Epilogue
STYXX
This is not good.
Not good at all.
Watching Promise cross the stage meant she was growing up and didn’t need me anymore. In the past six years, she’s flourished more and more.
Now, she was done with college and was moving. I knew her plan. She’d gotten a teaching position over in Lampasas. It was a good three-hour drive from home.
Her going to college at Texas A & M was bad enough, and even farther away, but damnit, why couldn’t the girl get a job at home where she belongs?
The moment they call her name, I stand along with every one of my brothers and their women.
“Daddy,” Eabha calls, tugging on my hand, “I can’t see.”
I lift her so she can see her big sister walking across the stage as she claps and squeals for Promise.
Hope, next to me, is holding our little boy cradled to her chest. My brother was on the other side of her, holding Craig, our five-year-old, up.
Life for us had been busy over the years, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I couldn’t be more grateful to have all that I do. It’s a blessing I’ll never take for granted.
Once the ceremony completes, we all wait outside the building for Promise to join us. The moment she steps foot out of the side, I don’t miss the pride on her face as she spots us.
“Promise,” Eabha squeals and rushes forward, throwing herself into her big sister’s arms. “You did it.”
Promise laughs, carrying Eabha back to our group.
“Sissy,” Craig cries and throws himself at her. My boy loves her just as much as Eabha does. The girl has a way with kids, especially those of the club.
“You sure you want to take that job in Lampasas?”
Thank fuck it was my brother who asked and not me. Promise has put her foot down, saying she was taking this job and was not going to budge.
Promise smiles and rolls her eyes. “I’ve already taken it, Uncle Scythe. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Oh, we won’t be worrying about you, darlin’,” Reaper says with a shit-eating grin on his face, and I couldn’t help but grin myself.
“Why’s that?” Eabha asks, looking up from her spot next to her sister.
“Because Azrael and Hendrix are already in Lampasas, sweetheart,” Reaper answers my little girl, though his eyes never wavered from Promise.
“Diablo needed hands at the ranch there. Club voted that they were going to start a second chapter there,” Hope explains with a slight shake of her head.
“You what?” Promise mutters, paling ever so slightly.
“Club voted,” I tell her. “Azrael will be the President of the Lampasas charter. Hendrix his VP.” It was as good as it was going to get for me to keep an eye on my girl without moving there myself.
The paleness in Promise’s face clears, and it’s like I hadn’t seen it before I explained about the club vote. I don’t know what that was about, but I’d have Hope find out for me. My woman would, and I’d then know if I needed to step in.
“Come on,” Hope says, curling an arm around me. “Let’s get a move on. I’m hungry, and I know Promise has already requested we all go to our favorite place here.”
I chuckle and shake my head. Only my woman and girl would demand pizza for a celebration.
“Then let’s get moving.”
Just as I have for the past seven years, I’ve given both of them what they wanted because, at the end of the day, if it weren’t for Promise pushing her way into my life, I wouldn’t have Hope, the woman who makes me whole.
I wouldn’t have the life I now have, and because of that, I’ll always do as I swore I would when it comes to my family.
I’ll protect them with my life, just as Hope nearly did for Promise.