Epilogue
Charity
Everything is so much sweeter because I can celebrate with the family I chose. -Charity
The cookout two weeks later is a weird mixture of the usual guys and the Royals that came to my rescue. The end of the gun battle is what still gives me nightmares. Three Royals were dead, two who tried to kill King and one that tried to save him.
King is here, arm in a sling from getting grazed by a bullet.
Right now, my boyfriend Silver is trying very hard to make him laugh.
The sight itself is a little funny. Silver, normally so serious, is so worried about King’s mental state that he’s forcing himself to be all jovial.
The kind gesture makes my stomach erupt in butterflies.
Of course, everything that Silver does makes those damn butterflies appear. Especially since he rescued me.
He’s barely let me out of sight the last two weeks. The best night of my life (so far) was the night he sheepishly asked if he could call me “his girl” in front of the guys. I felt like flying. We still haven’t exchanged those three life-changing words, but it’s only a matter of time.
“You’re staring at my brother again, Charity. It’s not getting any less gross with time.” Elsie’s makes a gagging sound and I giggle.
“You’re so wrong. He’s worth staring at. He’s worth staring at all the time.” I say the words in such a mushy tone that even I recognize it’s a bit much.
Elsie rolls her eyes. “Love is blind.” Then she laughs and puts her arm around my shoulders. “You know I couldn’t have picked anyone better for my brother, right? You’re the one for him. You’re the best. And exactly the kind of sister I’ve always wanted.”
My eyes cloud with tears. “Els, it isn’t that serious yet.” I lower my voice. “He hasn’t even said I love you yet. I keep thinking he will…”
Elsie’s lips lift into a small smile. “He will, Charity. Be patient. He loves you. So damn much it’s hard to look at sometimes.”
I glance over at Silver again. He’s watching me with a sweet smile on his face. He winks at me, and I know I blush.
An hour later, the sun is beginning to get low in the sky and twilight is about to settle over the horizon. It’s my favorite time of day. I love the pink and purple streaks that paint the sky over the mountains.
Silver uses a fork to hit the side of a beer mug in an attempt to get the group’s attention. I giggle when the sound does exactly nothing to stop their gabbing.
“Guys, shut the fuck up! Prez has somethin’ to say!” Blaze, in his own eloquent way, calls out to give the floor to Silver. Immediately, everyone quiets.
Silver clears his throat and gives Blaze an amused look. “Thanks, Blaze.”
Silver is always in control. Always composed. I swear, even in the middle of that gunfight, he looked barely rumpled. But right now, he seems nervous. I raise an eyebrow and watch the love of my life clear his throat.
“I want to thank everyone for being here. Especially the Royals and King. Y’all have been through hell and back these last few weeks.” He sends a significant look to King. “I know y’all will rebuild your crew in no time and you’ll be stronger than ever.”
He glances around at all the guys, at all the families gathered. “And as for my guys, you know how much I value y’all. Y’all are family. I started this club with a couple of guys from the military. We were just trying to make a home for ourselves. Just trying to survive memories and start over.”
My eyes fill with tears. My man. My brave, sweet man.
“We did it. Over time, we’ve built something here. Something strong and sturdy, something that I, uh, thought I would never want to share with another person.” He looks over at me and I swear there are tears swimming in his blue eyes. “Charity, can you come here for a second?”
My heart is pounding as I approach my man. He holds out his hand to me and I grab it like a lifeline. Because that’s what he is. My lifeline. My safety net. My always.
“Charity, you are so much stronger than you realize.” He takes a deep breath. “You make me a better person, a better man. You make me want to shed the past and move on with my life.”
He looks down at our joined hands and then slowly goes to his knee.
I gasp and hold a hand to my mouth. Aw hell, I’m not going to make it through this without losing it, am I?
“I love you, Charity Daniels. Love you more than I ever thought was possible. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine, forever.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring.
It shines up at me, framed by the rays of the sinking sun.
“Please say you’ll be my wife. Please say you’ll raise a family with me and make me the happiest man on Earth.
I promise to love you forever. I promise to protect you and make you as happy as possible, my love. ”
I stare down at the man that rescued me so many years ago. I hear the murmurs of the family I’ve made during those years. There’s no question what my answer will be.
“Yes, Silver! Yes, I’ll marry you!” I shout the words at the top of my lungs, no longer afraid to speak up, no longer afraid to tell the world about the man I love.
Silver picks me up and swings me in a circle.
Around us, the Silver Snakes whoop and holler. Someone starts to play music. Another person yells out that it’s time to have cake.
It’s chaotic. It’s crazy. It’s family. And it’s mine.
The End