Epilogue
Jema
“You know, being a crime boss's wife isn’t as easy as people think. You’re lucky I take it very seriously,” I say to my husband as I finish putting on my red lip stain.
“Is that so?” Salvador fights a smirk in the mirror as he watches me put on my final touches.
“I mean, you didn’t really give me much of an option.” I remind him of his sneaky way of marrying me and how I didn’t get the chance to turn him down.
“Where that was concerned, kitten, it was never going to be an option.”
“I know.” I huff a fake breath of exhaustion. “The things I have to put up with.”
I love putting up with everything he does, and we both know it. Is it crazy the man all but kidnapped me and tricked me into this? Some would say so. I, however, find it romantic and loving.
My birth parents got rid of me, and now I have a man who would die before he'd let anyone else ever touch me. I’m sure that’s messed up in a weird, codependent way, but I don’t care.
My husband is obsessed with me, and not only does he come with a lot of money but also a butler!
I'm over here living the dream, so I'm not going to complain about it. Except to my husband, obviously.
"I appreciate your patience with me," Salvador says, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t laugh.
If anyone needs patience, it's him. He often says I'm a wild card and he never knows what he's going to get. Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to get with myself most days.
"You're welcome."
"Fine line, kitten," Salvador warns.
I mean, really, he's partly to blame for my antics. He encouraged it with "punishments," as he calls them. Weird name to call something I enjoy, but whatever.
"You'll have to punish me later. We have plans." I hurry back into my closet to grab my coat.
"Plans can wait," Salvador calls after me.
I got my memories back not long after everything went down with Joey. Since then, I've been making him take me out a few times a week. I love being home, but now I don't need to be locked away anymore. Unless it's for fun.
When the memories did come back, it only made me love my husband even more. Joey was supposed to be family to me, and to him, I was merely an object to be used when needed. I'm not as streetwise as I once thought, but that’s not my fault.
I'd latched on to Joey because he was nice to me when we were young, but when I really remember back, our relationship was about what I could do for him.
I wanted a family and love so badly that I put up with it because I didn't know how those dynamics worked.
I accepted what was there, not knowing better.
With my husband, I always come first. I can get away with murder, not that I’m murdering people.
That’s Salvador’s job. But even when what I want will be a pain in the ass, my man makes it happen.
A few times I believe some of my antics were a test to see if he was really going to stay.
Sure enough, he clocked what I was doing before I even realized I’d been doing it at all.
"Kitten, you're gorgeous as always, but you know it's summer, right?" he says when I come back out from the closet.
"What are you saying?" I wrap the fur coat around me and stare at him. "This is what I mean about it not being easy to be a crime boss's wife. I have to wear these gaudy furs to play the part."
Salvador throws back his head and laughs as I run my hands down the faux fur. Although I'm okay with Salvador skinning people alive, I have a hard limit on doing it to animals.
"Fuck, I love you, kitten,” he says as he makes his way over to me.
"I kinda love you too," I tease.
“You sure you won’t be too hot?” He pushes my coat open before his hand goes to my small baby bump.
I didn’t know how badly I wanted a baby until I saw those two pink lines. As soon as I did, I burst into tears. It made all of this so much more real and wonderful.
“It is hot,” I admit.
“How about later when we get back home, I strip you naked and you put the coat on so I can fuck you in it?”
“That’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had.” I lick my lips as my body heats. We might have time before our dinner.
“All right, how about we stay home and you only wear the coat while I feed you?"
“Will you send the staff home for the night and we make it together?” The cooks are amazing, but moving around the kitchen with Salvador often makes this massive home cozier.
“You want girl dinner,” he asks with a knowing smile, and I nod. "Good, because I already did."
Growing up, I ate whatever was on the plate, and there wasn’t ever a choice. Now that I’m rich and have a fully stocked grocery store downstairs, I can make mozzarella sticks with popcorn as a side and chase it down with an orange juice. The choices are endless.
"You know me too well."
"And you love that."
He’s right, I do. It goes to show that he really does know me.
He pays attention to all the details, knowing what I want or need before I do.
This is why I know we're soul mates. It's only been a handful of months, and you'd think we've been together a decade. When it’s the right person, things just click into place.
"Let's get you naked then,” he says before sweeping me into his arms.
“Yes, then I can give you this appetizer I’ve made.” I wiggle my brows at him. “I’m talking about my vagina.”
“I know, kitten." He chuckles, bringing me down onto the bed. "Allow me the pleasure of unwrapping it.”
“If you insist.” I stretch out across the bed as I watch my husband make his way down my body.
I might not be as na?ve and trusting as before, but to Salvador, I’ll always be his innocent captive.
THE END!