Epilogue
DENVER - 6 MONTHS LATER
“Croatia,” I say, scooping more pistachio ice cream into my mouth. Leaning against the hood of the car, the sun warming my face, I watch my personal security, Lewis, think.
The sun shines off his bald head, and he licks his ice cream. Ranger hired him two weeks after our wedding, and it was our first argument. Ranger said Lewis gave him bad vibes, but I know he just hated that through the entire interview, the bodyguard had me howling with laughter as he regaled stories from the military.
He’s more than experienced, and I adore him. I call him my very own Stanley Tucci, and he tells me not to, but he secretly loves it.
“There’s an original Egyptian Sphynx there.”
My mouth drops open. “You lie.”
“Nope.” Lewis also says he knows at least one fact about every country in the world, and he hasn’t disappointed me yet. Lewis’s smile fades as he looks behind me. “Are you sure I can’t kill paparazzi?”
I glance over my shoulder at the photographer. “That’s just Jay. Ignore him.” I wave, and the pap waves back at me. “Hey, maybe people will think we’re having an affair.” Lewis grimaces, and I punch his arm. “Rude.”
“You’re too high maintenance. Just hearing you argue with Ranger puts my blood pressure up. I’d call him a saint for putting up with you, but for obvious reasons, I won’t.”
I grin, and my phone rings. “Ah, looky.” I wiggle my phone screen at Lewis, then answer in my sexiest voice, “Denver Luxe speaking.”
“You cunt.”
I cackle silently. “Gwen, whatever is the matter?” I straighten up off the car, placing my sunglasses on my face.
“You fucked me over,” Gwen hisses at me. “You knew the Merricks were speaking with me, you fucking knew?—”
“Listen, just because Robert Merrick happened to come by information about you and your fuck-up in Chicago doesn’t mean it was me who told him,” I say sweetly. “But I guess that’s what happens when you leak information to cops.”
Gwen has six bars in the city. They’re small but still competition for the new Pulse and my other clubs, so I intervened when Robert Merrick, the head of one of the smaller families in San Francisco, was looking to invest. He was a good friend of my dad’s, and I’ll always look out for him out of respect.
Screwing Gwen over is just a bonus.
She shrieks down the phone. “I’m going to cut all your fucking hair off, you bitch.”
“Hey,” I snap. “That’s too far.” She hangs up. I grin. “I think she likes me.”
Lewis grunts in response. My phone rings again.
I sigh as I pick up. “Gwen, can we kiss and make up?”
“Gwen?” a smooth, low male voice says, followed by a soft chuckle. “Are you cheating on Ranger, Deluxe?”
I frown, glancing at my phone screen. In my haste to answer, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t Gwen calling again. “Who is this?”
“A friend,” he purrs. “You look pretty today.”
My smile fades, and Lewis watches me. He takes the tub of ice cream from my hands, discarding it and his cone in the trash. He opens the car door, but I ignore him as I glance around the street.
“It’s not fair for you to see me and me not to see you.” My gaze darts from person to person, the people in the street seeming to double the more my heart rate increases. “Let’s see if your face is as sexy as your voice.”
He laughs. “You’re a real charmer, Deluxe.”
“I won’t be for much longer if you keep using that name.”
He hums, amusement coating the sound. “Yeah, I heard you don’t like it. That’s a shame. I wish I had a nickname.”
“How about Fucking Coward ?” My gaze meets Lewis, and he points angrily at the car.
“That’s a little mean, don’t you think? I’ve never done anything to you.”
I wet my lips, wondering if I should take a leap and guess who it is. His accent isn’t strong, but it’s there.
“No, but your brother has.”
He laughs. “Clever girl.”
Lewis takes my hand to urge me into the car, but I yank it away. There are no photos of Colt Harland. Not a single fucking one. He’s an enigma, and he’s been hiding Wilder for six months. “Come out and see me,” I say. “That way, I know who to look for at your brother’s funeral.”
Colt doesn’t laugh this time. “I’ll only tell you this once, Denver. Leave my brother alone.”
“Fuck you and your brother,” I say. “He started this, and I’ll finish it. It’s the way of the world.”
My heart is racing, my cheeks warm as I try to spot anyone on a phone. But everyone is moving quickly through the busy streets, and I can’t see anyone looking my way. Even Jay the photographer is gone.
“My brother was punished,” Colt says. “You can rest assured.”
“Unless he’s dead, it isn’t punishment enough,” I bite out. “He killed someone important to me. I won’t let this go.”
Colt is quiet. “I can respect that, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you if you cross me.”
“Fine by me,” I say. “If you get in my way, I won’t hesitate to kill you, either.”
I’m prepared to give everything to find Wilder Harland. I’ll avenge Ethan, even if it won’t rebuild the bridge burned between Sebastian and me.
“Then I guess we’re at war, Deluxe.”
I get into the car, and Lewis closes the door. In the cool darkness of the back seat, I take a quiet breath. “See you on the battlefield, Colt.”
I hang up.