Epilogue Rev
Six Months Later
With my back against the trunk of a massive oak tree, I kept a watchful eye on the crowd before me.
I grudgingly took a sip of the bubbly champagne from the crystal flute in my hand.
Grimacing, I fought the urge to spit it out on the grass, but I figured that would be considered completely uncivilized by the crowd that surrounded me.
Like my brothers, I was a beer or hard liquor man.
But my new sister-in-law was in charge of this party, and she had kept it classy, just like she was.
My gaze zeroed in on her in the crowd. God, she was beautiful. I don’t think I’d ever seen her more beautiful than today—her wedding day.
The top of her white satin dress hugged her like a second skin, showing off the fabulous curves that had first attracted my brother.
As they danced under the tent as man and wife, his hand rested a little lower than the curve of her back.
I wasn’t quite sure how through all the yards of fabric he was able to cop a feel of her ass, but if anyone could find a way, it would be Deacon.
Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but grin at the sight of him in dress pants.
He’d balked at a suit or tux. The black pants and long-sleeved white shirt was the compromise he and Alexandra reached.
After the wedding, he’d slipped his cut over the shirt.
I’m not sure what Alex’s relatives or friends thought about that one.
Most of them were just glad she was happy and safe after what had happened to her.
She had faced a lot of scrutiny after Sigel’s death.
Of course, everyone pitied her as the woman viciously attacked by a felon.
The plan that she and Archer had concocted had been bought hook, line, and sinker by the cops.
Not once did they doubt that Archer, who had slipped into a janitor’s uniform, had heard Alex’s cries and come running.
He had been hailed a hero for taking down Sigel.
Of course, no one in the school could remember him working there before.
When he disappeared after that night, many wanted to believe he was some kind of guardian angel.
No matter how much blood you have on your hands, you always remember your first kill. Just like the rest of us, Alex struggled with what she had done. She suffered from screaming and kicking nightmares, she couldn’t sleep without drugs from Breakneck, and she started losing weight.
It was a dark time for all of us seeing her suffer. Thankfully, after a few weeks of torment, she started to pull out. She started to realize her daily validation for what she did when she looked at Deacon and Willow.
Speaking of Willow… my gaze momentarily left Alexandra to search out my niece.
A smile played at my lips at the sight of her.
Already a little diva in the making, she had requested her flower girl dress be pink and poofy.
And of course she had gotten her way. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back in waves while a headband of pink roses sat on her head.
At her feet was the almost grown Walter.
He looked less than thrilled by the sparkly pink leash and collar that Willow had put on him for the day.
When Deacon had seen him, he rolled his eyes and said, “I guess I’m going to have to get you a girl dog soon, or you’ll make an absolute sissy out of Walter.
” Of course, Willow had been thrilled by the prospect of a dog of her own.
As I scanned the crowd of wedding guests again, an ache burned its way through my chest as Alex glanced up into my brother’s face with such intense love in her eyes.
In that moment, I wished she had just once looked that way at me.
But there had never been more than friendship for us.
I’d known that even when Deacon tried to push the two of us together.
I’d known it from the first time I’d seen her look adoringly at him.
Even though I loved him, I couldn’t help feeling jealous of Deacon. I was the one who’d wanted the love of a good woman. I was the one who wanted to be a husband and a father. Yet for some reason, my simple wants went unfulfilled.
When Deacon’s hand swept around Alexandra’s waist to tenderly rest on her abdomen, I had to turn away.
It hurt too much to see such happiness. Although he or she was very much unexpected by their parents, I had no doubt how much Deacon and Alex would love their future child.
Willow was already beside herself with excitement about being a big sister.
I swallowed the rest of my champagne and went in search of more.
After I grabbed another flute from a snooty waiter with a tray, I went back to my spot beside the tree.
I was surprised when Bishop walked up to me, a serious expression on his face.
I’d expected him to already be banging one of the wedding guests.
“Need to talk to you,” he said, in a low voice.
“Can’t it wait?”
He shook his head. “No brother, it’s bad.”
“Not here then.”
We started away from the tent and happy-go-lucky wedding guests. When we got to the parked cars, I leaned against one and nodded.
“Breakneck just called.”
“Why the hell isn’t he here?”
“He needs a favor.”
“Shit,” I muttered, as I dug in my pocket for my cigarettes. “It must be bad if he’s asking.”
Bishop nodded. “His daughter has been kidnapped by the Highway Henchman.”
I exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Jesus, how the hell did they find her here?”
“They didn’t. She was at Texas A&M. Once they found out who she was, they started making demands to Breakneck.”
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what Breckneck was going through. “Does he want us to put out the word about her?
“This is where shit gets kinda weird.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“He said to tell you specifically that he knew she was being…”
When Bishop winced, I nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”
“He said you would understand that.”
I turned away from Bishop’s questioning gaze.
With bile rising in my throat, I fought hard to keep my dinner down.
Fucking Breakneck! I wanted nothing more in that moment than to beat his ass for dredging up the long buried shit of my past. I also knew he was desperate for help, and in his desperation, he thought the best way to reach me was to appeal to that broken eleven-year-old boy that he had treated.
Bishop cleared his throat. “Look man, it’s not fair he’s playing on your tender heart. We can put out some feelers and do the best we can to find her.”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll handle this myself.”
“Excuse me?”
Flicking the cigarette onto the grass, I stomped out the glowing embers and met Bishop’s wide eyes. “You heard me.”
“Do you have a fucking death wish?”
“Not particularly."
“Then how can you possibly think of going up against the Henchmen?” Grabbing him by the collar, I stared him down. “Don’t question me on this, Bishop. You keep what was said between us. Don’t go flapping your jaws to the other brothers. This stays contained, you got me?”
Bishop’s brows slanted. “Wait a minute. Does this have anything to do with what happened the night Pop killed that guy and left his church?”
I had to fight the urge not to close my hand tighter around Bishop’s throat. “Once again, don’t question me.”
Releasing him, I stalked off into the night. I had some calls to make, favors to call in, and packing to do. I’d be leaving in the morning. The unlikely hero had some avenging to do.