Epilogue Greta
Six months later.
“I can play my Switch for a whole hour?” Caden shoves Cheetos in his mouth as fast as his nine-year-old hands will let him. He guzzles a half-can of coke. Yeah, he’s in kid heaven.
I pace the dressing room, watching the fight on my phone so Caden can’t see. It’s the first one we’ve brought him to. He begged. I conceded only that he could wait in Jack’s dressing room. He’s too young to watch the fight. Twelve, minimum. Probably fourteen.
He’s decided this is a supreme experience. Snacks. Sodas. Bonus screen time.
“Slow down on the caffeine,” I tell him. “Switch to Gatorade.” I’m going to be cleaning orange smears off that device later.
But it’s allowing me to watch.
Iron Jack’s match is a big one today. The biggest yet. If he wins today, he will be eligible for point matches. The big time. He’s almost back to where he was four years ago. Grey Beast’s training team has been phenomenal, way more focused than his previous one.
We’re in New York, so today’s event is a family affair. Half the Pickles are in the arena. Several of them volunteered to sit with Caden so I could watch the match, but I decided I should be here. I get to see Jack’s fights all the time.
“Is he winning?” Caden asks. “Dad says he’s overrated.”
Of course he does. “It’s hard to say. I’m not good at counting points yet. We’re in the second round, though.”
And that’s something. This contender, Fast Fury, is a heavy striker and is good at avoiding holds, which is Iron Jack’s strength.
Jack is looking pretty pummeled. I’m glad I didn’t let Caden watch. It will be enough for him to see it when Jack comes in. Hopefully, the cutman will have him pretty clean. They can’t bleed too heavily in the fight or it will get called as a TKO.
Compared to gunfire and blades, this is nothing. I can handle whatever Jack gets dished by padded hand gloves.
The door opens, and I glance up to see who is coming in before the match is over.
The trim suit gives him away before I even look at his face.
“Jax? What are you doing here?” I stand up, glancing at Caden.
“Your offspring, I assume?”
I step closer. “What, your systems haven’t already identified him?”
“It ignores minors by default,” he says smoothly. “Unless they are the ones in peril. Then we override.”
I shake my head. “If you’re here to see Jack, you’re missing it.” I turn the screen to him.
Jax straightens his tie. “I do like a good fight, but I was checking on you.”
I tear my gaze from the screen. Round two just ended. “Me?”
“Yes. One of my operatives left on maternity leave, and I don’t expect her back. I was curious if you were in the market for a new position.”
I take a step back. “I don’t even know what you do!”
“You could be informed. I liked your moxie at the fight. The Kin never were able to reassemble after Anarchy’s demise. You made a decisive victory and let nature handle the results. You’re exactly the kind of woman we like in my line of work.”
Wow. I glance at Caden again. “Whatever it is, I can’t. I’ve figured out what I want. I can’t upset the apple cart all over again.”
“I assumed. But I thought I would check in. You still have your blade?”
“Yeah. It’s in my safe at home.”
“Good, good. You can always reach me through it. Tell Jack I enjoy his fights.”
I intend to ask him how the knife can contact him, but the next round begins, drawing my attention. When I look up, Jax is gone.
“Who was that, Mom?” Caden asks.
“Just a friend of Uncle Sherman,” I say. “Did you sneak another Dr. Pepper?”
“Maybe.”
My phone roars. I peer at it. Jack has Fast Fury on the ground in his signature arm bar. Yeah, that’s going to win it.
And sure enough, the ref kneels, watching the hold. Then he calls it. Jack bounces to his feet, arms in the air.
I love this moment. The cheers. Jack’s elation. The camera pans to his team: Robbie, his cutman; Sam, the medic; Scar, the former fighter who is his trainer.
Then back to Iron Jack, in the center of the cage. The ref stands between him and a frowning Fast Fury. He didn’t expect to get beaten. The ref lifts Jack’s arm to declare him the winner.
I lift my fist with them.
“He won?” Caden asks.
“He won.”
“Cool. Can I have more chips?”
“One more plate.”
I head for the door to stand where I can see the tunnel and Caden at the same time. Soon, the whole assembly heads our way, Iron Jack in front, then the team, then all the Pickles.
Jax stands along one wall, watching. He sees me and winks, then disappears in the arena.
Jack rushes for me, lifting me by the waist. “I have points!” he says.
I laugh. “You do.” I lift the towel on his shoulders and dab a bit of blood from his jaw.
We fill the dressing room. Jack puts me down and heads for Caden, accepting a fist bump. I love that he thinks of my son before the deluge of attention takes him away.
A sports reporter enters, followed by a camera man. “Can we get a quick interview with Iron Jack?” he asks. “You leveled up tonight.”
“Sure.” Jack turns to the camera. A bright light shines on his face.
The man turns to the camera. “We’re here with Iron Jack, who just defeated Fast Fury to find his place in the MMA rankings.” He turns to Iron Jack. “Are you ready to take on the likes of Jailbreak Jamison and your own friend and gym-mate Grey Beast?”
“I am,” Jack says. “It’s going to be a wild ride.”
“Do you think you’ll take on the Beast or will the two of you work it out?”
Jack laughs. “I think everybody is ready for a match between us. We are, too.”
“Will there be any surprises?”
“I have a few moves he doesn’t know about,” Jack says. “But I have a ways to go in the ranks before that day comes.”
“I have every confidence you’ll get there based on what we saw tonight. What’s your next move?”
Iron Jack goes quiet. I watch him curiously. He should be talking about the Vegas run, which is up next. Or what he thinks will change now that he’s ranked.
I glance around the room. Everyone is standing around. Mack and Rory. My parents, who stand near Caden, my dad with an arm on his shoulder. Even Uncle Sherman is here with my cousin Anthony.
The silence lengthens. “Actually,” Iron Jack finally says. “Scar, you got that item I asked you to hold?”
“Sure thing,” Scar says, leaning forward. He passes something to Iron Jack that is too small to see.
“Might as well get it on camera,” Jack says. “I suppose it will make the sports highlights no matter which way it goes.”
The reporter looks at him quizzically.
Jack turns around. “Greta, Caden, can you come here?”
What? I gesture to Caden to put down his Switch and come over. When he doesn’t notice, Uncle Sherman takes the screen from him and points at me.
Caden realizes everyone is looking at him and hurries toward me.
“It’s all right,” I tell him. “Jack wants us in his promo spot.”
“I’m going to be on TV?” Caden asks, brightening. “That’s cool.”
The room laughs lightly.
“So, Jack, what is your next move?” the reporter asks.
I assume Jack is going to talk about family, or how we were instrumental in him getting ranked.
But then he gets down on one knee.
The room lets out a collective gasp.
The reporter steps out of the way.
The light shines on the three of us, glinting off the ring he holds up. “Greta, you are everything to me. My wild one, my fierce better half. I built this life with you, and I hope that today you’ll agree to stick with it. Stick with me. Will you marry me?”
Caden looks up at me. Everyone is.
“Yes,” I tell him. “Yes, Jack.”
Jack looks down at Caden. “What do you think? Should your mom marry me?”
“Heck yeah,” Caden says. “I get Coke and Cheetos!”
The room erupts in laughter and cheers. Jack stands up and slides the ring on my finger.
The light still glares on us, like it will as long as he’s in the cage. But I don’t mind. I was in a cage of my own for most of my life. One I built and decorated with my own two hands.
I’m free now. I’m myself. And that version of me is unafraid.
“I love you, Jack.”
“I love you, Greta.” He leans in to press his mouth to mine.
“Gross!” cries Caden. “I’m getting more Cheetos.”
Jack smiles against my lips.
This is the life I never could have imagined, buttoned up in my safe suburban life. Maybe I wasn’t cut out to be an ol’ lady.
But Jack carved a path for us with determination and grit.
Now we are going to take on the world.
There’s an extra special bonus epilogue to Wild Pickle!
We’ve come to the end of the motorcycle club trilogy inside the Pickleverse!
I’m sad to see the Wild Hair go!