Chapter 35
EDEN
One month later…
“ T here’s no reason to be bitter.”
Jude snorts. “I’m not bitter .”
“You’ve been complaining that I won the entire ride up here.”
“No.” He pushes open the door, and I walk through. “I’ve been complaining that you cheated .”
Kieran chuckles from where he stands across Lochlan’s outdoor seating area. “My wife? She would never cheat.”
“Thank you.” He winks at me, and I try to ignore how his beautiful green eyes make my body heat. “Face it, Jude. You lost.”
He shakes his head. “We’ll have a rematch tomorrow.”
“And I’ll win then, too.”
Jude rolls his eyes, but there’s pure amusement on his face. He has no problem losing to me. We both like the challenge.
Kieran wraps an arm around my waist, dragging me back into his body. I hadn’t even heard him approach. “You getting into trouble?” he teases.
“Always.”
“Good.” His lips brush my temple. “I love it when you’re up to no good.”
“You love me always.” He hums, not agreeing, and I swat at him. “Jerk.”
He chuckles as Lochlan and Mika exit the house, joining the rest of us. Lochlan is carrying a tray of drinks, shaking his head at her. “I’m not giving you a name.”
“That’s not fair!”
“What’s not fair is that my best chocolatier is now dead. I can’t sacrifice another.”
Mika huffs, turning her big eyes on her husband. “Just take me to the shop.”
Jude crosses to Mika, cupping her face and kissing her long and slow. She melts into him, hands fisting the front of his shirt. Lochlan whistles. Rohan turns away, endlessly disgusted by the rest of us.
When he pulls back, his thumbs still stroking her jaw, Jude quietly whispers, “No.”
That has me, Kieran, and Lochlan chuckling, and my husband pulls me to the table while Mika glares at hers. But Jude drags her over with the rest of us, pulling her into his lap.
I try to take my own chair, but unsurprisingly, Kieran grunts in disapproval and grabs me by the waist. I’m dropped into his lap, one arm coming around to hold me firmly in place, and I narrow my eyes at him. I’ve long since learned not to protest.
In the last month, we’ve rebuilt our peace and sense of family.
Twice a week, we gather for dinner at one of our houses, making a point not to discuss work.
I still spend many of my afternoons with Mika, most of my mornings with Jude, and find plenty of trouble to get into with Kieran or Lochlan.
Rohan treats me just like he does those two, like I’m an annoying sibling he has to put up with.
And it’s perfect.
“You forgot something.” Kieran slides my ring onto my finger, and I can’t help but smile down at it. He hates when I don’t have it on.
“I don’t wear it when we’re training. You know that.” And today I had an extra long and grueling session as I helped Jude test and evaluate a new set of fighters. Caius needs two new bodies, and we always help weed out the weak.
“You’re not training now.” He squeezes my thigh. “So I want it on you, wife.”
“So demanding, husband.” But there’s no frustration in my tone.
Jude shifts in his seat, clearing his throat. “I have news.”
“No work at dinner,” Mika reminds him.
He quirks a brow. “Dinner hasn’t started.”
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t interrupt when Rohan asks, “What kind of news?”
“Our sweep today located the rebel camp.” That piques everyone’s attention. “We have a few stations out in the woods watching them until we are ready to move.”
After finding out that Conor was our leak, Kieran wanted to finally go after the rebels.
He wanted everyone to pay for what happened to me, and I’m more than happy to get violent with him.
Jude’s been working on finding the moving rebel camp—information that we keep as confidential as possible—and now, our hope is to wipe them out.
Because the cages have proven to be easy for them to access, Rohan and Lochlan have been renovating the two houses and central building across the peak.
With Miles and Conor dead, they can be used for more secure holding cells for high profile people—like Parker or Damian.
I know that Kieran will want to take his time with the rebel leader and the man who kidnapped me.
And I’d love to get some answers from them myself. Something I fully intend on doing once we find the two bastards.
“When will that be?” Lochlan’s grin is feral. He loves the idea as much as I do.
Jude looks to Kieran. “A few days?”
My husband nods. “No reason to drag it out.”
“Gives me enough time to sharpen my knives.” Lochlan looks downright giddy.
“You’re going on the raid?” Rohan eyes his friend.
“I’m going hunting.” His accent is thick as he draws out the words.
“Want to make a wager?” I arch a brow at Lochlan.
“On?”
“Which one of us will make more kills.”
Kieran chuckles, squeezing my leg again. “You two are going to be trouble.”
“Don’t act like you aren’t thrilled.” I look him up and down. “You’re just as eager as we are.”
“You shouldn’t be going down there,” Rohan argues.
“Too bad.” Kieran’s eyes are on me. “I’m not staying behind.”
“Neither am I,” Lochlan agrees. “You could join the fun, Ro.”
“Someone has to be responsible,” he mutters into his glass.
“That’s too bad,” I tease.
He tries to look irritated, but I see the way his lips twitch before he hides it.
That’s why I love my little family. We might give each other shit, but in the end, it’s all in good fun. We’re loyal to a fault, willing to kill for each other, and I wouldn’t give them up for anything. I might have almost lost them once, but it only made us stronger.
I couldn’t ask for a better life than this.
“A few days then?” Jude asks.
I grin, turning to look at my husband. The man who never gave up on me. “A few days,” I agree. “Then we’re going hunting.”
THE END
Want to know what went down on Rohan’s birthday?
Get the bonus chapter here .