Epilogue
Master
One year later
OVER THE LAST year, life has been chaotic and filled with ups and downs.
The first major thing that happened was taking out Ben and the trafficking ring.
Lash and a group of six men went in as if they were going to bid.
We were in constant communication and it didn’t take long for the warehouse to be surrounded.
Our weeks of planning paid off and no one escaped.
Every asshole there was arrested along with several of the buyers.
Mr. Bond had several more charges added to the long list he already had as well.
Annistyn helped the few girls who came back to the clubhouse with us.
They went to the ranch and got the help they were in desperate need of.
Lash, Slim, and Grim all took a few girls back with them.
Some of them had no one else in Glendale or the surrounding area and they wanted a fresh start in life.
Others were from closer to their hometowns and they got rides back before getting the help they needed.
We all agreed to keep updated on the women and girls to ensure they all thrived after being tortured.
Mr. Bond is serving life in prison. He went to trial and lost his case.
The lawyer he thought was so good did nothing for him.
Taleah was worried about having to testify, but they didn’t need her.
There were more than enough victims to get on the stand and share their stories with the judge and jury.
He’s pissed as hell, but the guards have learned and shared that he’s not allowed access to a computer and all of his calls are to be monitored closer than normal.
The men involved in the trafficking ring are also going to spend the rest of their lives in prison.
None of them will be in the same place because it’s been proven they work together and no one wants this to happen again.
Mrs. Bond is serving several years in prison as well.
I don’t see her making it out alive if I’m being honest. She was already attacked in jail and I have a feeling it will only get worse once she’s transported to prison.
When we weren’t at work during the day, our time was spent building the second location of Roger’s ranch.
With all the new victims, it was imperative we get it running as soon as possible.
Members of the Phantom Bastards and Wild Kings came to help us out.
With all of us helping Roger, it didn’t take long at all for all the buildings to be constructed and ready to open.
Annistyn works at the original ranch while Roger is mainly at the new location.
We don’t blame Annistyn for not wanting to spend a ton of time there.
It’s where her torment started and she has no good memories of the place.
When we took out all the buildings already on the property, she watched and cried happy tears because every place she was hurt got demolished and she could bury the pain in the dirt with them.
Link and Annistyn had another baby. They now have a second little boy named Camden Cruz.
He’s adorable and we were all at the hospital for his birth despite the horrible storm.
Roads were flooding, trees and power lines were taken out by lightning, and we barely got to the hospital without crashing multiple times.
Taleah was the only one who wasn’t at the hospital.
She wasn’t feeling the best and someone needed to stay with the kids.
They were all taken to our home and I made sure the generator would stay on while we were gone.
Bryce and Rory helped my ol’ lady while we were gone because it’s so hard for her to move around and Dakota barely left her side.
Camden was born two hours after we got to the hospital and most of us left the second we knew the baby and Annistyn were okay.
I left because the need to be home with Taleah consumed me.
Taleah’s pregnancy went as smoothly as it could.
We waited a few months before we shared the news with everyone.
Annistyn and Elara were the only two who knew.
Her morning sickness lasted a few months, but it wasn’t too bad according to her doctor.
Taleah had a few insane cravings and I got each and every one of them for her.
The day we found out we were having a boy, the two of us cried because we’d already been discussing names and had the perfect one.
I was happy as hell about having a son. Taleah really didn’t care what we had as long as they were healthy.
Our son was born first thing in the morning about a month after Camden was born.
We woke up to Taleah’s water breaking. I rushed her to the hospital and never left her side.
Her labor was long and I hated seeing her in pain, but she was so damn strong.
Taleah never complained or made a fuss as each contraction hit and the nurses kept checking her to see how far along she was.
I didn’t understand anything they said, but she seemed to.
Elara was in the room with us because our parents are both out of town.
I called to tell them she was in labor and they got to the hospital just after our son made his entrance into the world.
When we shared his name, everyone cried.
Taleah and I decided to name our boy Bhodi Johnson after her brother and my grandma.
Johnson was her last name and the only way we could think of to honor her.
The day we chose to name him Bhodi, Taleah and I both cried because it’s going to hurt and heal us at the same time.
I know it will hurt to call my son by my best friend’s name.
At the same time, I can’t wait to see him grow up and become a man his uncle would be proud of.
Our son is already loved by everyone in his life and he’ll have the best support system around.
Especially with Count as one of his uncles.
The man is with us every day to spend time with Bhodi while ignoring Taleah and me.
This morning, Bhodi and I are enjoying the start of the day on the porch.
He woke up and nursed before I changed his diaper and wrapped him back up in a blanket so he was warm enough.
Bhodi rarely cries and even then he never gets loud.
Taleah and I were so scared to be far from him when he first came home for that reason alone.
Even across the baby monitor he’s not loud.
“Your uncle Bhodi would be so in love with you, Little Man. He was the best person I knew and would have been there the day you were born and every single day after. Bhodi would have protected you, been a wingman when you needed one, talked to you about anythin’ you didn’t feel you could bring to your mom and me, and he would have shown up for every event in your life.
Your uncle would have cheered louder than anyone else for you and loved every second of it.
He was my best friend and I miss him every single day.
I still carry guilt with me, but it’s not as bad these days.
I can visit his grave and think of him without cryin’.
It’s easier to remember the good memories and days we were able to spend together.
“I remember one of the first times we hung out after your uncle got his license. Auntie Elara and your mom wanted to hang out while your uncle and I did. So, we were plannin’ on spendin’ the day at the beach.
Your uncle let your mama try to get them there to meet Auntie and me.
I don’t know how she managed it, but your mom got them lost and Bhodi ended up two towns away from where we were.
He was so mad at your mom, but never let her see his anger.
She could do no wrong in his eyes and he always encouraged her to chase her dreams and live the best life possible.
By the time they got to the beach we were at, he was a sweaty mess and your mom was laughin’ her ass off.
She doesn’t have a sense of direction at all.
Never let her try to tell you how to get somewhere, Bhodi. You’ll end up lost.
“Your uncle would spend his days protectin’ your mom while tryin’ to live his life.
He would push anyone away who treated her like crap and would rather spend time with her than anyone else.
Her bookstore was actually named by him.
That man had so much energy and was always doin’ somethin’.
He played a different sport every season, rode a sport bike, trained in fightin’, and was always helpin’ your Papa around the house.
Half the time I couldn’t keep up with him.
We would spend our days laughin’ at stupid shit, talkin’ about life and how we saw our future, and sometimes we’d just sit in silence because we didn’t need to fill it with conversation.
“At the same time, there was a calmness about him. He could see a person carryin’ the weight of the world on their shoulders and just make it better for them.
The second he would sit next to them, you could see them visibly relax as they started to open up about what was goin’ on.
I watched him literally save a young boy from takin’ his own life because he thought he messed up so horribly there was no reason to live any longer.
No one knows about that because Bhodi swore me to secrecy.
You’re the only one who will know his secret, Son.