Epilogue
Lola
It’s been a month since I got out of the hospital and the last of the bruises have finally healed.
The club had already begun making amends with me before I was attacked, but seeing me broken and bloody must have triggered something in all of them.
I went from having nobody to having dozens of overprotective brothers.
I won’t lie and say they don’t drive me insane at times, but it’s hard to be angry when I’m in the center of the family I always dreamed of.
Even so, knowing that Havoc and Nevaeh are coming down from the mother chapter for the day has everyone’s protective streak going into overdrive.
As a result, I snuck out of the house, leaving the kids with Jolene so I could have an hour of peace.
The ice cream shop is quiet at this time of the morning.
When I walked in and Ed spotted me from behind the counter, he made my favorite cone—Cherry Garcia—and led me to the sofa in the corner.
Then he activated the phone tree I never knew existed.
Ten minutes later, I’m surrounded by people who want to see with their own two eyes that I’m okay.
“You know I snuck out so people would stop fussing over me.” I roll my eyes when Al plonks himself down beside me.
“You have too many people who care about you. How tragic.”
“Smart ass. And I’m not really complaining. I’m just trying to psych myself up for later. Everyone is acting weird because Havoc and his old lady are coming to visit. And, well, let’s just say it didn’t go well last time.”
“She came here once. She was nice. We gave them the little bit of info you told us to if anyone came asking questions from the mother chapter,” Jordan says.
“I figured you had.”
“I’m still not sure why we couldn’t mention you to them.”
“They wouldn’t have believed any of it if they knew it came from me. Worse, they might have mentioned something to Driller or Khan.”
“And they’d have killed you.” Al sighs.
“To keep what they were doing a secret? Oh yeah. Of course, I didn’t know just how involved either of them were. I honestly thought they might be covering for one of the other brothers or a nomad, perhaps. I was shocked to discover the truth. Things like that happen in movies, not real life. To find out what Driller and Khan were up to shook us all. Not because they aren’t capable of heinous things. I know exactly what Driller, in particular, was capable of. It’s that they managed to hide it from a whole club of brothers, and they did that for years. I’m still not sure how they pulled it off. Sometimes I think we missed something.”
“That happens when you focus on something for so long that it almost takes over your life. It makes you question everything. Many a sane man has gone crazy looking for holes where there were none.” David, who is sitting opposite me, kicks his feet up on the low table before Marjorie yells for him to move them, making me laugh.
“You should tell your man. He’s the new president, right?”
“He is. He’s a little intense, but he loves me, keeps me safe, and makes me happy.”
“Good. You deserve that.”
“I think we all do, right?”
“Here, here,” someone shouts before everyone raises their waffle cones in a toast.
I shake my head at them.
“It’s good to see you all. It feels amazing to be here without looking over my shoulder.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Marjorie sighs.
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I don’t think tall, dark, and delicious is here to see me.”
I turn just as the door opens, and Hannibal strolls in.
He walks straight to me before bending down and picking me up, kissing me right there in front of everyone.
We break apart to the sound of cheers.
“You left.”
“For an hour to get ice cream. I hardly fled the continent.”
“You should have told me. I was worried.”
I sigh and kiss his jaw before he lowers me to my feet.
“I’m sorry, I just needed a little air. Everyone is acting so weird, and they aren’t even here yet.”
“They care.”
“I know. It’s the only reason why I haven’t set them all on fire.”
He grins at me.
“I’ll tell them to rein it in.”
“Thank you. Here, let me introduce you to everyone. We have Al, Jordan, David, and his lovely wife, Marjorie.” I reel off everyone else before pointing behind the counter.
“And behind the counter is Ed.” He waves without looking over, but clearly, he’s paying attention.
“Everyone, this is Hannibal. My old man and the President of Raven Souls MC.”
Al gets to his feet and offers him his hand.
“Good to meet you. Hope you do a better job than the last dickhead.”
“Al!” I sigh.
“What are your intentions with our Lola, young man?” Jordan asks, making me groan.
I bury my head against Hannibal’s chest. He kisses the crown of my head before sliding his thumb under my chin and tipping it back.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
“What was me?”
“You were the contact they were protecting. You’re the one who sent the ledger.”
I snap my mouth shut.
I don’t want to lie to him, but I’m not sure I want to tell him I effectively betrayed the club either.
Damn it. “I stole it off Driller one night. He came back so wasted he couldn’t stand. The next day, he didn’t even remember coming home. I didn’t know what it was, but as it was all in code, I knew it had to be important. I figured it was to do with the missing girls. I’d been looking for info and couldn’t find much so this was a huge deal. The problem was, I had nobody I could trust to send it to.” I blow out a shaky breath as I tell him the rest.
“The day I drove to the mother chapter, I came here to town first. I gave the ledger to Al to mail to the clubhouse.”
“What had changed?”
“I had. I’d found all there was to find. I’d stayed to protect Havoc, and he didn’t need it anymore, so I was done. I gave Al the book and gave him the all-clear to mail it.
“You were going to run away,” he guesses.
“And instead, I ran into you.”
He shakes his head and sighs.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me?”
“That’s a given.” He winks before a cough clears, drawing our attention.
“There are children present,” David huffs, making Marjorie roll her eyes.
“There are no children present. And you have no room to talk. You had your hand up my skirt in the kitchen this morning when the grandkids were in the next room.”
“Woman.”
“Don’t you woman me, David Morgan. Or the next thing your hand will slip into is the garbage disposal.”
He huffs and turns to Hannibal.
“They start out sweet as pie, but then you put a ring on their finger, and it’s like pulling a pin from a grenade.”
Hannibal shakes his head with a grin.
“You regret it?”
“Do I regret it?” He huffs.
“We’ve been married for thirty years!” His eyes drift to Marjorie, where they soften.
“Not for a single damn day.”
“I want to be them when I grow up,” I murmur.
“I have no problem fingering you in the kitchen.”
“Hannibal!” I screech and slap his chest, making everyone laugh except Margorie, who buries her face in David’s neck.
The man himself is looking far too smug.
“Lola tell you we’re having a barbeque today?” Hannibal announces when it quiets down.
“She mentioned Havoc and his old lady coming back and getting everyone in a tizzy. Now, I like his woman, she seems sweet, but she ain’t Lola.”
“No, she isn’t. Nevaeh's sweet and tenacious, so don’t let the sweetness fool you. But Lola…she’s everything.”
“Aww,” Marjorie coos. “Why aren’t you sweet to me anymore, David?”
“You weren’t complaining when my fingers were being sweet this morning. And just saying with my arthritis, that shit ain’t easy anymore. You’re worth it, though.”
She looks at him as if she doesn’t know whether she should be pissed or happy. And I’m right there with her.
“You should come.”
I look up at Hannibal. “Given the subject matter, you could have worded that better.”
He laughs, dipping his head to kiss me before turning back to the growing crowd. “Come to the barbeque. Eat with us and get to know us now that Khan and Driller are gone.”
“How can we be sure Driller's really gone? I won’t?—”
“He’s gone.” Hannibal says it with such finality that there's no missing his point. Silence blankets the room, making me shift uncomfortably.
“I’ll bring cake,” Ed calls from behind the counter. We turn to look at him, surprised. He’s always been vocal about his growing uneasiness surrounding the club.
“Wait, you sell cake?”
“No, I sell ice cream.”
“So where are you gonna get a cake from?”
“I’m gonna fucking bake it of course. Can’t show up to a biker shindig without cake.”
“You don’t have to bring cake,” Hannibal says but I elbow him.
“Actually, cake sounds good.”
Al sighs. “I’ll help with the cake.”
“Good. Everyone, I’m closing early to bake. What time do you need us there?”
“It starts at two, but come whenever you’re ready. I’ll let the prospect know to look out for you all.”
“Ooh, I’m excited. But what do I wear to a biker party?” Marjorie claps.
“A burka. I don’t want anyone getting any funny ideas. I’m too old to fight for your honor. I’ll just shoot them if they get too handy,” David warns.
“No guns, David!” I order. There's a good chance someone will hit on Marjorie, regardless of her age. She’s a stunning woman, and MC men have fewer hang-ups than most.
He sighs. “Fine.
What about you, Jordan?
you coming?”
“I want to look those motherfuckers that treated Lola like shit in the eye and let them know she’s not alone. We don’t gotta hide that shit anymore. They want to play at being family? Well, we were family first, so I’ll be watching.” Some others murmur their agreement.
“I just really like cake,” Sarah shouts out, making me smile.
All this time I thought I was alone.
Turns out, I wasn’t looking hard enough.
I’ll admit, I worried a little about the reception the club would give them.
But if anything, the guys seemed genuinely happy and—dare I say—relieved that they came.
I guess it’s harder for a club to coexist within a small town if the town hates your guts.
Maybe this is all there will ever be between them, but it’s enough.
You don’t need a bridge between opposing sides.
Sometimes a stepping stone is all it takes.
I finish stroking Bandit and stand up as he runs over to Smokey who is eying the food like a hawk.
“Have you seen Ed’s cake?” Marjorie hustles up to me, with David on her tail, eating a hotdog.
“No, he said it was a surprise.”
“Oh, it will be a surprise alright.”
“Should I be concerned?”
“I think if anyone appreciates it, it will be this lot.”
I blow out a relieved breath.
“Okay, good.”
“Mother chapter is here!” someone calls out.
I don’t react. The thought of seeing Havoc and Nevaeh again doesn’t faze me at all.
It might have taken me a while, but I think I realize now that while Jonas and Lola had an epic love story, Havoc was Nevaeh’s destiny, not mine.
My place is beside the handsome psycho heading in my direction, even though he should be heading off to greet the guests.
“You ready?”
I lift up on tiptoes and grip the front of his T-shirt.
He takes the hint, dipping his head and kissing me like there's nobody else around.
When he pulls back I stare up at him with dazed eyes and smile. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
He takes my hand and leads me toward the clubhouse. I spot Al and nod to him. He winks, knowing what I want, and disappears.
I squint when we step inside, my eyes needing a second to adjust to the light. I stumble when I catch sight of everyone. I was expecting Havoc and Nevaeh, not half the mother chapter.
“Um...hi?”
Hannibal releases my hand so he can slide it around my shoulder. Hearing a familiar cry, I turn to see Gunther walking in with Evan.
“Little man is hungry, and I don’t have boobs.” He thrusts him into my arms.
I look down at my boy and stroke my fingers over his soft head. “Hey, baby. I wondered who’d stolen you this time.”