Epilogue
“ B end over the back of the chair and show me your ass.”
A shiver ran through Maya at those words and she moved to the chair in a daze, positioning herself over the back of it.
She was wearing a pair of wide-legged black pants and a black sleeveless top. She was going to throw a lavender lace top over the top before they left.
But, apparently, Matthieu wanted to check her underwear situation first.
It felt like he’d been teasing her all morning as they’d gotten ready. Touches here and there. Looks. Suggestive comments.
And her pussy was wet, her clit throbbing.
Not great when they had to leave soon and she didn’t have panties on.
Although thank goodness she hadn’t put any on.
He stripped her pants down her thighs to her ankles.
“Spread your legs,” he commanded.
She moved her legs apart and he cupped her mound. A moan escaped her.
“Someone is all wet and needy, aren’t they?” he murmured, running a finger through her lips. “What is all this about?”
“You,” she moaned.
“Me?” he said with pretend surprise. He knew it was about him. It was always about him.
They’d been living together in the rental for a month now. Things weren’t always perfect. Living with her own caveman came with its challenges.
He was overprotective. Extremely so.
And surprisingly possessive. He didn’t like anyone else looking at her let alone touching her. Apparently, he’d shocked himself with how possessive he was.
But he also liked her to have whatever she desired. That was almost the hardest part to get used to.
Someone who put her before themselves.
It sounded like it should be easy. To let herself be spoiled and taken care of. But she still had moments of thinking he’d change his mind or that it would all disappear.
However, he was good at getting her past those moments.
The animals loved this new place. They also loved having her home more since she hadn’t found a new job yet. She’d been volunteering at a number of shelters in the city and she really wanted to go back to her idea of running her own rescue. But it would be expensive.
The other day, Matthieu had driven her past David’s yoga studio which now had a For Lease sign in the window.
Apparently, people had heard that he’d been exploiting young animals for his own gain and quit using the studio in droves.
And, Reeves had told them that a number of his clients had started coming forward with complaints about him touching them inappropriately.
He’d been arrested and refused bail. She’d had no idea and it was scary to think that she’d often been alone with him.
Kathryn had been arrested and ended up entering a guilty plea once her own sons confessed that she was the kingpin of it all. Maya had expected to hear from her father, but it had been crickets from him and she couldn’t help but feel hurt.
Still, he had a lot going on considering he was still part of an ongoing investigation and had resigned.
“This is all for me? Just as well. Because it can never be for anyone else, understand me?” As he spoke he slid his cock inside her. “Always mine.”
“Always yours,” she murmured as he thrust in deep.
He fucked her hard and fast. She wasn’t sure if it was because they had a short amount of time or if he just wanted to fuck her that way.
Whatever the reason, she wasn’t complaining.
Because he reached around and played with her clit until she was screaming her release. He came quickly after her, slumping over her as he came.
“God, you feel so good. I could spend all day and all night inside you,” he told her.
“You practically did last night,” she told him as he drew free from her. He’d slid his dick into her pussy last night as he’d curled around her in bed and he’d stayed there for a long time. She’d fallen asleep with him like that.
“Best night’s sleep I’ve ever had,” he told her as he grabbed some tissues to clean her up. Afterward, he turned her toward him.
“Me too,” she said with a smile. Then she gasped as she saw the time. “We’ve got to go! We’ll be late.”
“How can we be late to our own party?”
“Matthieu!” she groaned.
“All right, let’s go.” He loaded the animals in the car, leaving Princess Priss, the chickens and Marshmallow behind. As she was walking to the car, she saw him get out of a car parked on the sidewalk.
Matthieu saw him too and walked over to stand next to her.
“Dad?” she said with a question in her voice. He looked terrible. Old and haggard.
Like he’d aged ten years since she last saw him.
“I’ve made a horrible mistake,” he said, stopping a few feet away. “I believed her. All those years, I listened to the poison she fed me.”
She wanted to be angry at him. He’d let her down, time after time. All she’d wanted was to have a father and he hadn’t been there for her.
But he looked so lost and alone that she felt that anger melt.
“You loved her,” she said.
“Don’t make excuses for me. I might have loved her. But you were my daughter. You and Maisy and Marlin should have come first.”
“When Mom died it felt like I lost both of my parents.”
She didn’t want to hurt him. But she also wanted to get this poison out.
He nodded. “I know. I wasn’t there for you.”
“And then you married her and she was so awful. She made little digs at me all the time and you thought I was making it all up.”
“There’s nothing I can say to make it up to you other than to say I’m sorry. And to give you this.” He walked closer and Matthieu tensed but didn’t say anything.
Her father held out an envelope.
“It doesn’t make up for it. But hopefully it helps you. And maybe one day you’ll be able to forgive me. If I can forgive myself.”
She couldn’t think of what to say. She wasn’t there yet.
But maybe one day . . .
Matthieu guided her into the car as her dad left. Then he did up her belt. She was too dazed to do anything. When he got in, he reached over to grasp hold of her hand. “Want me to look at it?
She shook her head and opened it with shaky hands. Inside was a legal looking document with . . . she gasped.
“It’s the trust that Kathryn mentioned.” She’d wondered about it. “And I . . . I think I can access it. It’s so much money. So much of Mom’s money. Why would he give this to me now? And not before?”
“Guilt maybe. Who knows why he waited to give it to you.”
Part of her didn’t want it. But it wasn’t from her dad. This was from her mom.
“This could help build that house we want.” The house on his land. The one they talked about constantly.
“I told you. I provide the place where we live. As my woman, you let me do that. So I will pay for it.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
She sighed. “I guess there’s something else I could use the money for.”
“Your animal sanctuary,” he guessed.
“Yes. What do you think?”
“I think that’s an amazing idea, Bébé. And that your mom would be so proud of you.”
That’s what she thought too.
“And this is where we’ll put the house. So I think we might have to clear some land for the animal sanctuary,” she said to Millie, Livvy, and the other girls.
She’d met a number of the Iron Shadows members and their women at a barbeque at Sunny and Duke’s a couple of weeks ago. And she’d immediately decided that she loved them all.
Maya was over pushing people away and trying to do everything herself. All right, so she had her moments of doubts and worries. But she was trying to be more open.
They were hosting their own barbeque on the land that Matthieu owned.
They’d put up some poles to string lights from and had set up several tables together so they formed one long table for people to sit and eat at while chatting. Matthieu had hired a company to cook the food so they were free to talk.
Of course, her babies were the big hit of the night. Matthieu had rigged up an area they could roam around in without wandering off.
They’d invited all of the Iron Shadows members as well as the guys from Callahan Security and her brother and Reeves.
She was working on her relationship with her brother.
Thankfully, he’d decided to keep his job in Billings and help repair the public’s trust in the police force.
They’d video called Maisy together to tell her about their dad and Kathryn.
She’d taken it better than Maya had expected.
Sure, she’d been shocked, but also relieved that Kathryn and her sons were out of their lives.
Brody had come with a woman called Autumn. He’d said that the Fox sent his regards and that he’d liked the muffin basket she’d given Brody for him. He’d also sent her a stuffed toy fox. Which she’d found slightly odd but also nice.
Even Captain was there, sneaking the animals bits of food.
“It’s going to be amazing!” Millie cried, clapping her hands. “I want to work here. It’s not too far from my house. I can be here every day.”
“Yay!” Maya said.
“Maybe not every day,” Spike said, coming up to wrap an arm around her.
Each of the men came up behind their woman, claiming them.
“So, we have some more news to celebrate,” Reyes said. He was the President of the club. “Matthieu has decided to become a member of the Iron Shadows.”
She smiled and leaned into Matthieu as everyone cheered. They’d talked about it and Matthieu had decided he wanted to get a bike again. They both liked the idea of belonging to the Iron Shadows.
“And he’s coming to work full-time for me,” Ink said, one arm around Betsy and another around their adopted daughter, Zippy.
To her surprise, Maya realized that Betsy and Zippy were the woman and child she’d met outside Callahan Security that day she’d nearly walked into a pole.
“So Mr. Sleepy is here to stay, huh?” An attractive, younger guy walked up. He had on a T-shirt and ripped jeans. Next to him was a guy wearing a white shirt and pressed black pants. “Did you hear that, brother?”
“I did, brother,” the neatly-dressed guy said.
Matthieu groaned. “I didn’t think you two spawns of Satan were coming.”
Betsy and Zippy rushed over to hug the two newcomers.
“Hey, it’s not a party without us,” the second boy said, walking over to them. He held his hand out to Maya. “ Enchanté , mademoiselle.”
Matthieu groaned. “That was a terrible accent, Royal.”
“What accent?” Royal winked and took her hand, leaning over to kiss the top of it.
She’d already worked out that this had to be the terrible twins. Although, they didn’t seem to be that terrible to her. Baron walked over, but he didn’t bother with her hand. He just wrapped her up in his arms and squeezed her.
“You’ve got a good guy here,” he whispered to her.
“I know,” she told him as Matthieu started to protest.
“Get your hands off my woman.” Matthieu drew her back into his arms.
Baron just grinned. “So what are we celebrating?”
Royal moved to Betsy and wrapped his arm around her while Baron picked Zippy up, putting her on his shoulders.
“There’s a lot to celebrate,” Matthieu said. “Me moving here and joining the Iron Shadows and Callahan Security is just a small part of it. The biggest thing we’ll have to celebrate tonight is Maya agreeing to be my wife.”
What?
He turned to her, drawing a ring box out of his jacket pocket. How had she not known that was there?
“Maya, I adore you. You are the most amazing, beautiful, sweetest woman I’ve ever met.
You’ve also got enough sass to keep me on my toes and make life interesting.
” Everyone chuckled at that. “You’re the only person that has ever made me feel like I want to have a home, because you are my home.
My everything. And you will do me a great honor by becoming my wife.
” He slid a gorgeous ring onto her finger.
It was a square-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds.
“Notice he didn’t ask,” Baron whispered. “That takes balls.”
“That’s Matthieu,” Royal replied. “He’s all about the balls.”
“Shh,” Betsy said. “This is so lovely. I think I’m going to cry.”
Her and Maya, both. Tears dripped down her face as she glanced at the ring, then up at Matthieu.
“You’re annoyingly protective, far too possessive, and think you’re always right.
You’re also the person that made me realize that I can trust someone.
That I can rely on them and that they won’t hurt me.
You’re the person that makes me feel safe.
That makes me feel loved. And I would love nothing more than to be your wife. ”
He drew her into his arms and kissed her as everyone around them cheered and dogs howled their happiness into the night sky.