EPILOGUE
OLIVER
It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since my world imploded and this family took me in, and we haven’t spent a single week of that year resting.
Following every piece of data, every encrypted ledger, and every hidden contact I managed to scrape together, we’ve spent the last twelve months tearing down the remnants of his empire and those who enabled it.
So far we’ve had eight criminal organizations dismantled from the ground up. One corrupt US senator was exposed… and arrested.
Six companies were stripped and seized by federal assets, and we even managed to shut down four illegal factories and a shipping company used for human trafficking.
It has been the most freaking exhausting year of my life.
But also the happiest I’ve ever been.
Now… Zara, Finnian, and I are with the whole Harknett team at Alexios’ house. We’re all huddled around the table, staring at each other in a state of absolute focus.
Like… I’ve never seen them concentrate this hard before.
But it makes sense… because we’ve reached a point where a single wrong move could ruin everything.
“I need wheat!” Bjorn suddenly slams both palms onto the table, sending the tiny plastic settlements flying. “Who has wheat? I’ll give you two wood and a brick.”
“I’ll trade you some of my wheat for a sheep,” Logan offers, but Bjorn immediately shakes his head.
“No one is touching my sheep.”
“You’ve been hoarding sheep for five rounds.” Alexios glares across the board at the giant Viking. “Your entire freaking hand is a wool factory.”
“So? It is a viable economic strategy!” Bjorn defends himself, turning his head toward me. “Ollie, my friend, the man I successfully kidnapped, give me some wheat.”
“It’s been a year, get over it,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Never,” he insists. “And to make you remember, I’ll kidnap you again as a wedding gift.”
Alexios snorts from across the table. “If they ever get married.”
“We will, asshole.” Damián’s hand finds mine under the table. “Oliver just has a lot on his plate right now.”
“I still can’t believe you’ve gone and named your firm the Sneaky Samaritans.” Law shakes his head, staring at his cards.
“The name is fucking hilarious,” Bjorn laughs, and Knox nods in agreement.
Zara shrugs. “It was between that or The Principled Pipeline.”
“Besides,” I point out with a smirk, “we are sneaky.”
“So sneaky that even Albert Harrington-Hale is investing in your organization,” Damián says, a proud edge to his voice.
Law looks up, clearly surprised. “He did? Wow. You actually got someone like Albert to invest in you?”
“Ugh, fuck rich people,” Knox groans, tossing a card down.
“Hey! He is the good rich kind,” Leif argues, defending the billionaire. “He’s spent more than seventy years helping people.”
And yeah, Albert is amazing.
He and his grandson Cillian have been a great help to the organization and us, offering more than I could ever ask for
“Well, this one is paying our Ollie to keep smuggling people,” Leif points out.
“Fine, fine,” Alexios concedes, waving a hand to get us back on track. “You’ve been too busy smuggling people to get married.”
“Ethically smuggling people,” Tae corrects from across the table.
I chuckle, raising my glass to him. “Thanks, Tae.”
“I bet no one wants to give me wheat because you all know I’ll be the first to find out when you set the date.” Bjorn says, and Zara shoots him a look that reads entirely as ‘bitch, please, I’ll be the first to know.’
“Well, the first Harknett,” Bjorn amends quickly.
“Harknett-adjacent Finni will be the first one,” I counter. “He’s the one making our wedding cake.”
Finnian claps happily. “Yay! I already have six ideas… Nae pressure though.”
“Fine, but for Harknett-Harknetts, the first one to know will be this sexy Viking over here.”
I lean forward, tapping my cards. “Only… if you trade me two sheep.”
“Ah! Bastard!” Knox yells, pointing a finger at me.
Bjorn looks desperately down the table. “Boss, use your power and make him change his mind.”
“You do know I’m not your boss, Bjorn?” Logan laughs, shaking his head. “We’re equal partners. Besides, the silver tongue is Law.”
“I’m not wasting it on you,” Law tells him flatly.
Damián grins and smacks Law’s shoulder. “Aww, look at you, Baby Glock Spice, helping my man.”
“Baby Glock Spice.” Law bursts out laughing. “That’s the daftest one yet, mate.”
“Hey! All of my nicknames are amazing!”
I stand up and go to the kitchen counter to refill my bowl. And it takes me an eternity to find the salted ones, which are buried between about ten bags of the weirdest flavors like Chipotle, Diablo, Nacho, Incognito…
What the hell is Incognito flavor?
“Hurry up, mi amor!” Damián begs, his arms desperately trying to keep the dice away from my bestie. “Zara is stealing our ore!”
“It’s not my fault you are terrible at this game,” Zara says, jumping as she tries to grab the dice but failing miserably.
“You are too short to reach, ore-thief!” Damián laughs, but he’s immediately tackled by Knox.
“But I’m not!”
“Traitor! We’re supposed to be brothers!” My man curls on the floor like an NFL player while the twins, Knox and Alexios, fight him to get the dice.
And I stay there, standing at the kitchen counter, unable to look away.
I laugh happily, knowing that whatever happens, everything will be okay, because for the first time in my life, I am happy to be who I am, for I have a family I love who loves me back.
— The End —
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A cynical bodyguard who hates the rich is forced to protect a bratty billionaire who is targeted after receiving an inheritance.
(Enemies to Lovers | Bodyguard/Client)