Epilogue
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
TYLER
I roamed the lavish office that once belonged to my late father-in-law, Vito Aggio. The polished mahogany furniture and ornate decor still held their grandeur, but now they were under my ownership. A part of me thought it would feel strange to be back in this space, but it’d been just over a year since I took over as the boss of the Aggio Crime Family. I’d been given the option to break tradition and change the family name, but I couldn’t bring myself to strip away the legacy of Giovanna and her brothers. So, it remained.
Luca had resumed his music career, and thankfully, his injuries from the attack weren’t as severe as they first appeared. With some cleverly applied makeup, you couldn’t even tell he had endured any pain at all. He and Nadia were still together, and she accompanied him on tour, keeping him grounded. We only saw them every few months, but we did manage to attend one of his sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden last month with Amber and Chance. He even landed a cameo in the upcoming movie Chance was directing and writing a song for the soundtrack.
Enzo moved back to New York, committing himself to assisting the family in any way possible. Though he still spent many late nights out partying with various women, he never faltered when it came to handling business matters. He always put the family’s needs first.
Carmine stepped up to fill Frankie’s position by my side as my Underboss after an unfortunate accident. Five months ago, while assisting in disposing of someone I’d ordered the execution of, a gun went off prematurely, killing him. The news hit Giovanna hard, as she’d known him since she was a child. Carmine promised to do his best to stay out of prison, and so far, he’d proven himself to be a valuable asset to me. He kept watch over New York, alerting me any time I needed to travel back to handle business in person.
Another warm summer was fading away, and soon the kids would be heading back to school. Our children begged to spend some time in the city before we made our way back to Boston, and it was a welcome diversion for both Giovanna and me. I had some important business matters to take care of, and she wanted to have a day out with the kids and take them shopping. Luckily, they’d now grown accustomed to having security around, so they didn’t question me when I insisted they have three guards with them at all times.
Angelo’s footsteps echoed through the hallway as he entered the office. “Can you sign off on this, boss?” he asked, coming to a stop in front of me.
“I haven’t even been back from my honeymoon for a full week, and you’re already asking so much shit of me.” I sat, rolling the chair underneath the desk. “What is it?”
“Paulie’s accepting the imports tomorrow night, and we need a signature to make it all look legitimate,” he explained.
My hand wiggled impatiently as I waited for him to hand over the stack of papers. “I don’t sign anything without reading it first. I’ll always be a lawyer. I’ll get it back to you before tomorrow afternoon.” I tightened my gaze on his. “Any word on my guests?”
“In the barn,” he replied.
“Thanks,” I said, nodding toward the door where Giovanna had just entered the office. “Now give me some time with my wife.”
He bowed his head respectfully before leaving. As soon as he closed the door, Giovanna strutted over to me with a smile on her face.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Her eyes sparkled with lust. “Hey, sexy, powerful man.”
“Where are the kids?” I asked as she approached my side of the desk.
“They got a bunch of new stuff, so they’re going through it upstairs and packing.”
“Good,” I said as she perched on my lap. My nose buried into the curve of her neck, taking in her sweet scent as my arms wrapped around her waist. “That means I get you all to myself for a while.”
She shifted slightly, leaning away from me. “Not entirely,” she replied with a hint of laughter in her voice.
I lifted my brows.
“Jenna called and said Amber’s showing labor signs, and they’re inducing her in four hours, so we’re needed back there.”
“Why?” I countered. “Neither of us are delivering those babies.”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “The kids and I will go without you then, Mr. Important.” A playful glint sparkled in her eyes as she teased me.
“I have something to handle down at the barn,” I stroked her thigh, “then we can leave.”
“Oh,” she furrowed her brow, “she’s also looking for Ian. He ran out for an errand a few hours ago and hasn’t returned yet. He’s not answering his phone. But I’m sure you wouldn’t know anything about that.” Snickering, she pressed her lips to mine and stood, parading across the room. “Don’t get too bloody, even though it does look sexy on you.” She winked before opening the door, disappearing into the hallway.
I stood, sliding my hands deep into my pockets, staring out through the large windows at the barn situated across the lush green lawn at the rear of the property. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, reminding myself that my responsibilities as head of the family never truly ended. But as long as Giovanna and our children were safe and happy, it was a burden I was willing to bear.
Stepping over to the desk, I holstered my gun against my back and grabbed the silencer from the drawer, along with my pack of cigarettes and lighter. As I made my way outside through a side door, I lit a cigarette and took deep drags on it while I trekked down the long path to the barn.
When I reached the door, I flung the cigarette onto the rough gravel, crushing it under my shoe. I rolled up my sleeves to my elbows, revealing a web of scars and intricate sleeve tattoos that now covered my forearms. Gripping the door handle tightly, I yanked it open, entering the dimly lit room.
“We don’t have much time,” I announced under my breath.
“What’s going on?” Ian questioned, his gaze flicking between me and the door.
“Jen knows you’re gone, and Amber’s having the twins tonight, so their Godfather should be present, don’t you think?”
“Shit,” he muttered. “Then, you better end this quickly so I can be.”
A sly smirk tugged at the corners of my mouth as I slowly turned to face Beau, Jenna’s former bodyguard, who was now secured to a wooden chair in front of us. His thick arms were bound with sturdy ropes, and his legs were tightly fastened to the seat. I’d ordered Ian to hand him over to me after I couldn’t get what he said about Giovanna out of my head.
“I believe you called my wife a little bitch .”
He thrashed against the restraints, his muscles tensing and jerking as he tried desperately to free himself from the chair. The ropes dug into his skin, leaving red indentations and causing him to grunt in pain. Muffled sounds came from behind the tape covering his mouth.
“What?” I leaned closer, ripping off the tape with a quick motion.
“Ahhh!” he shouted, wincing as the tape pulled at his facial hair. “I said that over a year ago, and I’ve apologized to her since then! She said she forgave me!”
My lips tightened into a firm line as I reached for my pistol, pulling it from its holster and attaching the silencer. I cocked the gun and pressed the muzzle against the center of his forehead. “She might have forgiven you,” I snarled, “but I don’t.”
His eyes widened in fear. “Don’t! Pleas?—”
The loud pop of the silenced gun resonated through the room and blood splattered against the wall behind him. His body slumped forward, lifeless, and crumpled in the chair.
A contented smile emerged on my face. “Let’s go home.”
FOUR MONTHS LATER
GIOVANNA
Never in a million years did I think I’d end up marrying Tyler Prescott. However, he came back into my life, bringing three beautiful children with him. At first, I was terrified they’d think I was trying to take the place of their mother, but we quickly formed our own special connection, and I never felt compared to her.
I grew to love them as my own, just as Tyler did when he was married to their mom. It didn’t matter that I didn’t give birth to them, we needed each other in our own way, and they filled the void in my life I thought I’d have forever. I’d been teaching Naya all my family recipes for her to pass down to her kids one day. She’d often join me in the kitchen to cook while Fenway waited eagerly for any scrap to hit the floor.
Tyler and I still ran Luxe together, though I’d stepped down from being Luke’s assistant. He hired someone else in my place, and so far, the guy, Eamon, had worked out perfectly. I still danced in Euphoria every night when we were in town. I thought once Tyler settled into his role as head of the family, he wouldn’t want me dancing any longer, but he only wanted me to do what made me happy.
Amber and Chance’s twin daughters, Iris and Willow, were already giving him a headache. When she dressed them alike, he sometimes struggled with telling them apart. He quickly determined who was who based on which one laughed at his silly faces more. Willow was always quicker to crack up at her dad than Iris. And just like their famous father, the girls had already booked their first major role, playing the same baby in a Tobyn Moss film that’d begin production in three months. Amber had stepped away from the club life to be a full-time mom, but they still resided primarily in Brookline, so we still saw them often. She’d yet to bring them to the club.
Luke and Jade were still running club operations, and Maddie was no longer an only child. Unbeknownst to everyone except him, Ian and Jade, Luke was the Godfather of a teenage boy, Nicky, who lost his father to an illness seven months ago. He turned eighteen three weeks prior and was now training to assist Luke and Ian at the club and in their other business .
As for Ian and Jenna, they were still living their perfect life in her childhood home with Dylan, Kira, and their cat Mac. Their house was always open to us all, and we still gathered there for regular dinners and game nights. It was the perfect balance to the dark world we were all a part of.
Tyler’s parents moved next door to us when the house came on the market and often joined us for family dinners at Ian and Jenna’s and even dropped by ours for dinner twice a week. Once Tyler processed their return, he was understanding of their reason for leaving to protect them. He was just happy they were back, and our kids were spoiled whenever they ran next door to their grandparents’ house, leaving Tyler and I plenty of time for ourselves.
Tonight was Christmas Eve. As we sat with the family around the elaborate Christmas décor in the Knight’s den, I teared up at how my life had changed so drastically. Luke unknowingly saved my life that night when he first saw me dance. It was a random encounter, but one that would ultimately save my life and alter its path forever.
Chance reached for the remote, handing it to Ian. “Christmas Vacation?”
“As always,” Ian replied, turning on the television.
Jenna, Jade, and Maddie entered the room with bowls of popcorn as Amber and Naya carried trays of hot chocolate and tea, setting them down on the coffee table. Jenna curled up next to Ian on the couch, bringing her feet up beside her as she leaned into him.
“Just a second, Ian.” My father-in-law stood, lowering his gaze on Jenna with a stack of newspapers in his hand. “Sweetheart, I believe we have a tradition to bring back.”
Jenna’s breath hitched next to me, and tears welled in her eyes as she stood. Stepping over to him, she took the papers from his hand. Kieran moved off the hearth while Jenna sat in his place, crinkling the newspaper and shoving it between the arranged logs stacked strategically in the fireplace. Once she was finished, her dad handed her a box of matches, and she lit the fire while crying before hugging him. I wasn’t sure why the moment was so sentimental, but it obviously meant everything to them both.
Snuggling closer to Tyler on the couch, I laid my head on his shoulder as Jenna settled on the other side of me next to Ian. The sound of the kids giggling and crunching popcorn filled the air as the cartoon-style opening credits started on the movie. Lifting my gaze to Tyler, I whispered, “I love you so much.”
He smiled down at me, pressing his lips to mine in a quick kiss. “Not as much as I love you.”