Epilogue
One Year Later...
Global “Dice” Jamerson
Itwisted the throttle, and Badass Bessie answered with a deep growl that echoed through the back roads of Magnolia Valley.
I shifted up, rolled back into the throttle, and leaned into the next curve, feeling the bike hug the pavement like it was on rails.
The farther I got from the city, the wider my smile became.
These back roads had always been my favorite because they let a rider feel what her machine was really made of.
The wind whipped against my helmet and cut through my new leather riding suit while the scenery blurred into streaks of green and gray.
Ritz had surprised me with it a few months back.
Black with bold red panels running down the sides, it gave the illusion of a smaller waist. Not that my husband cared.
That man loved every inch of me before the baby weight, after the baby weight, and every soft curve in between.
Pulling into the cemetery, I spotted the girls already standing there like we'd planned. No matter how busy life became, we never let this day pass us by. Every year on Rose's birthday, we rode together before meeting at her gravesite. Some traditions were simply bigger than us.
I threw my leg over my bike and climbed off. Although this was a newer model, every motorcycle I'd ever owned carried the same name.
Badass Bessie.
This one just happened to be a push gift.
Yeah… you heard that right.
Not only did I marry Ritz, but somewhere between learning how to become a family and falling deeper in love, we welcomed another little blessing into the world.
A beautiful baby girl we named Koasta.
The day Ritz went to check on the Vegas casino, I had the whole day planned.
Balloons, gifts, dinner—the works. A bitch spared no expense.
But that man couldn't have cared less about any of it.
The only two things he kept picking up were the 14K yellow gold photo pendant with our picture inside and the white Clearblue test that read PREGNANT.
That was it for that man. He asked me to marry him and plan for a wedding within three months.
He was serious because a dude named Tre hit me up.
Normally, I would have a comeback. But, like I said before, an alpha female will submit to the right alpha male.
I loved that man so much, I had the wedding ready in no time.
My father was upset for two weeks because he was missing another milestone in my life.
But like I told him, one of my greatest gifts from him was making sure my mother got her justice.
Accident or not, Coca and I grew up without our mothers, which was like a ripple effect because we lost Granny Day, too. I lost my father due to his drive for revenge. He was up for parole soon, so I was gonna do everything I could to make sure he got out.
I sent him a picture of our wedding, which was everything we hoped for.
The special moment was beautiful—my girls, Revv bringing the rings, Coca’s tall ass being a damn overgrown flower girl, and Pop Pop walking me down the aisle.
That old man thought he was slick, the damn fake pocket flower that was definitely a flask.
We finally got to meet Carmen, his new girlfriend.
Ritz pushing for three months was perfect because I didn’t want to be big as a house waddling down nobody’s aisle.
When we learned we were having a girl, Ritz wasn't sold on the name at first. Revv came from the sound of an engine revving, but Koasta came from my favorite part of riding.
Sometimes I didn't need to race anybody or prove a damn thing.
Sometimes I just wanted to coast with the wind in my face and enjoy the ride.
Revv came during the chaos, when life was all about acceleration, motion, and power.
Koasta came during my peace.
My babies had their father and their won’t-go-away honorary dad, Oats, wrapped around their fingers. They now had a village that would go to war about them.
Life was funny...
Just over a year ago, I came back to Magnolia Valley carrying a secret I'd guarded in those mountains like gold. Today, I was back for this moment and, of course, to see Pop Pop, who absolutely refused to move to Vegas.
Yeah...
We live in Vegas now. I made it as planned. Kash was already out here. We were just keeping our fingers crossed for Rebel to make her way.
What was supposed to be a one-year project for Ritz turned into a permanent move after we decided it was best for our family. The only thing that hadn't changed was Ross Savings and Loan. That move was still in the works.
I told Ritz my story, and I knew the only way for us to work was if he respected my commitment to finishing what we started. That part was never up for debate.
He didn't like it.
But he respected it.
Truth be told...
I didn't like it either.
I was rich, married, and now the mother of two. Life had changed in ways I never imagined, but Gang of Roses still had one final mission, and I planned on seeing it through to the end.
"Dice, what the hell you late for?" Rebel asked.
"Rebel, you really gon' ask that?" Kash chimed in.
"Hellooooo... I can answer."
Before I could get another word out, they both spoke at the same time.
"The damn lipstick."
"Ouuu... don't do me, hookas. It was a new drop today."
I laughed, grabbed the yellow roses tucked behind my bike, and made my way toward the tombstone that sat proudly at the head of one of my best friend’s final resting place.
“Hunni, that weight dropped quick,” Kash said.
“If you say so. I didn’t get that big with Koasta, but I feel like I’m just now getting my energy back.”
“Well... at least we knew this time.”
Rebel rolled her eyes.
I huffed.
“Bruh... we still on that?”
“Absolutely,” she shot back.
I ignored her.
“Another year, ladies.”
“I know, right?” Rebel said, dressed head to toe in gold to match her bike. Kash was matching Goblin, too.
“So... where to now?” I asked.
“We riding the mountains for Rose,” Rebel announced.
I wasn’t exactly feeling the mountain ride, but I’d do it for my girl every single time.
“Dammit... Rose, you and that living-on-the-edge shit.”
“I agree,” Kash said with a laugh. “But we ride not only for her... we ride for the gang.”
I knelt beside the grave, pressed two fingers to my lips, then laid them gently against the headstone.
“I miss you, girl,” I whispered. “And just so you know... I was gonna smoke yo’ ass in that race.”
A soft gust of wind carried a few leaves across the grass. I smiled, winked at the grave, spread the yellow roses across the front of the headstone, and stood to my full height.
“Make the call, ladies,” Kash said, giving the order to recite the club law.
“We don’t leave sisters. Not on the road. Not in prison. Not in the ground.”
The words rolled off our tongues in unison, just as they always had.
“Let’s ride.”
The End…