears and Vex kisses me.
“No matter what happens and whose ass we kick, we’re in this life together.”
“Together,” I whisper in reply.
Vex nods once before linking his fingers with mine. “Just like it was always meant to be since I dreamed about you as a kid.”
“Momma! Daddy! Uncle Damian said he has a surprise for us!”
Addy takes my hand while Bree takes Vex’s. She is very clearly the daddy’s girl of the two. Addy is more of an Uncle Damian girl, much to Justice’s disgust.
“What do you think the surprise is?” I ask Addy, giving her hand a little shake.
“Uncle Damian has been practicing tricks with Barbara. He’s trying to find what Barbara is good at but it’s hard because Mosely is good at everything and Uncle Damian says it makes Barbara sad,” Addy tells me.
“Mosely is just better at some things,” Bree says in her small voice. “But Barbara will be good at other things. It’s how it works.”
“That’s right, baby girl. We’re not all built to be the same or be good at the same stuff,” Vex says, smiling down at Bree as she beams up at him. I may not have ovaries that work, but they definitely stood up and clapped at that sweet exchange.
“I wonder what Barbara is good at?” Addy muses.
Barbara is good at eating large amounts and turning it into gas, but I doubt that’s what the girls mean.
Vex opens the clubhouse door, holding it open as we file in.
I wave to Nell, River and Greer, and Jason and Izzy who are already here.
In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jason asks to prospect at some stage.
He seems to like the brotherhood shown here, but I know he’s hesitant after his experience.
From his files I know that brotherhood and belonging is what drove him to move his daughter out of school into the same sect that Nell, Greer and River were part of.
“Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up, shit is about to get real,” Damian announces.
Prez’s brows rise and we all stare as Damian taps on his phone screen and music blasts over the bluetooth speakers.
He does some elaborate hand actions and Barbara lifts up to her back feet, swaying back and forth as she and Damian do what I think might be ballroom dancing.
Or maybe swing. I’m not actually sure but it’s mesmerizing in a sort of car crash type of way.
“Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?” Vex murmurs.
“Do you mean are you seeing an almost seven foot tall cajun motherfucker dancing with a fat dog in a tutu?” Chef asks.
“OK, just double checking.”
I shuffle the girls closer to the couch and we plop down next to Joe, never once taking our eyes off what’s happening in front of us.
“You know, when he said this is what he was planning, I didn’t think he would pull it off. But girl, he’s killing it with that big doggy,” Joe says, eyes also glued to the entertainment.
There is some type of running on the spot before Damian leans back, bangs on his chest twice and Barbara climbs up his body to stand on him, balanced perfectly on his huge pecs.
“Holy shit that’s kinda impressive,” one of the brothers whispers.
All of sudden Barbara’s head snaps toward the kitchen and she growls low before launching herself off Damian and racing straight for me and the kids on the couch. She spins in place, gets low and lets out a rumbling growl.
“What is it girl? Is there trouble?” Damian asks, head tilted to the side as someone cuts off the music.
That’s when I hear it, the voice. “This is a disgrace and you will all pay for your sins!” Goodson screams from the doorway of the kitchen.
He has his thick forearm across the throat of a girl that I recognize from the Keep Community. Her eyes are huge and fat tears are rolling down her cheeks.
“Please, just let the girl go, it’s us you want,” Dex says calmly, palms out as if trying to calm a rabid dog.
“Do not mistake patience for mercy. Wrath comes for those who refuse correction! We will find you and we will correct you. I am a messenger from the Prophet!” he screams, spittle flying from his mouth as he heaves breaths in and out.
“We need him alive,” Vex murmurs to his brothers as they slowly move to shield me, Joe and the kids. “We need answers.”
His brothers nod, hands relaxed by their sides even though there is a crazy man screaming Bible verses at us.
My eyes scan down his body and I realize that he’s looking a little worse for the wear.
I snort when I realize he must have tried the tunnels, coming face to face with Gretchen before finding another way into the Keep.
The girl bursts into sobs and he releases his arm across her throat, only to replace it with his fat hand, squeezing her throat until her mouth opens on a silent scream.
“Hey! Hey, look at me, just let the girl go,” Omen growls, mirroring Dex’s posture.
Goodson’s gaze swings wildly around the room, over the large men wearing leather cuts until they land on Justice. Red in the face and fists balled.
My brother turns to me, slowly, calculated, even though I can see he’s struggling with coming face to face with one of his abusers.
“Get the kids out of here,” he says gently before giving them a tight smile.
Joe drags Addy into her side, shielding her face from Goodson as I do the same with Bree. Sniper pulls Greer and Nell into his arms, moving them swiftly toward Church. Joe and I follow behind, with River bringing Izzy with him. I wait until everyone is inside, making sure the kids are comfortable.
“Take care of the kids for me, I need to make sure Justice doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Joe nods, pulling Bree into her other side. My gaze meets Sniper’s as I close the door, he gives me a tight nod. He may be quiet but he can read people. He knows as well as I do that Goodson is one of Justice’s triggers.
Pulling the door closed behind me I freeze in place. Justice has his hands hanging loose by his side, but I can see the gun he’s holding in his hand. I need to get him to stand down, to let the DRMC handle things. I open my mouth to call out but Goodson’s voice interrupts mine.
He leers at Justice, eyes half lidded. “Ah, Justice my good boy, come with me. I will save you beautiful boy, I will fuck the devil out of you.” He spits the word fuck, making Justice jump at the savageness of it.
“I will do all the things you begged your own father not to do.” He licks up the side of the poor girl’s face.
“I will succeed where he failed and my brothers will burn down this place of sin and in its place build a new Eden’s Keep in its ashes!
” Goodson has totally lost it, his face red as he preaches.
“We will fuck the sin out of each and every one of the weak souls you think you have saved, you have condemned them all to a life of servitude just like you were born for Justice Blessing!”
The gun going off shocks me almost as much as Goodson’s silence in the aftermath and the screams of the poor girl as TumTum lunges to catch her before she crumples to the floor.
“Justice-” Dex starts in a low rumble.
“I’m sorry, Prez. I couldn’t have him live. I - I couldn’t-” His words break off as he turns to me, “I couldn’t let him get to the kids,” he whispers.
Damian pulls him into his arms as Saint and Omen move to drag Goodson’s body away.
“I couldn’t let him keep talking, I couldn’t let him get near me or Loyal, I couldn’t, I couldn’t-” Justice sobs into Damian’s leather cut as the big man grips Justice to him. Barbara whines and licks Justice’s fingers as I rest a hand in the middle of his back.
“It’s done now, brother. Your monster has been slain.”
Justice takes a shaky breath, rubbing roughly at his eyes as he steps back from Damian.
“Come with me,” Vex murmurs to him, guiding him to one of the rooms off to the side, Dex and Sniper following behind.
Damian runs a hand down his face as he watches, his free hand flexing. “How many of these fuckers are there?”
“It’s hard to tell,” Jay answers, his eyes looking at the door Justice walked through. “They’ve mobilized some followers, but we can’t tell the extent of it just yet. Judging by the language Goodson used, I’d say he wasn’t a leader.”
“There are whispers of a new prophet and council members, names in the ether, but we’ll find them,” Theo adds, determination in his gaze.
“When that time comes, we put it down for good. Anybody mess with my people, they don’t leave breathin’. Nobody,” Damian says, making a clicking sound at Barbara and moving toward where Saint and Omen are working on moving the body.
The door to Church opens up and the kids come rushing out. “What happened?” Addy asks, eyes wild. “Is Uncle Justice OK?”
“He’s OK, babies, just doing some man stuff.”
The twins give me an odd look but take my words at face value as the rest of the MC are acting normal, so as not to worry the kids.
TumTum has his arm around the poor Keep girl from next door, murmuring soothing words to her as Joe wraps her in a hug.
They both lead her out of the room and it’s a miracle the kids haven’t noticed and asked me a million questions.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll take them with me to visit her and check in that she’s OK.
Until then I’ll leave her care in TumTum and Joe’s hands.
“Hey, who wants to see if Mosely can dance as well as Barbara?” Flack asks the kids, patting his knee to get Mosely to come closer.
The kids all cheer and start talking about what song they would like Mosely to dance to and I let out a sigh of relief.
I let out another when Justice emerges from the side room, Vex’s hand on his shoulder.
My eyes take in Justice’s face and for the first time in a long time I notice that he’s standing tall.
Confident. As if a weight has lifted from his shoulders.
As if finally, he is on the path to peace.
“I’ll take care of him,” Joe whispers, her dark eyes on Justice’s blue ones. “I’ll protect his heart.”
“I know you will,” I tell her, gripping her hand tight and giving it a squeeze, telling her that I give her my blessing. Not that she needs it.
A hard body presses up against me and I know that it’s my man. It still makes my head spin knowing that I have a man. And he’s all mine.
“You OK, sweetheart?” Vex wraps me in his arms.
I’m quiet for a moment, soaking up Vex’s warmth as I watch my family move around the room.
My little girls laughing with their friends and their Papa Flack.
The MC brothers who are no longer big men I’m nervous around, but men I think of as family.
Joe, my sister from another mister, as she calls us.
Jason and River. Everyone here is here for a reason.
Whether it’s to run away from a past they no longer want, or running toward a new life, we’re in this together.
“You know what? I think each and every one of us is going to be OK.”
Vex tips my face up, dark eyes searching mine. “Of course we are. This is what I prayed for. My woman, my kids, my brothers and my family.”
“Family,” I whisper, pressing my lips gently to his for a moment. “I love you, Vex Landry. You saved me.
He scoffs, “You saved yourself, baby. And I’m glad you love me. I’ve loved you since I was seven years old, I just had to wait for you to catch up. It almost killed me, you know.” He grins down at me then squirms when I pinch his nipple.
He grins down at me and I get lost in his dark gaze.
Around us the brothers bicker, laptop keys tap, dogs bark, the kids laugh, the heightened emotions of ten minutes ago have been replaced by the steady hum of The Keep.
The hum of life that drowns out any fear or uncertainty of what might be coming our way.
That stuff is fluff, it doesn’t matter in the long run because I know we will win every time.
Vex winks at me and my lips curl because here, in his arms, surrounded by noise, I know for the first time, with absolute certainty that we’re not just surviving anymore.
We’re home.