32. Epilogue
Epilogue
Kodi – Five Years Later
I try to take steady breaths as I drive towards Liam, my heart in my throat, fear slowly building deep inside to the point where it’s suffocating.
This shouldn’t have happened. We agreed to wait until I was ready, maybe seek out fertility specialists. I thought fate had other ideas until a gut instinct had me checking my pills, and anger started to comingle with fear.
The jackass swapped my pills for vitamins, not even having a conversation with me first, taking a choice away from me.
He knows I hate that shit, and now I’m flipping pregnant, fifteen weeks to be exact.
I’ve been so busy at Wilsons Arts, the gallery that Liam, the club, and my father helped open and build up, that I don’t know how I’m going to cope.
Once word got out, as soon as the doors opened, most of my stuff was sold out on the first day and it hasn’t died down.
It is an amazing feeling, but while I’ve been so focused on my gallery, I didn’t notice my husband swapping my pills.
Had I noticed I would have driven down to his gym to kick the shit out of him.
I’m not ready to be a mom, I still feel like I failed our child even if I didn’t know about it.
Instead of castrating him at the gym, I’m heading to the cemetery where his mom is buried to confront him, something I really don’t want to do today of all fricking days.
Today would have been her birthday, and he spends every birthday and Mother’s Day at her grave for at least three hours.
Over the years, while Liam has struggled with forgiveness and he’s slowly learned to come to an understanding instead.
He knows he’ll never know if she meant what she said before she died but he also knows that she tried to protect him, and every week, he’ll sit at his mom’s grave for an hour and speak to her.
He’ll open his heart about what she put him through and just about life in general and I’m so proud of him but right now, I want to kill him and not even his club can help him with this one!
I shake my head. When Dad walked in with Cage because of course he’s finally bonding with the club now that his daughter is married to a brother, they both were ecstatic seeing the pregnancy stick in my hand.
At first I didn’t think my husband swapped my pills, I just told the men that I had to go, and both gave me a hug and congratulated me but once I got into my truck, instinct told me to check my bag.
Freaking Liam!
I pull up next to his bike within minutes and try to take a deep breath, just so I don’t kill my husband.
We were told I could have complications if I managed to conceive which was only supposed to be a thirty percent chance.
We were told I’d have to go on bed rest, and I’m at the peak of my career.
The career I have always dreamed about but never thought I would have, a baby complicates all of that, and what if I lose it?
What if I’m not a good mom when my own was shitty?
Don’t get me wrong, my dad comes to the gallery every single day and sometimes with Benny who is now a Deputy and finally married. I’ve become close with my dad but what happened with Mom, who I still can’t forgive, messed with my head and I don’t want to screw this child up.
I squeeze the steering wheel before taking another deep breath, and then I climb out of my truck and head towards his mom’s grave, not far from the parking lot.
I notice his figure already leaning against the headstone, his words just hitting me as I get closer.
“I finally feel at home at the clubhouse, Mom, something I didn’t think was possible. I feel happy and loved. I’ve finally found peace with what I had to endure over the years, fuck, Dad helped me the most, which I know is shocking,” he murmurs, and I sigh because I know I can’t kill him just yet.
Dammit.
“Fireball,” he says when I get closer, our eyes connect, and I raise a brow at him while he tilts his head and reads me completely as he confirms, “I’m in the doghouse?”
I nod once, and he asks, “Why?” as I take a seat next to him and murmur, “Hi Jenna,” before I address my husband and state, “You messed with my pills…”
He sighs as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and admits, “I did,” without shame, “Baby, we’ve been married for five years, the brothers are popping out kids left, right and center.
I want a little you running around. I want that family and I knew you were too scared to take that step, so I thought I’d help,” he looks at me with so much love my heart pounds, even after all this time, “Don’t go back on the pill, please, start a family with me, I want at least three kids with you, I want to fill our home with love and laughter, something I never got and we’ve been told it could be hard to conceive… ”
I shake my head and look forward before I ask, “And what about the risks, Liam?”
He’s quiet for a moment before he says, “You can still draw and paint and the old ladies have already said that they’d help you with your gallery for when the time comes.
Fireball, please, don’t go back on the pill, I’m fucking begging you, face your fears like I have faced mine every single day by allowing the club in, by trusting them again… ”
I shake my head again, and he groans before we’re both quiet again for a few minutes until he rasps, “I told you, Mom, she’s a stubborn one,” and I snort and retort, “Or I’m just trying my hardest not to kill her son for taking my choices away with this baby!”
“I’m not taking them away, fireball. We were always going to have more kids, you said so yourself that you wanted a big family with me. I just upped the…” He pauses, and I look his way, and softness takes over, seeing his surprise and then elation as he gasps, “You’re pregnant?”
I nod and confirm, “Fifteen weeks according to the test, meaning you, sir, are in the fricking doghouse.”
“Holy shit,” he chokes before he grips the back of my neck and pulls me towards him, kissing me hard and fast but with so much love.
“I’m still mad at you,” I choke against his lips, his eyes shining with unshed tears my undoing, and he shakes his head as he grips my hair.
“I don’t care, fuck, baby, we’re going to have a baby. We’re going to be a fucking family, and I swear, I will be by your side the whole way. Fuck, I’ll give up fighting in the ring if you really want me to, I’ll give up my cut,” he chokes, and I grip his cut tighter.
“I won’t ask you to do that, just like I would never ask you to leave your club because they are both your life, but I will be keeping you in the doghouse for another five months. You’ll be waiting on me hand and foot for this stunt…” I murmur back, and he grins before kissing me again.
“Anything,” he whispers, “fucking anything for you,” and he kisses me hard, and I melt into my husband.
It’s hard to be mad at him when he is this fricking happy about having a baby, the bad boy, grumpy, aloof biker who only grunted when people spoke to him, is happy about having a baby.
Damn, how can you stay mad at that? The answer, you can’t…
Liam breaks the kiss, and I place my forehead against his chest, and it rumbles as he chokes, “You’re going to be a grandma, Mom,” and my eyes sting, “You’re going to have to watch Dad hog the baby.”
I snort, “She’ll haunt his ass,” and he hums in agreement.
Despite all our ups and downs, despite the pain, he has kept hold of me like I’m his lifeline. Now, we’re going to be bringing this baby into the world, and I know he will treat her like a princess, before her two brothers come along, becoming her protector, like their father.
Life with Liam won’t ever be quiet or peaceful, but it’ll be loud and full of love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.