Epilogue
DEMITRI
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Are we all set up?” I speak into the phone.
“Sure are,” the voice replies.
I hang up, stuffing the phone in my pocket, staring out the window in the kitchen, and wait for Mia to show herself.
“I’m ready,” she mumbles as she tumbles into the kitchen trying to get her shoes on.
“It’s too early for you, isn’t it?” I ask, trying to hide my grin. I hand her the cup of coffee I made, and she gulps it like her life depends on it.
“Wouldn’t have been if the hot man in my bed last night hadn’t demanded multiple rounds.”
“He’d apologize, but he’s really not that sorry.” When she’s close enough, I pull her into my arms. “How’s life treating you, Aunt Mia?”
She snorts into her cup. “This is fucked up, isn’t it? All of this?”
“I never saw it coming, that’s for sure.”
She looks at the clock on the microwave and grimaces. “Thought we were on a timetable today?”
“Yeah, we need to go.”
“Are you telling me where we’re going?”
“Nope, but you’re driving.”
We walk outside and, as expected, Mia turns to her car, but I move to the garage.
“Where are you going?” she asks, confusion covering her face.
“We’re taking the Shelby.”
“And I’m driving?” She raises her brow. It’s a fair question. I’ve been telling her for a year I had to work on it and she couldn’t drive it.
“You are.”
“But I don’t know where we’re going.”
“Diamond Cove.”
She stares at me, the wheels in her brain turning. “You’re doing it, aren’t you? You’re selling the Shelby?”
I nod, knowing this part of the day will upset her. “Sarge is going to meet us over there and bring us home.”
“Isn’t it out of his way?”
“Nah. He doesn’t mind.”
I toss her the keys and she looks like she still doesn’t believe she gets to drive her. But that only lasts a few seconds, and she’s sliding behind the wheel and making her adjustments.
“Who are you selling her to?”
“Some rich guy. Sebastian Workman?”
“From the Workman Group?” She looks at me, her eyes widening.
“Yeah, you heard of them?”
“Sure. They are like PR on speed. Corporate fixing, celebrity PR. They are magicians at making bad shit disappear, but it’s like they have ethics, too,” Mia replies, a hint of awe in her voice.
“Huh. PR people with ethics?”
“I know, right? But I hear they are good guys. And they have enough money to drop on a Shelby.”
“In this instance, that’s all that matters, right?”
“Let’s drive.” Mia bounces in her seat, the smile on her face making all the planning and plotting and secrecy of the day totally worth it.
I watch my girl ease into the engine of the Shelby, shifting gears like it’s nothing, giving her gas when we have a stretch, and I can’t help but think how far we’ve both come in the last year. I know some people thought I was a fool for taking her drips and scraps for four years, but if I hadn’t been me, and she wasn’t who she was at the time, we wouldn’t be here. Blissfully happy. Together.
The last year has changed everything. I have a relationship with a man I swore I would never willingly be in the same room with. He’s told me old family secrets and histories that would have been lost. He’s guided me on helping others in need. He’s helped me come to terms with the extended family members I have out there who may or may not know about me and their origins.
But most of all, Sasha and Linda—she dropped the aunt bullshit once semi-retirement hit her—have guided both Mia and myself on this new journey of helping people in a way that’s both meaningful and just. I don’t know how word gets out about us. I feel like the ANON guys have a hand in some of it, but the number of people who have come to the bar asking for help has been astounding. While Linda focused on the dealings with the Pavlov family and their criminal organization, we’ve branched into helping women who’ve been hurt, men who have seen things they absolutely shouldn’t have, and others who need someone to keep their secrets.
We’ve met some interesting people. Some have families doing bad things, like I did. We take their confessions and get the information to those who can do the most to help. Because of the relationship we have with Mary and the DEA, we loop her in on as much as possible. For the ones who need help to get out of their current situations, we connect them with ANON. Grady working part-time at the bar is part of that. And the guy just enjoys it.
Aiden and I have become even closer. His understanding of my life and the family demands makes him an invaluable friend to lean on. I happily return the favor when he hears news from Boston and doesn’t know how to process it. He’s become a fixture at the bar as well.
Nurse Lizzy? She’s started to join the other girls to talk about life and moving on from her past with bad men. It’s good to see that it’s not just Mia who has been able to live a happy and open life. It gives me hope that I can watch Grace, Nola, and Sofie do the same when they’re ready. I hope I can be a shoulder for them when the time comes as well.
“We’re here,” Mia interrupts my thoughts.
She’s driven to the offices of the Workman Group, and I can already see Sebastian standing at the door, his brothers behind him. They are giants. Reminds me of Tiny, Sarge’s friend.
“I’ll leave you two alone for a minute so you can say your goodbyes.” I grin at Mia. She leans over the clutch and pulls me in for a quick kiss.
“Thanks. Take your time.”
I shake my head as I get out of the car and walk to the doors. The men all come outside to greet me.
“You didn’t drive her?” Sebastian asks after introducing me to his brothers.
“Not today. Had to let my girl get a drive in before you got the keys.”
“She’s into cars?”
“Just one,” I laugh. “I’m breaking her heart a little, but I’m going to make it up to her.”
Mia gets out of the car, tossing her hair behind her back while she lovingly caresses the hood.
“If I had that, and she loved that, I wouldn’t get rid of it for anything, man.”
I smirk at him. “I do have that, and you have no fucking shot, car or not.”
He laughs, one of his brothers smacking him on the head. “You wanted the car. Don’t make him regret it by being an ass about his woman.”
The brothers argue until Mia joins us, the keys looped around her finger, her eyes a little glassy from saying her farewells to the Shelby.
“Which of you overgrown apes gets the Shelby?”
Sebastian steps forward, smacking his hands back at his brothers. “That would be me, ma’am.”
“Before you get these keys, you need to know a few things.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“One, it’s Mia, not ma’am. Two, you will treat her with the respect you would give your mother. Take her out and treat her well. Spend some money on her. Make her feel loved and she’ll love you in return. And no matter what, you do not drive her drunk or on drugs. Ever. Understand? Because I will know. And I’ll kick your ass. I will be your worst fucking nightmare if you hurt that Shelby.”
My shoulders are shaking, and I have to bite my lips to not laugh. I’m pretty sure the stare-down she’s giving the man could put Joker’s glare to shame. The brothers are all trying to hold in their laugher, as well, and Sebastian looks properly chastised.
“I understand, Mia. I’ll make sure no harm comes to her.”
“And if you need someone to work on her, you will call no one else but John. When and if the time comes, and he’s no longer working on cars, he will decide who you go to next. And I don’t care that we’re over an hour away. You’re rich. Find a way.”
“I will.”
Mia hands him the keys, narrowing her eyes at him one more time, and I swear he visibly shrinks under her stare.
“Come on, hard ass. Let the guy play with his new car. Sarge is here.”
“Nice to meet you all.” Mia smiles and waves at the Workman brothers and turns to skip to Sarge’s truck.
“Fuck me. Does she have a sister?” I hear behind me.
Without looking back, I answer. “Nope. She’s one of a kind. And all mine. Enjoy the Shelby. I’m going to enjoy my life with my girl.”
I join Sarge and Mia in his truck, pulling her to my side as I wrap my arm around her, Sarge already laughing.
“This isn’t the way home. Where are we going?” Mia asks when we’ve been on the road about forty-five minutes.
“Need to make a pit stop if that’s alright with you?” Sarge asks from behind the wheel.
“Sure. Any good food places?”
“Boulder Canyon has a diner. Ms. Mable will take good care of you, but Rockton has the best pizza around.”
Sarge pulls up to the garage, and I already see her. She’s covered, on the back of a truck, ready for transport.
I get out of the truck and help Mia down. Sarge hands me the keys with a smile on his face.
“What’s going on?” Mia asks.
“I have a surprise for you, Krasotka .”
“What is it?”
“Yo, Tiny!” Sarge yells. “Pull the cover!”
The man in question steps from around the truck and pulls the cloth from the car on the back. A nineteen-sixty-seven Shelby. One in much worse shape than the mint baby we just delivered.
“Dem,” Mia whispers so only I can here. “What’s going on?”
“I got you something.”
“But you, but, what?”
“The Shelby you worked on with your uncle is gone, baby. The Shelby we just sold has memories I’d rather forget. I thought we could work on one together and make her ours.”
The tears are fast. Spilling from her eyes without thought. She looks at me, the love shining through her eyes warming me from the inside out. She tugs on my shirt and kisses me. It quickly turns feral. A kiss others should not be watching, but I don’t care. Anytime this woman wants to kiss me, I’m all in.
“Let’s get married,” she says, grinning.
I laugh. “I already asked you to do that. Remember?”
“Yeah, but let’s do it now. We can go to your uncle’s on the beach.”
“Right now? Just us?”
“Just us. We’ll let Sasha and Linda watch.”
“I’m registered to marry people in the state.” Sarge grins at us.
“How do you feel about driving back to Diamond Cove, friend?”
“Terrific. But we need a license.”
I stare at Mia, knowing she needs this. “Marry us today. Just us and my aunt and uncle. We’ll plan a bigger thing later and have the formal license. That work for you?”
“Works for me. Tiny, want to come with us?”
“Sure. Let me call my wife and let her know I’ll be late. We can swing by and see my brothers.”
“Ask your brother if you can drive his new car.” Mia grins at him. Now I can see the similarities are too much to be a coincidence. Tall, big, cocky.
“Want to ride the bike back?” Sarge asks. “Have a spare you can use. Pick up this gal later?”
“Perfect. Shall we?” I ask Mia.
“Let’s do this.”
On the way back to Diamond Cove, I feel my phone vibrate with a new message. At a stop, I pull out the phone and my stomach drops.
“What’s wrong?” Mia asks.
“Trouble’s coming. Might be small, but it’s still trouble.”
“Do we need to turn back?”
“Fuck no. I’m marrying you today, Krasotka . Nothing we can do about it until tomorrow, anyway.”
“I love you, Demitri.”
“I love you, too.”
Before we take off, I show her the message on the phone.
Aiden: I think we have a problem. My uncle and cousin are both coming to town. Prepare yourself.
The End