Epilogue
Aloiki
The knock on the hospital door had multiple of us raising our heads. The door cracked open, and Doodles stuck his head in. “Bad timing?”
Lu, sleepy but elated, shook her head. “No, please come in.”
The Prospect opened the door the rest of the way and entered, a black bag over his shoulder.
He looked to me with my hours-old son, Kiai, in my arms. Despite the hospital rules, I’d squeezed onto the bed next to Lu as we took turns holding our son.
The longest fourteen hours of my fucking life.
I’d never been so terrified, but the hospital staff said it was an ‘easy’ delivery. Fourteen fucking hours was easy?!
They were all insane. Fucking lolo, because no way in hell was I putting Lu through that again. The concept of her being pregnant was fucking hot, but not if fourteen hours of ‘easy’ labor was the result. No. Fucking. Way. We were one and done.
Most of Kiai’s uncles and aunts surrounded the bed, which made our hospital room a bit claustrophobic, but Lu wanted them here, so here they would remain.
I’d give her the fucking moon right now if she asked it.
I’d already passed around Kauai cigars, which Lu had forbidden us to light up in here.
Gifts were piled up in two of the four corners of the room, including the new surfboard I’d commissioned for Lu as a push gift.
Doodles wormed his way through the throng of people to get to my side of the bed, but his attention was on Lu. “Ho‘maika‘i ana, Lu,” he said, congratulating her.
My haku wahine blinked tiredly up at him. “Mahalo.”
I used my free hand that wasn’t supporting my son to help tuck the covers around her more. It was the only time I could ever remember trying to cover her beautiful body up more, but my need to ensure she was warm enough after the ordeal of childbirth was driving me.
Doodles turned his attention to me, eyeing my son in my arms wearily. “You sure you want to do this here, Paniolo?” The others were now giving him looks, wondering what was up. “Now?”
I nodded once.
Lu’s tired face scrunched in confusion. “Do what?”
Doodles had been my tattoo artist since before Lu and I met.
When he decided to prospect for the club, I was all for it because I knew he was someone reliable.
Also, free tattoos. We were still down to four Prospects after February, but I’d been a little busy with Lu and helping Tangaloa the past two months to concentrate on recruiting.
“Get your name tattooed on my dick,” I explained.
Lu blinked at me like her brain wasn’t comprehending my words. “What?”
I indicated our son. “Your pussy is out of commission for the next six weeks, so I figured it was perfect timing.”
Her eyebrows raised up nearly to her hairline. “You’re serious?”
“When have you ever known me to joke around?” I replied back.
Lu made a noncommittal shrug. “Fair.”
With her being so tired, I decided to finally give Tangaloa his wish and allow him to hold his nephew. I didn’t know how long this was going to take, and I tended to fall asleep during tattoo sessions. Probably was a good time for both Lu and I to take a nap.
I undid my pants, pushing them down to my knees on the bed. Then I put my arm around my haku wahine, and brought her over to me. She settled against my chest with a contented sigh.
Two hours later—of which I did not sleep because my fucking dick was on fire—I looked down to see Doodles wiping away the last of the blood on my shaft, revealing the name of the woman who had done the impossible and stolen my cold, dead heart.
Luana